Hurricane Ian begins pounding South Carolina after killing at least 21 people across Florida and leaving millions without power

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Much of Florida takes its share of apocalyptic damage Friday — along with searchers Still checking for people who need it And millions of people without power – the deadly Hurricane Ian South Carolina has begun to lash outAn expected afternoon landslide there threatens more dangerous flooding Sufficient power to change the coastal landscape.

with At least 21 deaths have been reported In Florida, Ian was reinvigorated Category 1 storm Sustained central winds of 85 mph across the Atlantic and toward South Carolina 8 am on Friday. Its center was going to land Between Charleston and Myrtle BeachPredictors saidWinds of 73 mph have already hit much of the Carolinas coast and life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions are expected within hours.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said, “This is a dangerous storm that will bring high winds and a lot of water.” Tweeted. “Be smart, make good decisions, check on your loved ones, and stay safe.”

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Meanwhile, Florida continues to grapple with Ion’s whirlwind destruction through much of the peninsula after battering the southwest coast on Wednesday and Thursday. Category 4 storm and cultivated in the central and northeastern regions. Homes along the coast were swept out to sea, buildings were demolished across the state, and floodwaters destroyed homes and businesses, as well as stranded residents inland in places like the Orlando area.

Hundreds of rescues have taken place by land, air and sea, with residents trapped in houses or on rooftops, and searchers have carried out numerous health checks, particularly Fort Myers And in parts of Naples, storm surges submerged streets and homes.

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Now, the aftermath of the storm presents its own new, deadly dangers. Some stagnant water is electrified, officials warned, while maneuvering debris-strewn buildings and streets — many without traffic signals — can cause injuries. Lack of air conditioning can lead to heat illness, and improper generator use can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

In North Harbor, between Fort Myers and Sarasota, Rosanna Walker stood at a flood-damaged home Thursday where she had just weathered the storm. Part of her drywall ceiling was hanging down.

“All of a sudden, water came in through the doors — top, bottom, windows,” he told CNN’s John Berman. “Everything is in my wardrobe; I need to empty my cupboards.

“Everything is ruined.”

Here’s what you need to know:

• DThe Eaths Statement: At least 21 people have died as a result of the storm in Florida. Of those, 20 are unconfirmed — 12 in Charlotte County and eight in Collier County, state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Friday. One confirmed death was in Polk County, he said, adding that unconfirmed death cases are being processed by local medical examiners to determine whether they are disaster-related.

• More than 1.9 million crashes: Millions of Floridians in Ion’s path were in the dark early Friday. PowerOutage.us. The Southwest has the most counties with the highest percentage of residents without electricity, including Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardy.

• Historical flooding in some areas: Record flooding was reported across central and northern Florida At least three rivers It set all-time flood records. Officials in Orlando warned residents of dangerous flooding that exceeded a foot in some areas.

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• Hundreds of rescues and thousands of evacuations: There have been more than 700 rescues across Florida so far, the governor said Thursday, and thousands of evacuations have been reported. In Lee County, a hospital system had to evacuate more than 1,000 patients after its water supply was cut off, while other widespread evacuations were reported. Prisons And Hospital. In Fort Myers, the fire chief was “pretty comfortable” by Friday morning and everyone who needed help had been rescued, Mayor Kevin Anderson said.

Much of Fort Myers Beach was destroyed: A Helicopter flight Fort Myers shows the devastation along the coast: empty or trashed lots where homes and businesses used to be, and boats pushed into the mangroves. “You speak of no system. … You’re talking about houses thrown into the bay. This is a long-term solution and it can change lives,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

• Coast Guard continues rescue flights Friday: The Coast Guard rescued 95 people in Florida on Thursday, including airlifting people from flooded areas by helicopter, and will continue rescue flights Friday, Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson said. “We’re going to find anyone else who needs help,” he said.

• Offshore islands isolated from mainland: The islands of Sanibel and Captiva in southwest Florida were cut off from the mainland after parts of a critical causeway tore away. At least two people were killed in the Sanibel storm, and local officials said the bridge must be completely rebuilt. Chip Farrar lives on the small island of Matlacha. told CNN An essential 50-foot road to reach the mainland bridge has been washed away and a second bridge nearby has also collapsed.

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• Impacts of the storm today: A tornado warning has been issued from the Savannah River on the Georgia-South Carolina state line to Cape Fear, North Carolina. Substantial flooding from seawater and rain is possible, especially in parts of coastal South Carolina Storm surge 7 feet and 4 to 12 inches of rain is possible. Forecasters say.

As Hurricane Ian moved away from Florida, the governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia declared states of emergency.

McMaster, of South Carolina, urged people not to underestimate the storm’s danger and urged them to follow storm warnings closely to prepare for Friday’s impact.

Ian may have left lasting changes on the landscape. Beaches in Georgia and South Carolina could sustain significant changes as powerful waves and storm surges brought by Ian could inundate coastal sand dunes. US Geological Survey.

Besides inundating communities behind dunes, storms can push sand back and deposit it inland, which can “reduce the height of protective sand dunes, alter beach profiles and make areas behind dunes more vulnerable to future storms,” ​​the agency said. .

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