Topline
The death toll from Hurricane Ian surpassed 60 in Florida on Sunday after several counties reported additional fatalities, according to county-level death tolls, as search and rescue efforts remain ongoing for one of the deadliest storms in recent history in Florida.
Part of a destroyed mobile home park is pictured in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers … [+]
Key Facts
At least 35 people were killed in Lee County, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Saturday, confirming 14 additional deaths in the hard-hit southwestern Florida community.
Lee County includes the communities of Fort Myers and Sanibel, which took near-direct hits from Ian as the Category 4 storm made landfall with 155 mph sustained winds Wednesday.
Some 12 deaths have been confirmed in Charlotte County, which is north of Lee County and home to the city of Punta Gorda, and eight deaths have been confirmed in Collier County, CNN reported Sunday.
Five deaths have been confirmed in Volusia County, three in Sarasota County, one in Lake County, one in Manatee County, one in Polk County and one in Hendry County, according to Florida Medical Examiners Commission.
Four people in North Carolina have also died from the storm, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Saturday.
Key Background
No official death count has been released so far from state or federal officials but President Joe Biden warned Thursday the storm could end up being the “deadliest hurricane in Florida history.” Post-storm images from communities near where the hurricane made landfall show complete devastation, especially around Fort Myers and Sanibel, where coastal roads are washed out and a causeway connecting Sanibel Island to the mainland has been partially destroyed. Marceno suggested earlier this week that the death toll in Lee County could be “hundreds” but Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) pushed back, saying numbers are not clear at this point.
Tangent
Ian made a second U.S. landfall Friday afternoon in South Carolina after emerging over the Atlantic Ocean, where it restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane.
What To Watch For
The White House said Saturday President Joe Biden and the first lady Jill Biden will visit Puerto Rico on Monday and Florida on Wednesday to view the damage brought by Hurricane Ian. Biden has said damage from the storm could be among the worst in U.S. history.
Further Reading
Hurricane Ian Makes Second U.S. Landfall In South Carolina (Forbes)
Hurricane Ian death toll may have surpassed 50. Here’s what we know so far (Miami Herald)
Hurricane Ian: These Are The Florida Areas Hardest Hit By The Category 4 Storm (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/10/02/hurricane-ian-death-toll-at-56-will-likely-climb-higher/