Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Hurricane Ian Heads for Carolinas After Pounding Florida
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 2 years ago on
September 30, 2022

Share

 

A revived Hurricane Ian threatened coastal South Carolina and the historic city of Charleston with severe flooding Friday after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes.

With South Carolina’s coast under a hurricane warning, many left Charleston for higher ground and store owners in low-lying areas used sandbags in hopes of holding back high water levels.

Ian left a broad swath of destruction after it came ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. The storm flooded areas on both of Florida’s coasts, tore homes from their slabs, demolished beachfront businesses and left more than 2 million people without power. At least seven people were confirmed dead in the state — a number that was likely to increase as officials confirm more deaths and search for people.

In Charleston on Friday, powerful wind gusts bent tree branches and sent sprays of steadily falling rain sideways. Streets in the 350-year-old city were largely empty, an ordinarily packed morning commute silenced by the advancing storm.

With winds holding at 85 mph (140 kph), the National Hurricane Center’s update at 11 a.m. Friday placed Ian about 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Charleston.

The center’s hurricane warning stretched from the Savannah River to Cape Fear. The forecast predicted a storm surge of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) into some coastal areas of North Carolina, and rainfall of up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).

In Florida, rescue crews piloted boats and waded through riverine streets Thursday to save thousands of people trapped amid flooded homes and buildings shattered by Hurricane Ian.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said rescue crews have gone door-to-door to over 3,000 homes in the hardest-hit areas.

“There’s really been a Herculean effort,” he said Friday during a news conference in Tallahassee.

Climate change added at least 10% more rain to Hurricane Ian, according to a study prepared immediately after the storm, said its co-author, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab climate scientist Michael Wehner.

Those killed in Florida included a 67-year-old man who was waiting to be rescued and fell into rising water inside his New Smyrna Beach home late Thursday, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. Patrol vehicles had been unable to reach him because roads were flooded.

At least three people were reported killed in Cuba after the hurricane struck there on Tuesday.

In the Fort Myers area, businesses near the beach were completely razed, leaving twisted debris. Broken docks floated at odd angles beside damaged boats. Fires smoldered on lots where houses once stood.

“I don’t know how anyone could have survived in there,” William Goodison said amid the wreckage of a mobile home park in Fort Myers Beach where he’d lived for 11 years. Goodison said he was alive only because he rode out the storm at his son’s house inland.

The hurricane tore through the park of about 60 homes, leaving many destroyed or mangled beyond repair, including Goodison’s single-wide home. Wading through waist-deep water, Goodison and his son wheeled two trash cans containing what little he could salvage — a portable air conditioner, some tools and a baseball bat.

The road into Fort Myers was littered with broken trees, boat trailers and other debris. Cars were abandoned in the road, having stalled when the storm surge flooded their engines.

Emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach stranded people. Many in the hardest-hit areas were unable to call for help because of electrical and cellular outages.

A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people live.

Hours after weakening to a tropical storm while crossing the Florida peninsula, Ian regained strength Thursday evening over the Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center predicted it would hit South Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane Friday, still much weaker than the Category 4 hurricane it was on Wednesday.

National Guard troops were being positioned in South Carolina to help with the aftermath, including any water rescues. And in Washington, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state, a needed step to speed federal assist for recovery once Ian passes.

The storm was on track to later hit North Carolina, forecasters said. Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents to prepare for torrents of rain, high winds and potential power outages.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Can You Help Nab Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed a Madera Woman?

DON'T MISS

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

DON'T MISS

Fresno’s Spay, Neuter Fees Rise, but It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Pay Full Price

DON'T MISS

How Much Rain Did Fresno Get? How Long Will It Continue?

DON'T MISS

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

DON'T MISS

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

DON'T MISS

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

DON'T MISS

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

DON'T MISS

‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Name Their Favorite Sketches

DON'T MISS

US Aircraft Carrier Truman Collides With Merchant Ship Near Egypt

UP NEXT

Pope Francis Hospitalized to Treat Bronchitis, Undergo Tests

UP NEXT

State Dept. Halts $400M Tesla Armored Vehicle Plan

UP NEXT

White House Says It Has the Right to Punish AP Reporters Over Gulf Naming Dispute

UP NEXT

Hamas to Free 3 More Hostages, Easing Ceasefire Tensions

UP NEXT

Russia Rejoices at Trump-Putin Call as Zelenskyy Rejects Talks Without Ukraine Present

UP NEXT

Trump Admin Cuts Billions in Biomedical Health Research Funding

UP NEXT

Here’s What We Know About a Commuter Plane Crash in Alaska That Killed 10 People

UP NEXT

Trump’s 3rd Week: More Executive Orders, a Trade War That Wasn’t, and a Mideast Jolt

UP NEXT

Judge Blocks Trump From Placing Thousands of USAID Workers on Leave

UP NEXT

Trump Says He’s Firing Kennedy Center Board Members, Naming Himself Chairman

How Much Rain Did Fresno Get? How Long Will It Continue?

2 hours ago

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

4 hours ago

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

4 hours ago

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

4 hours ago

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

4 hours ago

‘Saturday Night Live’ Stars Name Their Favorite Sketches

4 hours ago

US Aircraft Carrier Truman Collides With Merchant Ship Near Egypt

4 hours ago

US Retail Sales Plunged in January After Bustling Holiday Season

4 hours ago

Pope Francis Hospitalized to Treat Bronchitis, Undergo Tests

4 hours ago

Zelenskyy Says He Will Only Meet Putin After Common Plan With Trump Is Negotiated

4 hours ago

Can You Help Nab Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed a Madera Woman?

The California Highway Patrol is asking for the public’s help in locating a driver involved in a November 2024 hit-and-run that killed a Mad...

41 minutes ago

41 minutes ago

Can You Help Nab Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed a Madera Woman?

50 minutes ago

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

2 hours ago

Fresno’s Spay, Neuter Fees Rise, but It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Pay Full Price

2 hours ago

How Much Rain Did Fresno Get? How Long Will It Continue?

The White House's Valentine’s Day Instagram post on immigration, featuring a controversial message about deportation, sparks widespread reactions, while polls show a divided American opinion on mass deportation versus legalization. (Instagram)
4 hours ago

Official White House ‘Valentine’ to Immigrants Draws Mixed Reaction

4 hours ago

JuJu Watkins Lifts Sixth-Ranked USC to Program-Defining Win Over No. 1 UCLA

4 hours ago

Rodgers’ Stint With Jets Is Over. Here Are Potential Landing Spots if He Doesn’t Retire

4 hours ago

Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Warriors to Win Over Rockets

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend