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Hurricane Ian strengthens as storm takes aim at South Carolina
Hurricane Ian strengthened as it barreled towards South Carolina's coast Friday after pounding parts of Florida, where it left at least a dozen people dead,
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Hurricane Ian strengthened as it barreled towards South Carolina's coast Friday after pounding parts of Florida, where it left at least a dozen people dead, knocked out power for millions and devastated communities across the state.
At least 12 people had been confirmed dead in the storm as of late Thursday, with seven of them in Charlotte County, near where Ian made landfall on Florida's southwest coast Wednesday afternoon as a major Category 4 hurricane.
Speaking after a briefing with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, President Joe Biden warned Thursday night that Ian could be responsible for “substantial loss of life” and end up being the deadliest storm in Florida's history.
“I spoke with the commissioners, and they are worried,” Biden said.
More than 2.2 million energy customers across Florida were still without power as of early Friday morning, with more than 400,000 customers in Lee County alone left in the dark.
Striking videos and photos emerging from Florida have captured the level of devastation across the state, with some footage showing heroic rescues of people stranded in submerged cars and wading into floodwaters, while others portray the destruction left in Ian's wake.
Taking aim at South CarolinaIan barreled towards South Carolina's coast Friday morning, with the storm expected to make landfall later in the day.