The death toll in Florida, United States remained uncertain amid reports of casualties as Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on Thursday. Although the storm moved slowly towards North Carolina, it left behind a trail of damaged power lines, broken homes, and dangerous waterlogging across the state.
There were reports that at least 12 people have died till now.
Around 2.5 million people in the state were left without power after the storm damaged multiple grids and some of the others were shut down as a precaution. Both Governor Ron DeSantis and US President Joe Biden pledged help for the victims, but the rescue process could only begin after the storm ended.
“We fully expect to have mortality from this hurricane,” DeSantis told reporters according to AFP.
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While the exact number is not clear, there have been some casualties in different parts of Florida. In Charlotte County, the spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said that the area was badly impacted by the dangerous waterlogging and multiple people were dead in the aftermath of the storm.
A similar statement was issued in Sarasota County where two people were suspected dead.
In Deltona, a 72-year-old was confirmed dead after he went outside in the storm.
The storm, described as the ‘deadliest in recent US history’ by authorities, is slowly moving towards the Carolinas and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper urged residents to “take necessary precautions”.
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“This storm is still dangerous,” Cooper said in an official statement.
Earlier, Biden promised the residents of Florida that the federal government will be providing aid.
During a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at its headquarters in Washington, Biden said, “This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history. The numbers… are still unclear, but we’re hearing reports of what may be a substantial loss of life.”
