At least 15 people have been confirmed dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and officials are warning it could be one of the deadliest storms in Florida.
At least six storm-related deaths were confirmed by Charlotte County officials and one death was reported in Volusia County - that of a 72-year-old man who went outside during the storm to drain his pool.
Details on the other eight were not immediately clear.
Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, bringing powerful Category 4 hurricane-strength winds, rain, and surge to the doorsteps of millions.
Many coastal communities remained under several inches of floodwater on Thursday and many more were left without electricity.
“The impacts of this storm are historic and the damage that was done has been historic,” Governor Ron DeSantis said in a press briefing on Thursday morning.
The governor said teams were deployed throughout the region Thursday morning to begin rescue efforts. No official death toll was stated during the briefing, but the governor did clarify a comment made by the Lee County sheriff who said there were likely hundreds of fatalities.
“None of that is confirmed. I think what that is, is there were 911 calls for people saying, ‘hey, the water is rising in my home, I’m going to go up in the attic but I’m really worried,” DeSantis said. “Of course, those folks are now going to be checked on and I think you’ll have more clarity about that in the next day or so as they’re able to go to those locations to determine whether people need services or are able to be rescued.”