Hurricane Ian: 94 Dead, Storm's Toll On Elderly, 56K Without Power

FLORIDA — At least 94 people in Florida are dead following Hurricane Ian, and as state and local officials release more about the victims, the information paints a striking picture of the storm's disproportionate impact on older residents.

Meanwhile, only 56,500 Floridians remain without power Saturday, down from a peak of 2.6 million last week.; the Coast Guard reopened the port of Fort Myers on Friday; the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that disaster SNAP benefits are now available for low-income Floridians; and a Sarasota man delivers $30,000 in supplies to the hard-hit Pine Island area.

• Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Medical Examiners Commission, the death toll in Florida increased to 94 on Friday, up from 89 on Thursday. The victims include two in Charlotte County, five in Collier, four in Hardee, two in Hendry, one in Hillsborough, one in Lake, 50 in Lee, three in Manatee, one in Martin, seven in Monroe, two in Osceola, two in Polk, three in Putnam, six in Sarasota and five in Volusia.

By comparison, the death toll for Hurricane Michael was 77 people. That makes Hurricane Ian the deadliest hurricane since the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, which killed 409 people. The deadliest hurricane on record in Florida is the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, which killed more than 2,500 people.

Information surrounding Hurricane Ian's death toll shows that older people with limited mobility and those with chronic health conditions requiring the use of electrically powered medical devices were especially vulnerable when Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida on Sept. 28.

Of the 87 dead whose age or approximate age has been released, 61 were at least 60 years old. Eighteen were in their 80s, and five were in their 90s, according to a New York Times report.

In hardest-hit Lee County, almost all victims were 50 or older, according to The Associated Press.

One of the more dramatic stories of Ian demonstrates the risks. Johnny Lauder's 86-year-old mother Karen Lauder, who uses a wheelchair, initially refused to evacuate. But as the water inside her home began to rise nearly above her head, she was unable to flee and her son had to come rescue her in an ordeal he documented.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has recognized the disproportionate effect Ian had on the state's older residents, and the need for local groups to help their recovery.

"It hit in areas that have a lot of elderly residents, and I’ve met a lot of the folks," DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday. "So you’re somebody who’s maybe 85 years old. You may not be able to do the same home repair that you used to be able to do when you were younger."

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Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday announced that low-income Floridians recovering from Hurricane Ian may be eligible for food assistance from the agency's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said households that may not normally be eligible under regular SNAP rules may qualify for D-SNAP if they meet certain criteria, including the disaster income limits and if they have qualifying disaster-related expenses.

The Florida Department of Children and Families estimates that over 740,000 households may be eligible for D-SNAP assistance.

Details on Florida’s D-SNAP program will be available at the Florida Department of Children and Families Hurricane Ian Response & Recovery website. D-SNAP sites will be posted on the website as they become available.

For Floridians in need of help, the Florida Division of Emergency Management has opened five Disaster Recovery Centers to provide resources and other information about recovery programs and disaster assistance.

The centers, which are located in Charlotte, Collier, Lee, and Sarasota counties, are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., 7 days per week. For more information, visit the agency's website.

Also on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard reopened the port in Fort Myers to all commercial vessel traffic and cargo operations.

Despite the reopening, recovery and cleanup efforts in the Fort Myers area are ongoing, prompting the Coast Guard to ask people to stay off the water unless involved in the response.

Finally, a Sarasota man who has already delivered more than $30,000 in supplies to the Hurricane Ian-ravaged Pine Island area is asking for the public's help to purchase more items for the people who live there.

Richard Dear has loaded up his boat and delivered everything from toiletries and gas to generators and tarps. So far, every supply has been donated, Dear told FOX 13.

"To see such historical buildings and the culture wiped away in a moment is absolutely heartbreaking," Dear told FOX 13.

Dear also started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his relief efforts. Dear, who is working with a team of volunteers, said all donated funds will go directly toward the purchase of supplies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.