Hurricane Ian takes aim at Carolinas after pummeling Florida

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Ian is expected to hit South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane on Friday after cutting a path of destruction across Florida.
• Northeast Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas are in danger of experiencing storm surges today.
• President Biden on Thursday issued an emergency declaration for South Carolina.

President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a state of emergency in South Carolina as Ian, which reintensified to a category 1 Hurricane, is expected to hit the Carolina Coast today.

Northeast Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas are at risk of facing “life-threatening” storm surges, flooding, and powerful winds over the next two days.

Ian had weakened to a tropical storm after cutting a path of destruction across Florida on Wednesday, leaving behind a flooded state with downed power lines and extensive damage.

A hurricane warning is in place for the entire South Carolina coast while a storm surge warning is in effect from the line between Florida’s Flagler and Volusia counties. Coast forecasters expect a storm surge of up to 7 feet of water.

A tropical storm warning has been issued from Altamaha Sound, Georgia, to North Carolina’s Savannah River, from Cape Fear to Duck, North Carolina, and for the Pamlico Sound.

At least 12 people were reported dead after Hurricane Ian tore through Florida on Wednesday, but reports say the death toll is expected to grow. Ian hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing storm surges and catastrophic winds, smashing infrastructure, and leaving millions without power. 

“We absolutely expect to have mortality from this hurricane,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Thursday evening.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday night that the fatalities in his county were in the hundreds.

“I don’t have confirmed numbers. I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds,” Marceno said. 

DeSantis said hundreds of people have been rescued from Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and the barrier islands in Charlotte County. The number is likely to increase as search and rescue operations continue.

“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history,” Biden said at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. “The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.”

More than 2.5 million homes and businesses in Florida remained without power,

Source: Reuters