Joe Biden declared that “it may be the deadliest hurricane in the history of Florida” – The sheriff of Fort Myers spoke about the possibility of “hundreds of dead” – The next few hours are critical for those trapped – Huge rescue operation
The concern is intensifying that the tragic toll of victims due to the of Hurricane Ian in Florida may increase in the next few hours.
So far there are reports from local authorities about at least 13 dead in counties in the state, while US President Joe Biden warns that Ian is perhaps the deadliest hurricane to ever hit Florida.
Jan has re-intensified into a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph according to the National Hurricane Center.
It is located about 240 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina and is moving to the north-northeast at 10 mph.
Local authorities also reported that thousands of calls were made to 911 from people who were trapped and reported that their lives were in danger. Already, according to the first data, more than 500 people have been rescued, several of whom have been taken to hospitals for first aid.
Earlier sheriff of Fort Myers estimated that the dead may number in the hundreds as “there are thousands of people waiting to be rescued” and there is still no clear picture of casualties
#BREAKING: Sheriff says on @GMA the number of fatalities are in the “hundreds” in #LeeCountywhere #FortMyers is located, after #HurricaneIan causes catastrophic damage
— Leonardo Feldman (@LeoFeldmanNEWS) September 29, 2022
The devastation caused by the hurricane during its sweeping passage is incalculable and the images of flooded areas of Florida, eerie. At the Port of Fort Myers some boats sank, others washed ashore.
Homes on both coasts of the state were flooded, a bridge on an islet was cut in twodestroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out power to 2.5 million Florida homes and businesses in one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the US.
“We’ve never seen flooding like this before,” commented Governor DeSandis. “Some of these areas, Cape Coral, the city of Fort Myers, have really flooded,” he continued.
In the Punta Gorda area palm trees were uprooted, electricity poles and billboards. The torrential rain flooded the coastal road, with water reaching up to the knee.
Rescue crews and firefighters are making great efforts to reach and to rescue the trapped citizens.
With boats or any other means at their disposal, the firefighters freed people who were “stuck” for hours on the roads that turned into rivers.
The video with a firefighter is typical to break the car window and to release a woman in the southwest Florida city of Naples.
Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm after hitting Florida but is expected to strengthen again later today as it heads toward South Carolina. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center issued warning for all beaches of this State.
At the same time, the search continues to locate 20 migrants who were on board a boat that sank on Wednesday off the coast of the Kis archipelago, just outside the path of the cyclone.
Hurricane Ian may have killed many people in Florida, says President Biden
Hurricane Ian may have caused “great losses” in Florida and may be “the deadliest” ever to hit the state, US President Joe Biden warned today.
“It could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” Biden said, visiting the headquarters of FEMA, the federal disaster management agency. “The numbers (…) are not yet clear, but we are receiving the first information that speaks of human losses, which could be great,” added the American president.
Biden he promised he would go to florida “when circumstances permit”, to personally thank those involved in the rescue and reconstruction operations.
When asked if he also plans to visit Puerto Rico, which was hit by Hurricane Fiona, he said that is his “intention.”
The Democratic president also responded sharply to a question about conversations he had with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis, one of his fiercest political rivals and critics. “It’s about saving lives and homes, that’s what it’s about. (…) I spoke to him four or five times and this has nothing to do with our disagreements on other issues,” he stressed.
Biden also promised to make all necessary federal funds available to Florida. “We will rebuild it in cooperation with the State and local authorities”, he underlined.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
