**UPDATE: Beth got into contact with her dad this afternoon and both of her parents are ok.**
Wisconsinites with ties to Southwest Florida woke up Thursday morning with a deep sense of fear watching the devastating images and videos following Hurricane Ian.
The category 4 storm touched down near parts of Southwest Florida on Wednesday leaving the region in utter disaster.
Officials say more than 2.5 million are without power following the storm, leaving many Wisconsinites with loved ones in the affected areas worried.
Beth Zimmerman's parents, both 89 years old, moved to Bonita Springs near Fort Meyers years ago to retire. Once she learned the storm was heading towards her parents' home she urged them to evacuate.
"I wanted them to be comfortable and for them, comfort is staying in their home this time so I had to respect that," said Zimmerman.
She called her father Wednesday night as Ian pummeled through, urging him to turn off his phone knowing electricity will be limited.
"It was 11 p.m. their time 10 p.m. our time and I was calling to tell him to turn off his cell phone which might not have been a good move to conserve the battery."
Thursday morning, Zimmerman was shocked to see the devastation unfolding where her parents were.
"It's devastating, I can't tell you what it will look like in a month because of all of the debris," said Zimmerman, holding back tears.
Zimmerman made several calls to her father's cell phone and landline throughout Thursday morning but has yet to hear back.
"So now I've been trying to call them since 6 a.m. our time 7 a.m. their time because my dad is usually up at 5 a.m. anyway and still no answer yet," said Zimmerman.
She is leaning on hope as she waits to hear back.
"I think the thing is that you just never do give up hope. You just keep praying that things are gonna turn out."
Zimmerman plans to travel to Florida to help her parents this Saturday.
