21 people have reportedly died from Hurricane Ian, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie has said.
The only confirmed death thus far is in Polk County in central Florida, Guthrie said at a press briefing on Friday morning.
Another 12 unconfirmed deaths have been reported in Charlotte County, just north of Fort Meyers, and eight unconfirmed deaths have been reported in Collier County, south of Fort Meyers, according to Guthrie.
About 10,000 people are also reportedly unaccounted for.
US President Joe Biden said Ian “could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,” responsible for a “substantial loss of life.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis declined to speculate on the number of fatalities at multiple news conferences. He surveyed the damage in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday, saying some of it was “indescribable.”
“There were cars floating in the middle of the water,” DeSantis said. “Some of the homes were total losses.”
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa near Fort Meyers on Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane, devastating the area with heavy rainfall, forceful winds and massive storm surges. Ian is now moving north and is poised to make landfall in South Carolina on Friday afternoon.
