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https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-ian-florida-updates-09-29-22#h_18a4492a66ebab672c3e3161aa7f2bb4
Live Updates
After slamming Florida, Hurricane Ian heads toward South Carolina
What we're covering
- The latest: Storm system Ian has intensified to a Category 1 hurricane as it heads toward South Carolina, according to the National Weather Service. The storm made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday.
- Fatal impact: At least 15 people have been reported dead so far due to the storm. Search and rescue efforts are underway in the worst-hit areas of Florida.
- The conditions: The extremely dangerous conditions that Ian unleashed — including catastrophic floods and life-threatening storm surges — will continue as the storm moves toward Georgia and South Carolina.
- Tracking Ian: You can track the storm’s path here or sign up for email alerts from CNN meteorologists here.
- In the storm’s path? Bookmark CNN’s lite site for fast connectivity. Sigue nuestra cobertura en vivo en español aquí.
"There's literally nothing to come back to": Fort Myers Beach council member says most homes are gone
Dan Allers, a council member in Fort Myers Beach, described devastation at a level “that no one really anticipated or expected” as he walked through the area Thursday after it was pounded by Hurricane Ian.
He said that he’s aware of at least three deaths reported in the town located on Florida’s Estero Island.
Allers did not know the total number of fatalities.
He estimated that 90% of the island is gone, including businesses that had been there for decades and had weathered several hurricanes.
“When I say gone, it’s not just the insides of the houses — it’s brick homes, it’s houses that were on stilts, wood homes,” Allers said. “It’s gone.”
Most of the streets are blocked off by debris and homes that have been uprooted and moved by the storm, according to Allers. He said some houses on the beach side of the main thoroughfare have broken away and fallen into the Gulf of Mexico.
“Essentially if your home is not built out of concrete, to FEMA standards over the last five years, it’s pretty much gone. There’s literally nothing to come back to,” Allers said.
Watch:
"There weren't many places we could go with our stuff," says an Orlando-area resident who stayed put
Alex White and her daughter Stella decided to wait out the flooding – and although the water is rising Thursday around their Orlando-area home, she has no regrets.
“A lot of it had to do with — there weren’t many places — like I knew the shelters were open and they’re relatively close by, but there wasn’t many places we could go with our stuff. I’ve got my dog in here too,” White told CNN’s Don Lemon of her decision to remain in her home. “And the flooding is more than we thought it would be, but I still — I don’t feel terribly — terribly, like, my house is about to float away. It’s pretty sturdy. Been through things before.”
Standing outside her front door, she admitted she has never seen this much water.
“The level that it’s at right now is very surprising,” White said, noting that it has risen very quickly over the past few hours.
But she feels pretty good about staying put. “I feel really good seeing the boats and things going by and the rescue people started checking in on everybody pretty early, so that was super comforting,” she said.
“Currently we’re still fine, we’re just hunkering down waiting to hear when things are going to start going back down when the power’s going to start coming back,” White said.
White added that neighbors who also decided to stay are checking in on one another. The biggest concern among residents is their vehicles, “because our cars are shot,” she said.
Millions are still without power in Florida. If you're using a portable generator, here are tips to stay safe
More than 2.6 million people across Florida are still without power Thursday and officials are warning people to take precautions when firing up portable generators.
Generators can be immensely helpful for storm victims without power. They can also be deadly when used incorrectly.
“Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas dealing with power outages,” the National Weather Service said. There is also a risk of electrocution or the generator starting a fire, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.
Here are some other tips to keep in mind, according to the National Hurricane Center:
- Never use a generator inside an enclosed space, such as a house or garage. Keep the generator outside, at least 20 feet away from any doors or windows, the NWS said.
- It’s also a good idea to have a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector, as carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless.
- If you feel sick or dizzy, find fresh air and get medical attention, NHC said.
- Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. “Gasoline or other flammable liquids spilled on hot engine parts could ignite,” according to FEMA.
Fort Myers official says water, electricity and sewage systems are cut off in large parts of the city
Liston Bochette, mayor pro tempore and city council member of Fort Myers, said the powerful Category 4 Hurricane Ian “shredded the community.”
“Large parts have no electricity, large parts have no water. And even the sewer systems — the computers that process — are down,” Bochette told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota.
“Florida depends on storage tanks,” he said. “When we don’t have the generators to drive the tanks, it cuts off drinking water, washing water. And then with the sewage problem, it will only become a bacterial problem.”
“We’re hoping the cavalry will ride over the hill and help us out here. … The computer system, city hall failed, the generators failed, the Internet, and the backup internet companies both failed. So we got quite a communication problem just letting people know what to do,” Bochette said.
But teams are working hard at the central emergency center, he said. “We’re doing the best we can in a bad situation,” he said.
More than 3,000 people in nursing homes evacuated in Florida
About 40 Florida nursing homes have been evacuated due to Hurricane Ian, according to the Florida Health Care Association.
“As of this morning, there have been about 40 nursing home evacuations, approximately 3400 residents,” spokesperson Kristen Knapp said in an email to CNN. “Most are in the low lying areas where counties have issued evacuation orders, others are in areas where concerns over flooding are occurring.”
The Florida Health Care Association is an advocacy organization representing long-term care providers.
“Our goal is always to keep our residents and staff safe, so facilities have been working their plans, they have their generators fueled as required by the state of emergency (must have 96 hours worth of fuel within 24 hours of SOE issued per the emergency power plan laws). Providers have been hardening their facilities and stocking their resources for those that are sheltering in place,” Knapp said.
In southwest Florida, approximately 15 to 20 facilities are without power but have generators operating and minimal damage.
“We are still watching the central/east coast as the storm moves through and the potential for flooding is the most concerning. Facilities will work with their local emergency managers if there are immediate concerns, since all emergencies are local and that is the most effective way to get critical needs met,” Knapp said.
At least 200 water rescues were conducted in the Orlando area today, first responders say
CNN’s Don Lemon joined a group of first responders on a boat conducting water rescues in Orlando — and they said they made dozens of rescues on Thursday.
“At least 200 starting at about 4:30, 5:00 this morning,” a lieutenant told the CNN anchor.
One of the challenges during rescues is that they don’t always know what’s under the water, the lieutenant said.
“Part of the big issues that we had is navigating these waters. Even though we know we’re in a neighborhood and you know the streets dictate where we go. You know, we’ve gotten hidden mailboxes, culverts,” he said.
The area where they were operating is prone to flooding, but “this is the highest it’s ever been,” the lieutenant said.
He added, “It happened about some five years ago and these three lakes, these small lakes, they join together by small canals, they crested sometime early this morning and this whole area here is a super low-lying area, this one and the neighborhood we were at this morning, which was all single-family dwellings, completely devastated, completely under water.”
The water was 6-8 feet deep on Thursday, the first responders said.
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