Hurricane Ian's death toll continues to grow in Florida and Carolinas

The death toll from Hurricane Ian in Florida continues to increase with more than 77 confirmed dead. However, the actual figure might be higher as rescuers continue to search for survivors. 

Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest storms to hit the U.S., left behind massive destruction, power outages, and flooding in Florida and the Carolinas. 

At least 77 storm-related deaths have been confirmed in Florida and North Carolina, according to a tally by state officials. Most of the deaths come from drowning, however, several others have died from the storm’s aftereffects. 

Officials are warning that the number of deaths might be higher as rescue efforts are still ongoing and the floodwater is receding in several neighborhoods. 

Governor Ron DeSantis said in a news conference on Saturday that at least 1,100 rescues have been made in Florida since the category 4 storm made landfall. 

“There’s been a great outpouring of support and I’ve seen a lot of resilience in this community of people that want to pick themselves up and they want to get their communities back on their feet,” DeSantis told reporters. “We’ll be here and we’ll be helping every step of the way.”

The commander of the Coast Guard in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, said that power outages were complicating rescue areas in affected communities. Many people have been left without electricity and cell phone service, temporarily cutting them off from the rest of the world. 

“It’s one of the biggest challenges,” he said. “Immediately after this storm we had seek and find air crews looking for people needing assistance.”