Hurricane Ian: ‘This Could Be the Deadliest Hurricane in Florida History’ - How You Can Help

Updated October 3, 2022

• The death toll continues to rise as Florida and the Carolinas grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Officials say Ian killed at least 100 people in Florida and four in North Carolina. These numbers are expected to rise. 
• Rescue crews are combing through wreckage, searching for survivors and fatalities. As of Sunday, more than 1,600 people had been rescued, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
• Workers are fixing power lines around the clock to restore electricity to the hundreds of thousands of homes that lost service. A utility official believes it could be weeks or months before certain parts of the state are back on the grid. More than 500,000 residents still do not have power. 
• Ian could be the second-most-costly storm to strike Florida behind Hurricane Andrew in 1992. 
• President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Puerto Rico and Florida this week to visit survivors and show support to struggling communities. 

Updated September 29, 2022

• Ian, now a tropical storm, stands as one of the top ten strongest storms in U.S. history. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency and described the hurricane as a “500-year flooding event.” Coast Guard helicopters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s search and rescue teams continue to pick up trapped residents from their roofs. 
• More than 2.6 million Florida homes and businesses were without power early Thursday morning, and at least five deaths have been confirmed. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno fears the fatalities are much higher, stating: 

“While I don’t have confirmed numbers, I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds…There are thousands of people that are waiting to be rescued.”

• President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration to give federal funding to the Florida counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota.

“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” Biden said during a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing.

• Meteorologists expect Ian to leave Florida’s coast and strengthen again in South Carolina. The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia all declared preemptive states of emergency. 

What’s the story?

• Hurricane Ian strengthened into nearly a Category 5 storm as it hit Florida early Wednesday.  
• The National Hurricane Center said Ian would bring catastrophic wind damage along the southwestern coast of Florida where it made landfall, and is imploring residents to stay inside. Forecasters added that heavy rainfall would lead to “widespread, life-threatening, catastrophic flooding.” 
• Millions of people are under evacuation orders in the state. However, it is too late to leave some areas, including Collier, Lee, Sarasota, and Charlotte counties, Gov. DeSantis warned during a briefing Wednesday morning: 

• Florida utilities reported that more than 300,000 customers have lost power so far, all near the eye of Hurricane Ian. 
• Ian hit Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane, causing a massive blackout and killing at least two people. Officials in Cuba are working to restore electricity after the entire island was out of power on Tuesday night. 
• Ian is one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in decades. Only two Category 5 storms made landfall in the U.S. in the last 30 years, both of which hit Florida. 

How can you help?

Here are the organizations helping to provide relief efforts in Cuba and Florida in Hurricane Ian's wake:

• Florida is accepting volunteers through its official online portal. Those who want to provide hands-on recovery efforts can search for an opportunity here. 
• The Florida Disaster Fund, the state’s official private fund for response and recovery efforts, is accepting donations. Officials say donations are being distributed to various service organizations throughout the state. Donations can be made here or by texting DISASTER to 20222. 
• Monetary and blood donations can be given to the American Red Cross. Visit the American Red Cross here or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 
• Convoy of Hope, based in Missouri, is collecting donations to send relief efforts to Florida, and will deploy a team sometime on Wednesday. You can donate to the relief efforts here. 
• Direct Relief provides medical aid and supplies to Cuba, along with stored emergency supplies to be used when needed. Learn about these efforts and donate to Direct Relief here.

This list will be updated as more relief efforts are activated.

Share to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian.

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Twitter/@ShinjiTheCuban)