Hurricane Ian causes a death toll in Florida

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Washington. After the devastating hurricane “Ian”, the number of victims increases, especially in the US state of Florida. According to local authorities, about 80 deaths have been reported so far, according to the New York Times and CBS broadcaster. At least 42 people were killed in Lee County alone, where “Ian” struck land in winds of up to 150mph, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Sunday.

Even long after the hurricane had passed, some places in Florida were affected by flooding because the soil could no longer absorb water. Hundreds of thousands of families were left without electricity.

The hurricane largely lost strength over the weekend. The foothills caused rain on the east coast of the United States as far as New York. Before it weakened, “Ian” hit the South Carolina coast on Friday as a one in five level hurricane, causing storm surges. The television images showed completely flooded streets and a partially destroyed pier. The state was spared from deaths, Governor Henry McMaster said. Electricity fell in more than 500,000 homes in South and North Carolina and Virginia, in part because falling trees cut the lines. In North Carolina, even in light winds, “Ian” still cost four lives, according to Governor Roy Cooper.

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US President Joe Biden will fly to Florida and Puerto Rico in the next few days to get an idea of ​​the damage from the hurricane. The White House announced that Biden would travel to Puerto Rico for the first time, struck by Hurricane Fiona, on Monday. Two weeks after the storm, some families are still without electricity. However, about 90 percent of the bankruptcies have been rectified, said the head of the civil protection agency FEMA, Deanne Criswell. Biden wants to travel to Florida on Wednesday. The White House announced that he would support those affected without flood insurance for up to $ 40,000.

“Ian” landed in Florida last Wednesday as a level four out of five hurricane. It left destruction and flooding in its wake across the southern state. The authorities stressed that the reconstruction will take months and sometimes even years. Water levels continued to rise in some central Florida cities on Sunday, Criswell told US television.

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Rescue and cleanup efforts continued in the affected areas of Florida. The Coast Guard rescued more than 300 people, some from rooftops and trees, and as many as 80 pets with helicopters, among other things. In all, more than 1,100 people were recovered alive, Governor Ron DeSantis said. President Biden expressed dire fears on Thursday, saying “this could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history.”

After Florida, “Ian” went out to sea for the first time, regained his strength and on Friday reached the coast of South Carolina with a wind speed of about 140 kilometers per hour. A few hours later, the winds weakened to around 95 kilometers per hour, meaning the cyclone was no longer classified as a hurricane.

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Given the high death toll in Lee County, questions have been raised as to whether the evacuation order was issued too late. Sheriff Carmine Marceno defended the approach: the hurricane had changed course and only a day earlier it had become clear that it would hit Fort Myers rather than Tampa.

A debate has also begun on whether costly rebuilding in areas with severe storms makes long-term sense. Fema Criswell’s boss said strict building codes are needed for buildings to be able to withstand the forces of nature. Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson told CBS that the new buildings mostly survived the hurricane. (Dpa)

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