Hurricane Ian’s death toll climbs to 52 amid search and rescue efforts in Florida, South Carolina
Jessica Schladebeck
The death toll linked to Hurricane Ian has grown to at least 52, a devastating figure that was expected to climb as rescue crews continue their search for survivors still trapped among the wreckage and catastrophic flooding brought on by the megastorm.
The majority of deaths occurred in Lee County, Fla., which was late to issue a mandatory evacuation order as the storm approached.
Authorities in the county, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Canaveral, are still working to assess the full scope of damage while carrying out search and rescue operations. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said authorities still need to notify next of kin before releasing the identities of those who died.
“Today we’ve had over 600 to 700 rescues of people that are in need during this difficult time, with about 35 deaths, unfortunately,” he said.
A car drives through high water from the effects from Hurricane Ian, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Charleston, S.C.
A car drives through high water from the effects from Hurricane Ian, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Charleston, S.C. (Alex Brandon/)
“It is with a heavy heard that I say that number,” Marceno continued. “We are going to work harder and we are going to be stronger than ever.”
While nearby counties encouraged their most vulnerable residents to flee at the start of the week, Lee County did not issue a mandatory evacuation order until Tuesday — less than 24 hours before Ian slammed into the Sunshine State as a massive Category 4 hurricane with windspeeds topping 150 mph. By the time residents received the emergency alert, it was already too late to flee for some, likely contributing to the staggering death toll in the region, the New York Times reported.
Elsewhere in Florida, an elderly couple died after they lost power as Ian loomed and their oxygen machines shut down. In North Carolina, a 65-year-old man died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning early Saturday, marking the state’s first storm-related death. He was running a generator inside a closed garage after Ian knocked out power to his home in Raleigh, WRAL reported.
The storm was also blamed for three deaths in Cuba, where residents are still without power nearly a week after Ian’s arrival.
Ian made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane In South Carolina near Georgetown Friday afternoon after an initial landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
Debris from destroyed buildings swept from the beachfront lies amid damaged homes, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.
Debris from destroyed buildings swept from the beachfront lies amid damaged homes, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Rebecca Blackwell/)
The storm downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone early Saturday as it continued to move north through North Carolina on Saturday before dissipating over Virginia.
Meteorologists forecast several inches of rain across Appalachian North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. According to the the National Hurricane Center, there was potential for as much as six inches and “considerable” flooding in parts of western North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Maximum sustained winds of 35 mph were also expected to lash the region.
Ian’s impacts on Saturday were forecast to stretch throughout the Chesapeake Bay region and into southern New Jersey, where thunderstorms and strong winds were the in forecast.
Fort Myers and Naples were particularly hard hit by Ian, as were Orlando and cities along Florida’s northeastern coast. Rescue crews continued to search by both land and sky for survivors trapped inside their flooded homes while residents tried to salvage any possessions not entirely destroyed by the storm.
“I want to sit in the corner and cry. I don’t know what else to do,” Stevie Scuderi said after shuffling through her mostly destroyed Fort Myers apartment.
Damage to a trailer park is seen after Hurricane Ian passed by the area Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
Damage to a trailer park is seen after Hurricane Ian passed by the area Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. (Steve Helber/)
Many Floridians were also without clean drinking water after water systems across the state were polluted or failed amid the storm.
Record amounts of rainfall drenched some parts of Florida, including 17 inches in Union Park, near Orlando, and 15 inches south of Daytona in New Smyrna Beach, according to the National Weather Service. Major flooding is also expected to persist in Florida through next week.
What’s more, at least a million homes and businesses across the state are still without power. Electricity was also knocked out for over 300,000 customers in North Carolina and almost 100,000 in Virginia as of Saturday morning, according to poweroutage.us.
Darryl Hudson of Ontario, Canada, has a morning coffee on the damaged balcony of his vacation home, as water-damaged furniture, debris and vehicles sit on the lawn after storm surge filled the first story of his and surrounding homes during the passage of Hurricane Ian, near San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.
Photographs lie on a pile of water-damaged trash and debris next to the devastated Getaway Marina, following the passage of Hurricane Ian, on San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.
Canoes and kayaks sit tied up to a sign on a flooded street in Seminole County, Fla., on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. Residents in central Florida donned fishing waders, boots and bug spray and canoed or kayaked to their homes on streets where floodwaters continued rising Sunday despite it being four days since Hurricane Ian tore through the state.
The bridge leading from Fort Myers to Pine Island, Fla., is heavily damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Due to the damage, the island can only be reached by boat or air.
Members of the National Guard ride in a rescue truck down a flooded road in Geneva, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The area is heavily flooded after Hurricane Ian.
Dusty Hollar, 57, a cancer survivor who lives with chronic illness, carries the urn containing his father's ashes, as he recovers a few personal items from the mobile home that he shares with his 80-year-old mother in Sunshine Mobile Home Park, three days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The family's home stayed on its foundations, unlike those of some of their neighbors, but flooding almost to the height of their ceiling destroyed most of their possessions and household items.
National Guard soldiers rescue a man from his flooded property on Rest Haven Road in Geneva, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The area is heavily flooded after Hurricane Ian.
Damage to a trailer park is seen after Hurricane Ian passed by the area Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
"Cowboy" Dave Graham of Ohio, left, who travels to communities that have suffered traumatic events to offer support by listening to survivors, speaks with John, a resident of San Carlos Island whose mobile home was destroyed in Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
This is an aerial view of a damaged trailer park after Hurricane Ian passed by the area Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
A sign placed by a resident asks that a boat that landed on their lawn during Hurricane Ian please be removed, in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
Walter McGee, of Greenville, S.C., looks at his ruined car after the effects of Hurricane Ian, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Pawleys Island, S.C.
Members of mediccorps.org, who arrived with two helicopters, paramedics and volunteers, help evacuate Paul Koch and some of his dogs in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. The only bridge to the island is heavily damaged so it can only be reached by boat or air.
The bridge leading from Fort Myers to Pine Island, Fla., is heavily damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Pine Island, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Due to the damage, the island can only be reached by boat or air.
This satellite map provided by NOAA shows damage from Hurricane Ian to Red Coconut RV Resort in Fort Myers Beach, Fla, on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
Docks on the the inlet between Pawleys Island and the mainland show damage following winds and rain from Hurricane Ian on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, in Pawleys Island, S.C.
A child runs under a fallen tree from the effects from Hurricane Ian, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Charleston, S.C.
Businesses near the beach lie in ruins as others were completely swept away, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Friday, Sept. 30, 2022.
Damaged boats lie on the land and water in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
In this photo provided by Orange County Fire Rescue's Public Information Office, firefighters in Orange County, Fla. help people stranded by Hurricane Ian early Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Ian marched across central Florida on Thursday as a tropical storm after battering the state’s southwest coast, dropping heavy rains that caused flooding and led to inland rescues and evacuations.
Residents are rescued from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
Jake Moses, 19, left, and Heather Jones, 18, of Fort Myers, explore a section of destroyed businesses at Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
In this photo provided by Orange County Fire Rescue's Public Information Office, firefighters in Orange County, Fla. help people stranded by Hurricane Ian early Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
Damaged homes and businesses are seen in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
This photo provided by Naples Fire-Rescue Department crews help rescue a stranded motorist from flooding caused by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in Naples, Fla. Officials say rain and overflow from rivers is causing severe flooding near parts of Florida’s Atlantic coast as storm Ian makes its way back out to sea.
This photo provided by Naples Fire-Rescue Department crews help rescue a stranded motorist from flooding caused by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in Naples, Fla.
Remnants of damaged homes and flooded vehicles are seen in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
Damaged homes and debris are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
In this aerial photo, damaged boats and debris are stacked along the shore in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
President Joe Biden speaks about Hurricane Ian during a visit to FEMA headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Washington. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, right, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas look on.
Residents explore damage in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
A resident in an Orlando, Fla., neighborhood is rescued from floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
Homes, boats and docks lay in ruin in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
Authorities transport a person out of the Avante nursing home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction across Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, cutting off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroying a historic waterfront pier and knocking out power to 2.5 million people as it dumped rain over a huge area on Thursday.
People survey damage to their home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Valrico, Fla.
Damaged businesses and homes are seen in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sep 29, 2022, following Hurricane Ian.
Smoldering homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers Fla.
A damaged residence is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
Damaged homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
An area where homes once stood is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
Damaged ships and debris is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
Stedi Scuderi looks over her apartment after flood water inundated it when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
A local worker cleans debris in downtown Saint Petersburg after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Saint Petersburg, Fla.
Frankie Romulus (L) and Kendrick Romulus stand outside of their apartment next to a boat that floated into their apartment complex when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
A local resident cleans debris in downtown Saint Petersburg after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Saint Petersburg, Fla. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area, causing severe damage.
Boats are pushed up on a causeway after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla.
Debris litters a street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, Fla. on Sept. 29, 2022. Hurricane Ian left much of coastal southwest Florida in darkness early on Thursday, bringing "catastrophic" flooding that left officials readying a huge emergency response to a storm of rare intensity. The National Hurricane Center said the eye of the "extremely dangerous" hurricane made landfall just after 3:00 p.m. on the barrier island of Cayo Costa, west of the city of Fort Myers.
Boats are pushed up on a causeway after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area, causing severe damage.
In this aerial view, vehicles make their way through a flooded area after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area, causing severe damage.
Brent Shaynore runs to a sheltered spot through the wind and rain from Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, in Sarasota, Fla. Ian made landfall with 150-mile-per-hour winds and a 12-foot storm surge and knocking out power to nearly 1.5 million customers, according to published reports.
Wind gusts blow across Sarasota Bay as Hurricane Ian churns to the south on Sept. 28, 2022, in Sarasota, Fla. The storm made a U.S. landfall at Cayo Costa, Florida this afternoon as a Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds over 140 miles per hour in some areas.
A local reporter broadcasts live under the rain at the bay of Saint Petersburg as the winds from Hurricane Ian arrive on Sept. 28, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ian is hitting the area as a likely Category 4 hurricane.
A fountain inside a condominium blows almost horizontal as residents tape their windows for alleged security south of Orlando, Fla. on Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian slammed into the coast of southwest Florida as a monster Category 4 storm on Sept. 28, 2022, bringing "catastrophic" storm surges, wind and flooding as officials readied a huge emergency response.
In this NOAA handout image taken by the GOES satellite at 13:10 UTC, Hurricane Ian approaches Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to bring a potentially life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds.
A damaged apartment from an apparent overnight tornado spawned from Hurricane Ian at Kings Point 55+ community in Delray Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
Cars damaged from an apparent overnight tornado spawned from Hurricane Ian at Kings Point 55+ community in Delray Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
This image provided by the Naples Fire Rescue Department shows a firefighter carrying gear in water from the storm surge from Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in Naples, Fla.
This image provided by the Naples Fire Rescue Department shows firefighters look out at the firetruck that stands in water from the storm surge from Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in Naples, Fla.
Duke Energy trucks are staged in the parking lot at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., in preparation for Hurricane Ian's Florida landfall on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
An uprooted tree, toppled by strong winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, rests in a parking lot of a shopping center, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Cooper City, Fla.
Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
Ivan Mendoza begins to repair damage at his mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
A man walks by the Malecon in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 28, 2022, after the passage of Hurricane Ian. Cuba exceeded 12 hours this Wednesday in total blackout with "zero electricity generation" due to failures in the links of the national electrical system, after the passage of powerful Hurricane Ian.
A neighborhood sits dark during a blackout triggered by the passing of Hurricane Ian in Havana, Cuba, early morning Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island when it hit the island’s western tip as a major storm.
An old American car passes through a flooded street in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 28, 2022, after the passage of hurricane Ian.
Airplanes overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian are shown, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida's southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
An airplane overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian is shown, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
This image provided by FLDOT shows an emergency vehicle traveling on the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
Bob Burnett, 77, looks on as his son Bobby Burnett, 42, takes pictures of the pier as Tampa Bay is draining in a reverse storm surge with Hurricane Ian expected to make landfall this afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida's southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
Claudio Szmuc takes pictures atop a roof stripped of its tiles in Hollywood, Fla. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay due to a negative surge ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.
Tree limbs and palm fronds, knocked down from wind produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, litter a parking lot of a shopping center, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Cooper City, Fla.
Ivan Mendoza surveys the damage at his mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022.
A woman walks in the Bay as the tide recedes from Tampa Bay as Hurricane Ian approaches on Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Ian intensified to just shy of catastrophic Category 5 strength Wednesday as its heavy winds began pummelling Florida, with forecasters warning of life-threatening storm surges after leaving millions without power in Cuba.
Arthur Perkins walks his dogs as the winds and rain from Hurricane Ian arrive in the area on Sept. 28, 2022, in Sarasota, Fla. Ian is hitting the area as a likely Category 4 hurricane.
A police officer drives by an empty street as Hurricane Ian approaches on Sept. 28, 2022, in Sarasota, Fla. Forecasts call for the storm to make landfall today.
In this NOAA handout image taken by the GOES satellite at 13:26 UTC, Hurricane Ian moves toward Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to bring a potentially life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds.
A woman and a boy observe the waves hitting the Malecon in Havana, Cuba on Sept. 28, 2022, after the passage of Hurricane Ian.
A classic American car drives past utility poles tilted by Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.
A dog is walked through floodwater as the tide rises on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Key West, Fla., as the first bands of rain associated with Hurricane Ian pass to the west of the island chain.
(L-R) Hilton employees Louie Fonseca, Frankie Monica, Bryan Kinbacher and Jaime Miranda use a rope to secure the front door at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers, Fla.
Passengers try to reschedule their flights after many were canceled or delayed due to Hurricane Ian at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Fla. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba as a major hurricane and left 1 million people without electricity, then churned on a collision course with Florida over warm Gulf waters amid expectations it would strengthen into a catastrophic Category 4 storm.
Rebecca Hale and her mother, Edda Howard, place shutters on her home as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 27, 2022, in St Petersburg, Fla. Ian is expected in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday night into early Thursday morning.
Shoppers at the Costco store in Altamonte Springs, Fla. grab bottles of water from the last pallet in stock on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, as Central Floridians prepare for the impact of Hurricane Ian.
Resident and maintenance technician Scott Keeler tosses a pool chaise in the pool to store underwater to George Shukis, president of the Sunrise Owner's Association at Harbourside Condominiums, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in South Pasadena, Fla. Ian was growing stronger as it approached the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday.
This satellite image provided by NASA on Sept. 26, 2022, shows Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.
Shelves in the bread aisle stand empty as residents prepare for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in St Petersburg, Fla.
Alex Rico and other people fill sandbags at Helen Howarth Park as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in St Petersburg, Fla. Ian is projected to make its closest pass to the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday with the current track putting the center 25 miles west of the coastline as it parallels the coast.
Workers remove a boat from the water in the bay of Havana, Cuba, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
Waves crash against a seawall as Hurricane Ian passes through George Town, Grand Cayman island, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
A woman cleans a drain near her home in Batabano, Mayabeque province, on Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Cuba.
Waves kick up under a dark sky along the shore of Batabano, Cuba, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Hurricane Ian was growing stronger as it approached the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday.
Steve Newberne (L) and Richard Latronita board up Gigi's restaurant in preparation for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Luca Leguerchois (L) and Eglantine Leguerchois board up their Paradise Sweets store in preparation for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Waves crash against the patio of Lobster Pot restaurant as Hurricane Ian passes through George Town, Grand Cayman island, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
A resident of El Fanguito neighborhood carries a mattress in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022. Hurricane Ian is growing stronger as it approached the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday.
A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall as Hurricane Ian passes through George Town, Grand Cayman island, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022.
Shelves in the bread aisle stand nearly empty as residents prepare for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in St Petersburg, Fla.
A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano, Mayabeque province, on Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Cuba.
Cuban children carry personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood in Havana, on Sept. 26, 2022, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian. Cuba declared an emergency alert in its six most western provinces as fast-approaching Hurricane Ian was moving northwest towards Cuba and the Cayman Islands with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour.
In this NOAA handout image, Hurricane Ian moves toward western Cuba on Sept. 26, 2022, in the Caribbean Sea. The storm is expected to bring a potentially life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds. Meteorologists expect Ian to peak at Category 4 strength over the Gulf of Mexico later this week, then weaken before reaching Fla.
An aerial view of St. Pete Beach as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida on Sept. 26, 2022. The city of Tampa is under a hurricane watch and Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties as officials scrambled to prepare for the storm's forecast landing on late Wednesday or Thursday. Ian "will bring heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding, storm surge, along with isolated tornado activity along Florida's Gulf Coast," DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee on Monday.
Tampa residents wait for over 2 hours at Himes Avenue Complex to fill their 10 free sandbags on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Authorities and residents in Florida are keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbles through the Caribbean.
Shoppers wait in line outside a retail warehouse as people rush to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian in Kissimmee, Fla. on Sept. 25, 2022. Tropical storm Ian is forecast to "rapidly intensify" over the weekend and become a major hurricane as it moves toward Florida, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Shoppers go for what was left of the water on the shelves of the Walmart Supercenter at 1505 N. Dale Mabry Highway on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. as Tropical Storm Ian threatens to impact Tampa Bay as a major hurricane later in the week.
A long line of shoppers are seen past a person pushing cases of water outside a retail warehouse as people rush to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian in Kissimmee, Fla. on Sept. 25, 2022.
Shoppers take photos while waiting in line outside a retail warehouse as people rush to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian in Kissimmee, Fla. on Sept. 25, 2022.
The Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket sits on launch pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Sept. 24, 2022. NASA has called off the scheduled Sept. 27, 2022, launch of its historic uncrewed mission to the Moon due to a tropical storm that is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Florida. "NASA is forgoing a launch opportunity... and preparing for rollback (from the launchpad), while continuing to watch the weather forecast associated with Tropical Storm Ian," NASA said on Saturday.
This satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Ian over the central Caribbean on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022.
In South Carolina, residents and officials have only just begun to survey the damage caused by Ian. The storm barreled into the Palmetto State with torrential rains and windspeeds of 60 mph, flooding homes and submerging cars along the coastline.
Disaster modeling firm Karen Clark & Co., which regularly issues flash catastrophe estimates, said Ian likely caused “well over $100 billion” in damage, including $63 billion in privately insured losses. If the numbers are accurate, Ian would be at least the fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history.
