Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest hurricanes ever experienced by the United States, wreaked havoc throughout southwest Florida, trapping thousands of people in their homes and potentially taking hundreds of lives.

Search and rescue operations are still ongoing in the affected regions of the state, with many people who need emergency assistance being unreachable due to excessive flooding and impassable roadways.

The costs of damages are estimated to be as high as $260 billion.

Before it reached the US, the storm tore through Cuba, leaving two people dead and taking down the country’s electrical grid.

So far, at least one death from the Category 4 storm has been confirmed by authorities. A 72-year-old man died early on Thursday after falling into a canal behind his home whose incline had been made “extremely soft and slippery due to the heavy rain,” according to authorities.

However, rescue teams report they are only “scratching the surface,” expecting mass casualties in the wake of the devastating storm.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that his office has been receiving thousands of 911 calls from people who need to be rescued from the hurricane aftermath, but they cannot be reached by authorities yet. He estimated that the death toll will end up being “in the hundreds.”

“It crushed us,” Marceno said. “We still cannot access many of the people that are in need.”

Sanibel Island, home to 6,300 people, was completely cut off from the mainland after the Causeway Bride collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico. It is currently impossible to know how many people were able to evacuate before the storm hit.

Section of the Sanibel Causeway Bridge collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico

One video shows parts of houses in Naples floating through a completely flooded neighborhood.

https://twitter.com/reallyryanbush/status/1575208326279102464?s=20&t=_2ELrcXFd87eCgBotOO7qw

Another showed a time-lapse of Sanibel Island being flooded over a 30-minute period.

People are trapped in homes that have been flooded, buildings have been torn apart, and without electricity or cell service, many are left without a way to call for help.

The sheriff’s office in Collier County reported, “Portable towers are on the way for cell service. Chances are your loved ones do not have ability to contact you.”

“We can tell you as daylight reveals the aftermath, it’s going to be a hard day.”

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.