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Weeks after Hurricane Ian devastation, winning $494 million lottery ticket sold in Florida
FORT MYERS (ABC NEWS) — One of the winning tickets to Friday’s Mega Millions jackpot was sold in Fort Myers, Florida, weeks after Hurricane Ian devastated the area.
Ticket holders in California and Florida matched all six numbers on Friday night, winning $494 million on Friday, lottery officials said in a news release.
Friday’s jackpot was the eleventh largest in the game’s history, according to the game’s officials.
The winning ticket in Fort Myers comes at a critical time for the Florida city.
Last month, Hurricane Ian struck Florida’s west coast as a Category 4 hurricane, destroying homes and businesses with winds that topped 150 mph, particularly in Lee County, Florida, where Fort Myers is located.
At least 127 people in the state have died due to Hurricane Ian, local officials said.
As for the winning ticket, it’s the first Mega Millions jackpot win since two people won the $1.337 billion prize in Illinois on July 29, officials said.
The winning numbers were 9, 22, 26, 41 and 44, plus the gold Mega Ball 19.