From the BZ editorial team
After Hurricane Ian passed through the US coastal state of Florida, the death toll rose to at least 81 on Sunday, according to official figures.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office, where Ian made landfall Wednesday as a magnitude four hurricane, recorded 42 deaths. 39 other victims were reported by authorities in four neighboring counties.
After the water masses have receded, further fatalities are expected in the flooded areas. Search teams have not yet been able to penetrate all of the affected areas.
About 10,000 people are still considered missing. “Ian” made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a level four of five hurricane. It left destruction and flooding in its wake across the southern state.
The authorities emphasized that the reconstruction will take months and sometimes even years. On Sunday, the water levels in some towns in central Florida continued to rise, as the head of the civil protection agency FEMA, Deanne Criswell, said on US television.
Even long after the hurricane had passed, some places in Florida were affected by flooding because the ground could no longer absorb water. Hundreds of thousands of households remained without electricity.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden is expected on the Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday to get an idea of the devastation.