Recovery and relief efforts have continued across Florida and other states impacted by Hurricane Ian.
Reports and information from local law enforcement agencies and medical examiners’ offices show that there could be upward of 109 deaths across the U.S. While the majority of deaths are in Florida, at least five have been reported in North Carolina and one in Virginia.
There have been 2,500 rescues made and more than 1,000 team members are performing search and rescue.
FOLLOWING HURRICANE IAN, FLORIDA ISLAND DWELLERS HOPING BRIDGE TO MAINLAND IS REPAIRED SOON
Many in the state are still waiting for power to be restored, with outage tracker PowerOutage.US showing nearly 216,000 customers without power on Thursday morning.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said that power had been restored to more than 97% of the state.
Some areas are still flooded a week after Ian made landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, leaving some residents unable to get food and water. The damage and devastation have left some schools closed indefinitely.
Wild animals, including alligators and snakes, have been more visible in the wake of the storm, creeping onto properties.
Mosquitoes were also a concern and Flagler County said a beach would be sprayed for the insects.
DeSantis said in a press conference that a temporary bridge had been constructed for the residents of Pine Island, and the governor’s office said that it had brought Florida Department of Transportation engineers to Sanibel Island to begin construction on a bridge to the island.
Cut and Toss crews have cleared more than 4,746 miles of state roadways.
President Biden toured Florida with DeSantis on Wednesday, praising the governor’s handling of the storm.
“Today we have one job and only one job, and that’s to make sure the people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover,” he said.
“Later, after the television cameras have moved on, we’re still going to be here with you,” the president added.
“We are cutting through the red tape and that’s from local government, state government, all the way up to the president. We appreciate the team effort,” DeSantis said.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on Air Force One that the cost of rebuilding will be significant.
“It will certainly be in the billions and perhaps one of the more costly disasters that we’ve seen in many years,” she explained.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
