As trapped communities in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina faced a recovery that was anticipated to cost tens of billions of dollars, and as some politicians came under fire for their response to the storm, the death toll from Hurricane Ian exceeded 80 on Sunday.
As the flood waters recede and search teams enter regions that were first sealed off from the outside world, the death toll is anticipated to grow.
As emergency services examined homes and buildings that had been entirely inundated or carried away, hundreds of people were rescued.
Since Ian made landfall on the Florida gulf coast on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 240 kph, at least 85 hurricane-related fatalities have been documented.
All but four of the fatalities occurred in Florida. The mayor’s office for Lee County, which is on the coast and took the brunt of the storm’s impact when it made landfall, reported 42 fatalities, while officials in four nearby counties reported another 39.
Officials from Lee County were questioned regarding whether or not they had given the orders for the evacuations in a timely manner.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will watch the destruction in Florida live on Wednesday, according to a statement from the White House on Saturday. Two weeks after Hurricane Fiona devastated the island, Biden and his wife are due in Puerto Rico, where hundreds of thousands of residents still without access to energy.
85 dead as a result of Hurricane Ian
About Author
