Sanibel Lifeline, Death Toll At 102: Hurricane Ian

FLORIDA — The official death toll from Hurricane Ian has reached 102 as road crews work around the clock to repair the Sanibel Causeway. Three sections of the causeway, the barrier island's only access to the mainland, were destroyed by Hurricane Ian.

Three days ahead of schedule, the Florida Department of Transportation completed repairs on the causeway and bridge from Pine Island to Fort Myers, eliciting applause from residents as a convoy of Publix trucks carrying fresh groceries was among the first vehicles to use the repaired access to get fresh meat and vegetables to the island's residents.

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

The Sanibel Causeway is taking longer due to the extent of damage, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he expects it to be open by the end of the month.

Power outages are down to about 16,000, PowerOutage.US reported Monday, while deaths range from 94 to 120, depending on the source.

Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki and his team, which oversaw the restoration efforts after the Panhandle was devastated by Hurricane Michael in 2018, will head to Lee County to help oversee cleanup and recovery efforts, said DeSantis.

DeSantis said during a news conference Sunday that the state plans to use Brudnicki's experience rebuilding Panama City to help Fort Myers as it moves toward recovery in the coming months.

DeSantis also announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed the first Blue Roof in Fort Myers.

Operation Blue Roof provides a temporary blue tarp-like covering to help reduce further damage to property. This service is free to homeowners, and the initial sign-up period is ongoing, ending on Oct. 23. Available to homes in Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, Collier, and DeSoto counties, qualifying homes must be primary residences or a permanently occupied rental property with less than 50 percent structural damage.

For more information, call 1-888-ROOF-BLU or visit this site.

To provide sign-ups in areas that may not be able to access to the internet or phone service, the Army Corps of Engineers has gone door to door and is identifying locations for mobile signups.

Hurricane Ian Recovery By The Numbers

The total number of deaths from the storm continues to evolve.

As of Monday evening, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Medical Examiners Commission has confirmed that 102 people have died due to Hurricane Ian.

Those killed include:

• Five in Charlotte County
• Five in Collier County
• One in Desoto County
• Four in Hardee County
• Two in Hendry County
• One in Hillsborough County
• One in Lake County
• Fifty-two in Lee County
• Three in Manatee County
• One in Martin County
• Seven in Monroe County
• One in Orange County
• Two in Osceola County
• Two in Polk County
• Three in Putnam County
• Seven in Sarasota County
• Five in Volusia County

Ian, a Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds. According to the National Hurricane Center, this makes Hurricane Ian the third-deadliest hurricane in the past 100 years.

The Labor Day hurricane of 1935 killed 409 people and the Miami hurricane of 1926 killed 372 people.

The FDLE staff the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, which, in turn, oversees the Florida Emergency Mortuary Operations Response System, charged with assisting county medical examiners and other responding agencies with post-mortem exams on all bodies recovered during a mass disaster. FEMORs ultimately determines if the death is directly or indirectly related to the disaster.

FDLE Public Information Office Gretl Plessinger said this method of confirming deaths in a mass disaster was established after the crash of ValuJet Airlines Flight 592 in the Everglades in 1996. The death toll was 110 but numbers reported by the media varied widely.

CNN reported Saturday that at least 125 people died because of the storm, 120 of the deaths in Florida and five in North Carolina. The death toll was revised down Friday after the medical examiner in Lee County reclassified some deaths as non-storm-related, according to Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

Plessinger said she doesn't know where CNN obtained its figures.

More than 42,000 linemen have restored power to more than 2.6 million customers across the state, representing more than 98 percent of accounts restored with 325 Florida Highway Patrol troopers transporting utility crews.

For a full report on current outages, click here.

There are currently 11 fueling depot stations open statewide, and mobile fuel trucks have been deployed to Arcadia and Dunbar to support residents without access to fuel.

First Lady Casey DeSantis said the Florida Disaster Fund has raised nearly $40 million and now she has joined forces with Volunteer Florida and Tervis tumbler manufacturer to create a new tumbler, "Together We Shine," with Florida imagery. With every sale of this tumbler, all proceeds will go to the Florida Disaster Fund. Products are available for purchase on the Tervis website.

She also announced efforts to make mental health resources available to Hurricane Ian victims through a new website that contains resources for families impacted by the hurricane and a Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990.

The website also contains information on how families can qualify for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Prior to Hurricane Ian's arrival, the Florida Department of Children and Families released over $235 million in SNAP benefits to more than 773,500 households who were at risk of being impacted by Hurricane Ian so they would have food on hand before the storm struck.

Additionally, Family Resource Support Centers are being opened across the impacted area and will serve as a central location for access to community resources and support. Hope Navigators, mental health partners who specialize in disaster recovery response, and public benefit eligibility specialists will be on hand to assist hurricane victims. These centers are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

The centers are located at:

• First Christian Church in DeSoto County
• Family Initiative Inc. in Lee County
• Sunshine Welcome Center in Lee County
• Nacion De Fe Church in Osceola County
• Sarasota Christian Church in Sarasota County

Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are continuing to go door to door to assess the needs of survivors, help them apply for assistance, give them application updates and connect them with additional resources.

As of Sunday, FEMA approved more than $168 million in disaster assistance grants to 101,705 households to help them recover.

Disaster assistance may include financial help with temporary lodging, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses.

Twenty counties are now eligible for individual assistance. On Saturday, FEMA approved the addition of Palm Beach County. FEMA previously added Orange and Osceola counties.

Along with specialists going door to door in Florida neighborhoods, there are now seven Disaster Recovery Centers in Charlotte, Collier, Orange, Osceola and Sarasota counties, with two centers operating in Lee County. More centers are planned to open over the next few days.

The centers are staffed by state, federal and volunteer organizations to provide assistance with grant and loan applications, information on insurance applications and other servies.

For the locations of the centers, click here.

FDEM is coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct infrastructure assessments of water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, and assisted living facilities.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management is working with FEMA to open transitional shelter assistance for residents who have lost their homes due to the hurricane.

Ten shelters remain open to residents left homeless by the hurricane, accommodating about 1,700 people.

Eight special needs shelters remain open, serving more than 715 clients, caregivers and staff.

FEMA will pay hotel and motel costs for eligible survivors. FEMA and the state of Florida activated the Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, which allows FEMA to make payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter to survivors.

FEMA approved Critical Needs Assistance for disaster survivors with immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling. Immediate or critical needs are life-saving and life-sustaining items. This assistance is a one-time payment of $700 per household.

This weekend, 11 Department of Elder Affairs CARES assessors were deployed to Lee, Sarasota and Osceola counties to provide hands-on assistance in special needs shelters. They are determining the level-of-care needs for older Floridians housed in shelters.

In Southwest and Central Florida, more than 1,600 telephone reassurance calls to senior clients more made over the past week.

Residents who use adaptive or accessibility items that were damaged by Hurricane Ian may be eligible for FEMA assistance for those items. For homeowners, items can include an exterior ramp, grab bars and a paved pathway to the home's entrance from a vehicle. Awards do not count toward Housing Assistance or Personal Property maximum awards. For more information for homeowners and renters, visit Update to FEMA's Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide.

More than 700 FEMA inspectors are in the field going to homes of survivors who registered for federal disaster assistance. To date, they have performed more than 16,000 inspections.

FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program is issuing advance payments to help Floridians jumpstart their recovery. To date, the National Flood Insurance Program has received 31,000 claims from Florida policyholders and made $17 million in advance payments.

NFIP policyholders may receive up to $1,000 to reimburse the purchase of supplies like sandbags, plastic sheeting and lumber. They may also receive up to $1,000 in storage expenses if they moved insured property. Policyholders should file a claim for flood loss avoidance reimbursement, regardless if it was successful in preventing flood damage.

National Flood Insurance Program Florida policyholders who had flood damage from the hurricane now have a 90-day window to renew their policies. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates of Aug. 25 through Oct. 23. Policyholders whose policy renewal date is in this range should contact their agent or insurance company.

FEMA also extended the proof of loss requirement for flood insurance policyholders in Florida who sustained flood damage from Hurricane Ian from 60 to 365 days. For more information on how to file a flood insurance claim, visit How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to eligible survivors. Floridians should file a claim for loss of income caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance - FloridaJobs.org and selecting "Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA," visiting a local CareerSource Career Center or calling (800) 385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Thousands of federal staff are supporting Ian response efforts. This includes more than 1,800 staff from other federal agencies. More than 1,800 emergency management personnel from 26 states were deployed to Florida through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

Additional programs that have been put into place to aid communities include the activation of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.

Other Response Actions

• There have been 2,500 rescues made to date.
• There are more than 1,000 team members performing search-and-rescue work.
• DCF has created a First Responder Support Line at 407-823-1657 that all first responders throughout the impacted areas can contact to connect with mental health professionals.
• The National Guard has activated 4,351 people in the Hurricane Ian-impacted areas, including a task force to assist with route clearance in Pine Island and Charlotte County. The task force has cleared 51.5 miles to date in the impacted area, DeSantis announced. Guardsmen are also continuing to assist law enforcement with patrols, security, traffic control and curfew enforcement.
• Cut-and-toss crews have cleared more than 5,200 miles of roadways, 97 percent of all accessible roads in the impacted areas.
• The Crisis Cleanup Line, which provides debris removal services to impacted residents, has received more than 30,000 calls to date.
• In coordination with federal and state partners, more than 100 pets have been rescued through air operations from the barrier slands.
• More than 13.2 million meals and 47.5 million bottles of water have been distributed.
• Twelve FEMA Points of Distribution for food and water have been set up in DeSoto, Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties for residents. Click here for a list of PODs.
• The Florida Department of Emergency Management is working with feeding partners to open kitchens for impacted and displaced residents. More than 112,300 hot meals were served on Saturday, and more than 1.6 million hot meals have been served since volunteer kitchens opened.
• In affected areas in Southwest and Central Florida, 36,700 home-delivered meals were provided to senior clients this week, along with more than 13,700 shelf stable meals. More than 7,700 congregate meals have been served to clients this week.
• Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, more than 1,800 personnel from 26 states have deployed to Florida to assist in response and recovery efforts.
• FDEM has activated the State Assistance Information Line to provide an additional resource for Floridians to receive up-to-date information regarding Hurricane Ian. Residents and visitors can call this toll-free hotline at 1-800-342-3557.
• FDEM Recovery staff are conducting rapid damage assessments in Charlotte, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Putnam and Osceola counties to expedite available federal assistance for disaster recovery.
• FDEM has received more than 5,600 resource requests for Hurricane Ian. More than 4,600 of these requests are being processed and are either en route or being mobilized. This includes the coordination of resources such as trucks of food and water, generators and tarps.
• FDEM is mobilizing pet food and supplies for displaced pets, including: rabies vaccines, dry and canned dog food, dry and canned cat food, cat litter, disposable pet bowls and disposable leashes.
• Barges are aiding in the delivery of commodities in Lee County to Pine Island and Sanibel Island. Fuel has been deployed to Pine Island via the Pine Island bridge.
• The state will use four barges to aid in the delivery of commodities to Pine Island and Sanibel Island.
• More than 4,000 gallons of diesel was delivered to Lee County to power water plants that provide water to nearby hospitals.
• Drone teams are being used to assess flooded areas.
• More than 500 generators have been set up to operate traffic signals and other traffic needs.
• A shipment of 500,000 tarps has arrived.
• The state has 375 kits for parents of infants and toddlers with critical supplies that will last for 10 days each.