NewsHurricane Ian 'Crushes' Florida County - Potentially 'Hundreds Dead'

Hurricane Ian 'Crushes' Florida County – Potentially 'Hundreds Dead'

Created: 10/3/2022 1:03 p.m

Hurricane “Ian” claims many lives, parts of Florida are completely destroyed. President Biden wants to visit the US state.

Update from Monday, October 3, 1:01 p.m .: It has been five days since the devastating hurricane “Ian” first hit the mainland of the United States. Now the full extent of the destruction becomes clear. In addition to completely flattened residential areas, destroyed bridges and power lines, the number of fatalities rose to at least 62, according to the authorities. On Wednesday (October 5), US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill are expected in the most affected US state of Florida.

Im US-Bundesstaat Florida hat der Hurrikan „Ian“ horrende Schäden angerichtet.
Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in Florida. © Win McNamee/AFP

The Florida District Medical Commission said Sunday (October 2) it could confirm 58 deaths related to the hurricane. North Carolina’s governor said four people had died in his state as a result of “Ian.” Rescue teams were still looking for victims on Sunday. The US Coast Guard, meanwhile, said it is halting the search for 16 migrants believed to be missing after their boat capsized during the hurricane.

Hurricane Ian hits US coast again: flooding and power outages

Update from Saturday, October 1, 7:22 a.m .: Hurricane “Ian” hit land again and caused flooding in the US state of South Carolina. While the wind speed gradually weakened, authorities and weather experts continued to warn of the dangers of storm surges.

The TV pictures showed completely flooded streets and a partially destroyed pier. Falling trees cut power lines. In the neighboring state of North Carolina alone, to which “Ian” moved on, civil protection spoke of around 300,000 power outages. In the city of Georgetown, South Carolina, water was standing on the central shopping street. The small town of Pawleys Island was hit by a two meter high tidal wave.

In Florida, meanwhile, the extent of the storm damage is becoming increasingly apparent. The authorities emphasized that the reconstruction will take months and sometimes even years. On Friday there was still no comprehensive information on the number of victims. Florida authorities expected at least 21 people to have died from the storm. However, there is still no clarity about these numbers, emphasized Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Emergency Management Authority.

Biden speaks of “deadliest hurricane in Florida history” – twelve people died

+++ 11.58 a.m .: Even before Hurricane “Ian” arrived in South Carolina, US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the east coast state. Federal authorities were instructed to support the state and local authorities with aid and rescue work, the White House said late Thursday evening (local time). “Ian” was off the coast of South Carolina early Friday and was expected to make landfall later in the day.

It continued to gain strength, according to the latest situation report from the National Hurricane Center. Accordingly, its maximum wind speeds reached 140 kilometers per hour, which corresponded to category one of five. “Ian” made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a level four hurricane with winds of up to 150 miles per hour.

„Dies könnte der tödlichste Hurrikan in der Geschichte Floridas sein“, sagte US-Präsident Joe Biden über das Ausmaß von Hurrikan „Ian“.
“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” US President Joe Biden said of the magnitude of Hurricane Ian. © Thom Baur/Imago

It left destruction and flooding in its wake across the southern state.
Authorities held back on Thursday with estimates of the alleged death toll – but had no doubt that the hurricane had cost lives. Biden also voiced dire fears: “This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history.”

Update Friday, September 30th, 2022, 7:30 a.m .: In the US state of Florida, the death toll from the passage of Hurricane “Ian” continues to rise. As the broadcaster CNN and representatives of various local authorities reported on Thursday, at least twelve people were killed by the devastating storm. After “Ian” temporarily weakened to a tropical storm, the US Hurricane Center NHC later reclassified it as a hurricane and continued to warn of “life-threatening, catastrophic” storm surges, strong winds and rain.

The hurricane is one of the strongest storms to ever hit the United States. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was too early to estimate how many people actually died as a result of the hurricane. According to him, hundreds of people were still dependent on help from rescue workers.

Possibly ‘deadliest hurricane in Florida history’

+++ 8:55 p.m .: Hurricane “Ian” left a trail of devastation in Florida. US President Joe Biden, who says he wants to travel to Florida soon, said on a visit to the Fema disaster control agency in Washington on Thursday that the death toll was still “unclear”. But there could be a “significant loss of life.” Biden warned it could be the “deadliest hurricane in Florida history.”

Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in the US state of Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis spoke on Thursday of damage of “historic” proportions and flooding that only occurs “every 500 years”.

Hurrikan Ian hat Schäden von „historischem“ Ausmaß hinterlassen.
Hurricane Ian left “historic” damage in its wake. © SEAN RAYFORD/AFP

Hurricane Ian “Crushes” Florida County: Deaths Confirmed

+++ 3.15 p.m .: Hurricane “Ian” hit the US state of Florida with full force. One of the strongest hurricanes in state history, it produced violent winds, rain and storm surges. According to the German Press Agency , wind speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour were measured. The extent of the hurricane is still unclear. So far, authorities in Volusia County on Florida’s east coast have confirmed one death via Twitter. But there could be far more deaths.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC News , “We didn’t know where he was going to hit. All I can say is that he was very strong in Lee County and he was slow moving.” He also stated that there were deaths, but the exact number of dead was not yet known. They are currently accepting thousands of emergency calls and the situation is extremely confusing – especially since the area is completely “crushed” and many people are trapped. “We still don’t have access to many people in need,” says Marceno.

Der Hurrikan „Ian“ hat in Florida massive Schäden angerichtet.
Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in Florida. © ZUMA Wire/Imago

Hurricane Ian causes massive power outages in Cuba and the US state of Florida

+++ 11.13 a.m .: More than eleven million people are said to have been without electricity in Cuba after hurricane “Ian” crossed the country. With regard to the infrastructure in the nation shaped by socialism, observers now fear strong protests from the population.

“Cubans don’t have generators; their only source of energy is the government. (…) If the blackout lasts for days, it could spark protests and complaints from the already desperate Cuban population, who already have to do so many things with so little,” writes the Miami Herald . As of Wednesday afternoon (local time/September 28), power could have been restored to individual areas, “but the government said restoring power to more populated areas would be more complicated.”

Hurricane “Ian” also cut the power supply for around 1.6 million people in the US state of Florida (see update from 8.45 a.m.).

Hurricane Ian leaves a path of destruction in its wake

+++ 8.45 a.m .: Hurricane “Ian” has left a path of destruction in Cuba and Florida. Numerous streets were flooded, roofs were taken off, trees were uprooted. In the meantime, 1.6 million people were without electricity. This is shown by data from the Poweroutage website. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke of storm surges up to 3.5 meters high.

In the meantime, “Ian” showed wind speeds of up to 240 km/h, which eventually weakened on the US coast. The hurricane reached Florida at about 150 km/h. Nevertheless, the storm moved across a wide strip of land through the southern US state. According to DeSantis, “Ian” is already one of the five worst hurricanes to hit Florida.

Update from Thursday, September 29, 5:30 a.m .: Hurricane “Ian” hit land in Florida on Wednesday evening with a wind speed of up to 150 mph, the equivalent of about 240 kilometers per hour. As CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller reports, “Ian” is the strongest hurricane to make landfall on the west coast of Florida, along with hurricane “Charley” from 2004. Both storms had the same wind force.

More than a million people in Florida are now without power, according to a report by the Poweroutage website. More major damage is to be expected as water levels continue to rise in many cities on Florida’s west coast. With regard to the flood data, which go back to 1965 in Florida, new record values were measured at water levels in several places. Among them is the city of Fort Myers, for example.

First report from Wednesday, September 28, 8:00 a.m .: Florida/Cuba – Hurricane “Ian” cut off all of Cuba’s power supply. The magnitude 3 hurricane also caused severe damage to homes. Mudslides and flash floods are still a threat in many places. “The damage is great, although not yet statistically recorded,” wrote President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Twitter after a visit to the province of Pinar del Río, which was particularly hard hit.

Hurrikan Ian
A satellite image of Hurricane Ian. © Geos NOAA / NOAA / Imago Images

Now the hurricane is moving towards Florida. The authorities there are already calling for evacuations. More than 2.5 million people are affected by the warnings. As early as Tuesday evening (September 27), the first effects of the hurricane were felt in southern Florida, as reported by the US broadcaster CNN . “Rain and strong winds lashed the region, and there was a risk of tornadoes that will persist overnight,” a report said.

Hurricane “Ian”: After devastation in Cuba, Florida is now in danger

Meteorologists have been warning of “Ian” for days. The National Hurricane Center emphasized in several reports that the hurricane could cause enormous damage.

“I am asking everyone who is in an evacuation zone and has been told to evacuate – the time has come. You must evacuate now. There will come a time when it is no longer safe to drive on the roads,” Florida State Department of Safety director Kevin Guthrie said at a news conference Tuesday night.

“There will come a time when local public safety officers will be unable to respond to your calls for help. You may then be on your own,” he said, according to CNN . “Predictions are subject to change, but at the moment the experts are saying this could be a very severe hurricane, life-threatening and with devastating effects,” US President Joe Biden also warned. (tu/esa/dpa/AFP)

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