Ian Death Toll Grows, Residents Trapped By Storm Surge, 2.1M Without Power

Updated at 8:10 p.m.

FLORIDA — Local authorities say 15 deaths in southwest and central Florida were caused by Hurricane Ian, but Gov. Ron DeSantis worried Thursday morning there could be hundreds of fatalities from Lee and Charlotte counties, where many residents were trapped by storm surge.

DeSantis said Thursday night the death toll remains unconfirmed, but state officials “absolutely expect to have mortality” from the storm. “I know that people have said certain things — in terms of confirmed, that will be made apparent over the coming days,” the governor said, the Washington Post reported.

As rescue crews in several counties searched homes for people trapped in damaged structures, more than 40,000 utility workers began the task of restoring power. There were 2,179,254 Florida homes and businesses without power Thursday night, according to PowerOutage.US.

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

More than 700 people have been rescued by emergency crews, he said, with rescuers still going door-to-door.

The death toll in Charlotte County, Florida, was at least eight or nine, Charlotte County Commissioner Joseph Tiseo told CNN Thursday afternoon. About five people are believed to have died in Lee County, the sheriff there said.

One person who was in hospice care died in Osceola County, CNN said, and a man in Volusia County died outside his home.

DeSantis said Thursday that based off the amount of 911 calls, the death toll is estimated to be in the hundreds in the Fort Myers area, the Associated Press reported.

President Joe Biden was briefed by Federal Emergency Management Administration officials Thursday morning, and signed federal disaster requests submitted by DeSantis.

“We know many families are hurting… and our entire country is hurting with them,” Biden said.

Millions were ordered to evacuate their homes, and over 2 million people are without power Thursday after the Category 4 hurricane slammed into Florida near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of Fort Myers. By Thursday evening, Ian was a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds located about 185 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina.

A 72-year-old man death's was confirmed early Thursday in a canal behind his home in Deltona near Daytona Beach, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said, The Associated Press reported. The man tried to drain his pool into a canal and fell down an incline that was slippery due to the heavy rain.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that his office was receiving thousands of 911 calls from people needing rescue in the county that includes Fort Myers, but roadways were still impassable and bridges are compromised. Marceno worried there will be hundreds more deaths in the wake of the storm, AP said.

“It crushed us,” Marceno said. Roads and bridges remained impassable, stranding thousands in the county where Ian made landfall just north of Fort Myers. “We still cannot access many of the people that are in need.”

Related:

• Hurricane Ian: Scenes From St. Petersburg After The Storm
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• Hurricane Ian: Manatee County Lifts Evacuations; 97K Without Power
• Do's And Don'ts For Generator Use During Power Outage: Hurricane Ian
• Hurricane Ian: St. Pete Dodges Brunt Of Storm; 172K Without Power

Biden said he knows thousands of Floridians are wondering what will be left when they get to go home.

“At times like this America comes together, we’re going to pull together as one team, one America," the president said.

The federal disaster declarations will allow the federal government to pay all costs to clear debris and what the state must do to rebuild public buildings like schools and fire stations. Federal money will pay Floridians affected by the storm $37,900 for home repair and another $37,900 for lost property from cars to personal items, Biden said.

The Daytona Beach region is experiencing “historic flooding” that includes water in people’s homes, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a news conference, according to the Associated Press. He urged people to stay off the roads, and the county has imposed a curfew until 7 a.m. Friday.

President Biden and Gov. DeSantis spoke by phone Thursday morning to discuss the federal response to Hurricane Ian. Biden formally issued a disaster declaration Thursday morning and told DeSantis that he was dispatching Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell to Florida on Friday to check in on response efforts and to gauge where additional support will be needed.

Tampa International Airport said normal operations will resume Friday morning.

Manatee County lifted evacuation orders for residents of Bradenton and surrounding communities Thursday as Hurricane Ian moved out of Florida. According to a Thursday update from Manatee County, emergency evacuation shelters are being closed and residents are returning to their homes. However, officials stressed that "it is not a return to normal."

Part of the Sanibel Causeway collapsed into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people normally live. Officials don't know how many ignored mandatory evacuation orders and left the island ahead of the hurricane.

Sarasota County Emergency Chief Ed McCrane told CBS news that the city of North Port and Englewood were hit worst. Englewood Hospital was in an A/B zone, didn’t evacuate and sustained flooding so patients need to be moved out.

Once things are secure they will “join the fight in Lee County.”

The Florida Disaster Fund is accepting donation for communities as they recover from the disaster. To contribute, visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.

And those who want to volunteer to help with storm cleanup should sign up at www.volunteerFlorida.org.

Sarasota officials said Ringling Bridge and access to the barrier islands is still closed Thursday while City of Sarasota Utilities restores water service, which will take at least several hours.

Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast

This increased tropical storm activity in the Atlantic comes after a relatively inactive August. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, and September through November are typically the most active months.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center predicted an active hurricane center earlier this year. Forecasters said the ongoing La Niña, in addition to above-average ocean temperatures, signals a 65 percent chance the 2022 hurricane season will be above normal.

They predicted 14 to 21 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, anywhere from six to 10 of the storms could become hurricanes, with winds of 74 mph or higher.

Forecasters predicted this year's season will spawn anywhere from three to six major hurricanes rated a category 3 or higher during the season's most active months — September to November.