Dozens Killed in Ian, Strongest and Worst U.S. Storm

Charleston, South Carolina – Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida homes flooded by Hurricane Ian, while South Carolina officials waited until nightfall to assess damage from the strike. rice field. one of the strongest And the deadliest hurricane ever to hit the United States continued north.

Powerful storms terrorized millions for most of the week, western cuba It gathered enough force for a final assault on South Carolina before crossing Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. Ian, now weakened by a tropical storm, was expected to cross central North Carolina on Saturday morning and reach south-central Virginia in the afternoon.

At least 30 confirmed deaths Including 27 in Florida Mostly from drowning, but also from the tragic aftereffects of storms. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines stopped working when the power went out, officials said.

Meanwhile, distraught residents waded through knee-deep water on Friday, salvaging belongings from flooded homes and loading them onto rafts and canoes.

“I want to sit in the corner and cry. I clung to my sandals.

In South Carolina, Ian’s center landed near Georgetown, a small community on Winya Bay about 60 miles (95 km) north of historic Charleston. The storm washed away part of her four piers along the coast, two of which lead to popular tourist destination Myrtle Beach.

Friday’s storm winds were much weaker than when Ian made landfall on Florida’s Gulf coast earlier in the week. I was evaluating.

Anthony Rivera, 25, said he had to climb through the window of his ground-floor apartment during the storm to carry his grandmother and girlfriend upstairs. As they scrambled to escape the rising water, a storm surge was washing the boat right next to his apartment.

“It’s the scariest thing in the world because you can’t stop a boat,” he said. “I’m not Superman.”

Ian had been passing by Florida for a long time, A series of new problemsFourteen miles (22 kilometers) of Interstate 75 were closed in both directions in the Port Charlotte area late Friday.

Ross Jarratana, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tampa, said Myakka peaked at a record 12.73 feet (3.88 meters) Saturday morning.

Further southeast, early Saturday morning, the Peace River was in stages of major flooding in Polk, Hardy and DeSoto counties. According to Giarratana, most of these points have yet to reach their apex.

“It was crazy to see how quickly the river was rising,” he said. “We knew we wanted some records.”

Authorities have warned that the number is likely to rise as crews clean up the damage more comprehensively. Guthrie said. He used a submerged house as an example.

“The water was on the roof, but a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swam into it and he was able to confirm that it looked like human remains. I don’t know the exact number.” Guthrie said.

The fatalities included a 68-year-old woman who was swept out to sea by waves and a 67-year-old man who fell into rising water inside his home while waiting for rescue.

Authorities also said a 22-year-old woman died after her ATV overturned in a road wash, and a 71-year-old man died after falling from a roof while installing shutters. Three more people died in Cuba earlier this week.

Hurricane Ian is likely to have caused “well over $100 billion” in damages, including $63 billion in private insurance losses, according to the catastrophic catastrophe estimates that regularly publish. Modeling firm Karen Clark & ​​Co. said. If these numbers are confirmed, Ian would be at least the fourth deadliest hurricane in US history.

In the Sarasota suburb of North Point, Florida, residents of the Country Club Bridge subdivision walked through a flooded street on Friday. passed through the water.

“There really aren’t many things to feel. It’s an act of God, isn’t it?” “So all you can do is pray and hope that tomorrow will be better.”

___

Gomez Licon was reported from Punta Gorda, Florida. Associated Press contributors include Anthony Izaguirre of Tallahassee, Fla. Terry Spencer and Tim Reynolds in Fort Myers, Florida. Cody Jackson, Tampa, Florida. Frida Frisaro in Miami. Mike Schneider of Orlando, Florida. Daniel Corzin of Northport, Florida. Seth Borenstein of Washington. Bobby Kyna Calvin in New York. Jeffrey Collins of Columbia, South Carolina.