With scores of houses and businesses destroyed, as well as an ever-rising number of fatalities, Hurricane Ian will be recognized as one of the most significant in modern U.S. history.
The hurricane pummeled Cuba before making landfall on Florida's western coast with winds that cut off almost a fourth of the state's power and a merciless storm surge that destroyed first-floor structures. More than 20 inches of rain fell in the state's central region during the Category 4 storm.
Ian's story did not end there. Once more meandering over the ocean, it eventually made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina.
68 fatalities and counting - According to the Florida Medical Examiners Commission, the majority of the documented deaths in Florida have been caused by drowning. County sheriffs have cited greater death toll totals, and the official count is anticipated to grow.
In Lee County, which contains Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, the greatest number of fatalities occurred close to the storm's landfall. In 1928, Florida saw its deadliest hurricane on record, which claimed at least 2,500 lives. The number of fatalities from the hurricanes in 1919, 1926, and 1935 ranged from 350 to 800, though these estimates are all regarded as being a little shaky.
Cuba and North Carolina have both reported Ian-related fatalities.
According to President Biden, the extent of Ian's destruction will likely be among the "worst in the nation's history."
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