Hundreds Feared Dead From Hurricane Ian, Death Toll To Increase

Hundreds are already feared useless as historic Hurricane Ian continues to wreck havoc in Florida, and the dying toll is predicted to extend, a sheriff within the state’s hardest-hit area introduced early Thursday.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno informed “Good Morning America” that the mega-storm is “a life-changing event for all of us,” earlier than including “I definitely know the fatalities are (confirmed) in the hundreds.”

“This is a life-changing event for all of us,” Sheriff Marceno informed GMA. ”

I don’t have confirmed numbers — I positively know the fatalities are within the tons of,” he added.

“So far, confirmed in the hundreds.”

Storm Is “Life-Changing Event For All Of Us,” Florida Sheriff Says Of Hurricane Ian

Marceno famous that situations had been nonetheless too harmful for his division and different rescue crews to completely entry the scope of the harm. He mentioned there “are thousands of people waiting to be rescued.”

“There are thousands of people that are waiting to be rescued. And again, cannot get a true assessment until we’re actually on scene assessing each scene, and we can’t access people, that’s the problem,” he mentioned.

The sheriff additionally warned that rescuers will “see things they’ve never seen before,” in reference to mass drownings, in response to the New York Post.

Storm Still Too Strong For Rescue Crews To Fully Survey Damage, Mass Drownings Feared

Roger Desjarlai, the supervisor for Lee County, mentioned late Wednesday that the hurricane was presently nonetheless “too strong” for officers to started rescue work, calling his group “decimated” by the storm.

“We are beginning to get a sense that our community has been, in some respects, decimated,” he mentioned that night time.

Over 80 % of the area was nonetheless with out energy as of Thursday, in response to County Commissioner Kevin Ruane, equaling greater than 2.5 million folks throughout the state, the Post stories.

“My heart goes out to them,” Ruane mentioned of the trapped. “We will try to help them as soon as we can. We will get to them.”

President Joe Biden Declares Major Disaster In Florida As Record Flooding Devastates Sunshine State

President Joe Biden declared a significant catastrophe in Florida to allow federal support all through the state, together with the hardest-hit areas like Lee County.

“Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and additional areas may be designated for assistance after the assessments are fully completed,” the White House introduced.

The White House’s emergency declaration got here as Hurricane Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm early Thursday morning, nonetheless it may as soon as once more be improve to hurricane winds as “record flooding” paralyzes the area.

“Danger Of Life-Threatening Surge” To Persist Through Friday in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina

Wind speeds reached upwards of 155 mph, simply two mph shy of constructing it a Category 5 storm, as pictures of flooding confirmed complete areas submerged in water emerged Thursday morning.

One hospital emergency room was proven with water operating via it, in addition to native TV station WINK, which was pictured with three ft of water overlaying the newsroom flooring, in response to the Post.

The “danger of life-threatening surge” will persist for the remainder of Thursday and Friday in Florida in addition to components of Georgia and South Carolina, in response to a 5 a.m. replace by the National Hurricane Center.

The Shade Room reported yesterday that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents of the state that it was too late to security evacuate in the event that they hadn’t already achieved so.