storm tragedy
HUNDREDS of people have been feared dead in Florida after Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday afternoon, battering the state with 150mph winds and flooding entire counties.
The storm has left a path of destruction across the Sunshine State, knocking out power grids and submerging dozens of homes underwater, prompting Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno to fear the worst.
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Marceno told Good Morning America on Thursday that he "definitely knows" fatalities are in the hundreds.
The Lee County sheriff said: "Thousands of people are waiting to be rescued, I cannot give a true assessment until we are on scene assessing each scene, and we can’t access people that is the problem."
He described Hurricane Ian as "a life-changing event" for everyone as he said the storm was "unpredictable."
He revealed that crews "cannot access many of the people in need," adding that thousands are waiting to be rescued.
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Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that two deaths have been reported so far, stressing that Marceno's estimate is not confirmed.
“You’re looking at a storm that has changed the character of a significant part of our state,” DeSantis said. “This is going to require years of effort to rebuild."
President Joe Biden has since declared a major disaster for Florida.
A 72-year-old man in Deltona is believed to be the first fatality, according to WESH.
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He died after going out of his home to drain his pool. Cops believe he slipped into a 30-foot canal.
'500-YEAR FLOOD EVENT'
DeSantis called the monster Category 4 storm a "500-year flood event," as more than two million Floridians are left without power after transformers exploded and power lines were downed by the winds.
"Right now, if you look at Central Florida, you're looking at potential major flooding, in Orange, in Seminole counties, St Johns River, all the way up potentially into northeast Florida and Jacksonville," DeSantis said on Thursday.
"The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flood event.
"What people should understand is this storm is having broad impacts across the state, and some of the flooding you're going to see in areas hundreds of miles from where this made landfall are going to set records."
DeSantis added that restoring power to Lee and Charlotte counties would require rebuilding infrastructure, not just “connecting a power line back to a pole."
“Lee and Charlotte are basically off the grid at this point,” he said.
TOP FIVE HURRICANE EVER TO HIT FLORIDA
He warned: “This is going to be a nasty, nasty, two days.”
He predicted that Ian would be among the top five hurricanes ever to hit Florida.
Cops in Lee County urged Americans to call 911 only for emergencies.
Lee County includes the city of Fort Myers, which has seen widespread flooding.
FOX Weather reporter Robert Ray branded Ian as "complex, destructive and violent" as he shared footage of widespread flooding from Fort Myers.
Dramatic videos of the rising floodwaters were shared on social media.
Fort Myers saw a record high storm surge of more than 25 feet, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration revealed.
And, a shark was seen thrashing around in the city's rising flood waters.
Hurricane Ian has weakened into a tropical storm as it makes its way over the state.
Forecasters have warned that between 12-18 inches of rain could fall across central and northeastern Florida as the storm passes over the Sunshine State.
Up to 30 inches of rain could be seen in some areas, according to meteorologists.
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The National Weather Service in Melbourne warned that there could be "catastrophic" flooding in areas of Osceola and Brevard counties, including downtown Orlando.
Officials have warned that storm surges and gusty winds could hit Georgia and The Carolinas as Ian exits the Florida Peninsula.
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