Hurricane Ian, which left a trail of destruction in Florida, has claimed the lives of 45 people so far. The lives of several hundred people in the southern state are feared, the American news channel CNN reports. Nearly two million Americans in the southern United States are without power after the storm passes.
Ian made landfall in the state of South Carolina on Friday afternoon local time and then quickly weakened to a storm. Early reports say the damage is more limited in South Carolina than in Florida, where cities were flooded and entire streets were blown away. In South Carolina’s coastal towns in particular, Ian caused flooding and damaged homes.
Trees have also been uprooted and electricity pylons blown down in the state. As far as is known, there have been no casualties. More than 165,000 South Carolina residents are without electricity, according to the website Poweroutage.us, as are 273,000 people in neighboring North Carolina, which Ian also crossed. More than 1.5 million people in Florida are still without power.