The US state of Florida confirmed on Friday one death from Hurricane Ian and is investigating 20 unconfirmed deaths, Director of Florida Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie said on Friday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th September, 2022) The US state of Florida confirmed on Friday one death from Hurricane Ian and is investigating 20 unconfirmed deaths, Director of Florida Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie said on Friday.
"We have 12 unconfirmed fatalities in Charlotte County, we have 8 unconfirmed fatalities in Collier County, we have one confirmed fatality in Polk County. So, it brings us up to 21 total," Guthrie told reporters.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the authorities had communicated with more than 20,000 residents who previously filled out a special survey on the FloridaDisaster.org website, and half of them responded that they were safe.
"As of 6 AM, there were 1.9 million people or customers without power," DeSantis said.
The hardest-hit areas have 99% of residents without electricity, while in some other areas up to 85% of people are experiencing power outages, he added.
Local media reported earlier on Friday that the extreme weather and subsequent impact of Hurricane Ian on Florida have left at least 14 people dead.
US President Joe Biden said after a briefing by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the hurricane may end up being the deadliest storm in Florida's history. Biden also said that he plans to visit the state as soon as conditions allow.
