President Biden has warned that Hurricane Ian is likely to be the deadliest in Florida’s history after the state starts to fully assess the damage that has occurred. The hurricane is one of the strongest to ever hit the United States.
As of 1st October, 34 people have been killed by the hurricane, but the death toll is expected to rise even further. The majority of deaths have occurred in Lee County, where Ian first made landfall. Drowning is the primary cause of death for the victims who have been autopsied so far.
Initial searches have been aimed toward search and rescue rather than recovery of bodies. In the coming days, as the chances of finding survivors decrease, then the total death toll may well increase quite significantly.
Search efforts are also being hampered by the fact that large parts of Florida remain without power. Hospitals have also been affected as water supplies have been lost, although no patients have had to be turned away as yet.