Death toll rises from Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian; storm crawls across Carolinas, Virginia

The National Football League Foundation will donate $1 million to Hurricane Ian relief efforts, matching the donation by the Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The NFL will also auction a number of game-worn jerseys from the Tampa Bay-Kansas City game Sunday night to support relief efforts. 

"Following Sunday Night’s Kansas City Chiefs -Tampa Bay Buccaneers game, the NFL will also be auctioning off a limited number of game-worn jerseys and other unique items which fans can bid on at NFL.com/auction to support the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Ian relief efforts," the NFL said in a statement. 

The Glazer family, owners of the Bucs since 1995, announced a $1 million donation Thursday. 

"The destruction suffered in Southwest Florida and the damage inflicted throughout our state will be felt for some time," said Buccaneers co-owner Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, according to the Bucs' website.  

"It will take entire communities' resiliently working together for an extended period, and our family is committed to aiding in the recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with the countless people affected, the heroic first responders and all of those helping to keep others safe."

Click here to read more on the story: NFL to auction game-worn jerseys following Bucs-Chiefs game

Tampa couple Radu and Alexis Marginean were hunkering down in Naples, Florida during Hurricane Ian, where they said fire alarms began blaring in their building at the height of the storm.

Radu Marginean told FOX Weather that he heard on the radio that there was a fire in Naples and that the fire station was underwater, so he went downstairs to check things out.

"I just wanted to go see if the fire was in our building," he said.

When he got to the first floor, he quickly realized how bad things really were. Water, presumably from the massive storm surge pushed ashore by Hurricane Ian, crashed through the exit door and rushed into the building.

"I thought that I was going to die, because I got completely submerged underwater," he said.

Soaking wet, he clung to the stairwell railing and was eventually able to pull himself up the stairs and out of the water.

The couple said they have spent four days without power.

Read more on the story from FOX Weather: Watch: Water bursts through door in Naples during Hurricane Ian

As of Friday evening, nearly 1,600 people and 75 pets had been rescued by State and federal search and rescue operations in Florida.

FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, Customs Border and Protection and the state of Florida are coordinating rescue efforts with local officials in Florida to assist residents following Hurricane Ian.

In a press release, FEMA said that rescue operations are prioritizing hospitals and healthcare facilities in barrier island communities.

In Florida, approximately 5,000 Florida National Guard members and 2,000 National Guard members from other states are activated to help with search and rescue efforts.

In addition, more than 550 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel are conducting safety inspections, installing generators and assessing power needs. At least 1.3 million people are experiencing power outages in Florida.

FEMA also activated a medical support contract for ambulances. More than 300 ambulances, 15 bariatric paratransit ambulances and four rotary aircraft are being used to assist first responders.

On Saturday, President Biden approved the Seminole Tribe's request for an expedited major disaster declaration which will allow assistance to survivors as well as federal funds for debris removal and emergency protective measures.

The President also approved North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s request for an emergency declaration, allowing FEMA to provide federal assistance for emergency protective measures.

Deputies in Florida sprang to action and formed a human chain to rescue a woman whose car was swept away by an extreme current in floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

In a video shared on social media by the  Orange County Sheriff's Office, body camera footage shows five deputies creating a human chain and venturing into 10-feet-deep rushing floodwaters to rescue the woman.

The woman was in a car being swept away by floodwaters at Dean Road and Lake Underhill Road in Orlando. Deputies said it was an extreme current caused by a surge in the Little Econlockhatchee River.

"Perhaps it was kismet that one deputy who rushed to the scene had 200 feet of rope in his patrol vehicle," the sheriff's office stated in a Facebook post. "Five deputies formed a human chain and used that rope to venture into rushing water 10 feet deep to save the woman."

Click here to read more on Fox News

More than 1,100 Floridians have been rescued by the Florida National Guard in the wake of Hurricane Ian , according to the Division of Emergency Management.

The Florida National Guard began search and rescue missions to support local authorities and rescue people from flooded areas in southwest and central Florida on Saturday.

As of Saturday morning, DeSantis' office said they had rescued 1,076 civilians from flooded areas, rescued and transported 78 civilians from flooded elderly care facilities, performed two hoist rescues, and 178 rotary wing rescues.

On Saturday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper confirmed four deaths in the state are storm-related.

According to the governor's office, three of the four killed were in Johnston County.

A 25-year-old man passed away when he lost control of his car and hydroplaned into another vehicle in stormy conditions. A 24-year-old died when she veered off the road and crashed into a tree.

A 65-year-old man died early Saturday morning in Johnston County from carbon monoxide poisoning after having a generator in his closed garage while the power was out. His wife was hospitalized.

Another man died by drowning when officials said his truck became submerged in a flooded swamp in Martin County Friday night.

President Biden signed an emergency declaration for North Carolina on Saturday. It provides federal recovery support and reimbursement for emergency protective expenses incurred by state and local governments during the storm.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited a Waffle House in Florida and served food to residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

DeSantis visited a Waffle House in Charlotte County, Florida, on Saturday and helped serve food to linemen.

".@WaffleHouse is one of the first restaurants in Charlotte County to reopen and provide hot meals as we work together to serve Floridians after #HurricaneIan." DeSantis said on Twitter. "Thank you for providing meals to the linemen working to restore power."

Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, Florida, as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 155 mph, just 2 mph shy of a Category 5.

Click here to read more on FOX Business

The Florida Division of Emergency Management estimates there may be more than 50 deaths across eight counties linked to Hurricane Ian.

The medical examiner must determine if a death is storm-related or not, which is why several counties have reported some deaths as “unconfirmed” for the time being, Florida's Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie explained in a press conference,

There were 12 deaths in Charlotte County, all unconfirmed. In Collier County, three deaths were confirmed from drowning and five deaths remain unconfirmed.

Polk County, Lake County, and Manatee County each had one confirmed death.

Sarasota County and Volusia County each had four unconfirmed deaths.

Lee County, which includes Fort Meyers, have at least 16 deaths from Hurricane Ian.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) shared information on how to report missing persons related to Hurricane Ian here. As well as, safe and found people can be found on this website.

The Florida Highway Patrol announced the reopening of Interstate 75 Northbound following extensive flooding from Hurricane Ian.

Rising waters from the Myakka River beneath Interstate 75 prompted officials to close a 14-mile stretch of the roadway in Sarasota County late Friday.

"Northbound Interstate 75 at mile marker 182 is back open" the Troop F account for the Florida Highway Patrol said in a Twitter post on Saturday afternoon.

Southbound I-75 is also in the process of reopening at mile marker 182.

The Highway Patrol reminded motorists to continue to avoid Exit 182 Ramp due to extensive flooding. Detours are expected to remain in place until flooding recedes.

Collier County and the City of Naples has issued a mandatory curfew for residents between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. It is anticipated that the curfew will remain in effect until power is largely restored.

The purpose of the curfew is to protect the safety of the residents as they begin the process of recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ian, a press release explained.

The curfew does not apply to emergency responders, employees at health care facilities, critical staff for businesses that provide essential services or those seeking medical assistance.

Violation of the curfew is a second-degree misdemeanor.

Residents with any questions may call the Hotline at (239) 252-8444 or 311.

Flooding in Sarasota County, Florida on I-75 South near Exit 182 due to flooding from the Myakka River.

In addition, emergency vehicles closed all lanes on Exit 193: Jacaranda Blvd. on I-75 South.

Motorists planning on traveling on I-75 South should seek an alternative route or follow detours the Florida Department of Transportation have listed here.

In a Saturday morning teleconference, officials from FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Weather Service and the American Red Cross gave an update on recovery and relief efforts following the devastation from Hurricane Ian in Florida.

Michael Musher, of the NWS, said there are nine river gauges, right now indicating record flooding across Florida.

He also noted that there was river and coastal flooding in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia.

While recovery operations are ongoing, Musher said that the weather forecast looks "really good" over the next four to five days.

Next, Brigadier General Brig. Gen. Daniel Hibner said the Army Corps was focused on infrastructure assessments and critical public facilities reported at the Lee County Water Distribution Center, in addition to establishing a generating stage base.

"We're also aware of the upper Kissimmee overflows and inundation that's happening there. And we are responding. We're sending a team of experts to do an assessment of what is happening there," he added.

Annie Bink, who is the Associate Administrator of the Office of Response and Recovery, told reporters that the priority continues to be search and rescue operations by land and by sea.

"We're actively collecting data on the ground as we speak from additional counties so we can continue to add those to a major disaster declaration to advance eligibility for assistance," she said, noting that employees are at shelters providing and registering people for individual assistance.

She pointed out that nearly 240 generators are staged on the ground in the affected areas and that at least 145 health care facilities had been impacted by the hurricane.

U.S. Coast Guard Commander Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson said the Coast Guard had rescued more than 400 people since sunrise and that approximately 4,000 people have been rescued and assisted from entire unified command.

While there were a few cases of people who were in urgent need of medical assistance, more people were "simply stranded."

The American Red Cross Senior Director of Integrated Field Communications, Anthony Tornetta, said the organization was providing meals to communities and had dozens of emergency response vehicles in Florida.

"I can assure you that in the days and weeks and months ahead, the American Red Cross will continue to provide support for those impacted," he said.

Responding to a question about the number of dead, Bink said FEMA knew of 23 confirmed fatalities and reports of others.

She said approximately 10,000 were sheltering right now.

McPherson said there was not a good estimate regarding the number of people who remain stranded, adding that Sanibel would be "out of commission for some time."

The Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30. Although the Atlantic remains relatively quiet right now, Bink told Fox News Digital that the administration was "built for this."

"This is what we do. We have many levers at our disposal. We have a large cadre of reservists that are really the backbone of this agency that do the work in the field every day post-disaster. We also have a surge capacity force that was authorized by the secretary of DHS, which also frees up interagency volunteers to help support efforts," she replied. "We have many tools at our disposal disposal to also include local hires which bring competency of around the areas that we're serving. So, there's many tools at our disposal and we're ready. And, and this is what we do."

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden had been briefed on recent developments by the Chief of Staff and his Homeland Security Advisor.

"He was particularly focused on power and water restoration in FL, and new damage reports from SC. He asked for regular updates during the day as the storm progresses," she said.

The SBA Small Business Administration announced the addition of several Florida counties to the disaster declaration for Hurricane Ian.

The move allows more Florida businesses and residents to be eligible to apply for the administration's low-interest disaster loan program.

The disaster declaration now covers Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Seminole counties in Florida, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.

Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Brevard, Broward, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lake, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Pasco, Sumter and Volusia in Florida.

Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ and should apply under SBA declaration # 17644.

The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 29, 2023.

As of 7a.m. EDT Saturday, the National Guard had more than 4,690 soldiers and airmen on state active duty in Florida.

That total included members from Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Washington and Montana.

The Florida Guard has more than 1,300 ground assets actively engaged, including high-wheeled transports, fuel trucks, wreckers and rescue boats.

There are also 25 helicopters currently available for recovery operations.

In a release shared later, the Florida Guard said Joint Task Force Florida has 5,185 personnel activated and is executing missions in response to the storm.

"The Task Force is currently supporting 152 missions, including executing search and rescue (SAR) missions throughout southwest and central Florida," it said. "JTTF members have rescued and evacuated 1,076 civilians from flooded areas, to include transporting 78 civilians from a flooded elderly care facility, conducted two hoist rescues and a total of 178 rotary wing rescues."

A Defense official says the department continues to closely monitor the situation as Post-Tropical Storm Ian continues north.

"FEMA remains the lead Federal agency on these responses, and the Department of Defense remains in close communication and coordination with FEMA as recovery continue to ramp up," they noted.

Speaking to reporters in Orlando alongside Congresswoman Val Demings, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Sheriff John Mina, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that it was important for her to see the impacts that Hurricane Ian had across Florida.

"We know that we're going to have along road to recovery ahead of us," she said, adding rebuilding planning efforts had already started.

Orange County was recently declared one of the eligible areas for full FEMA reimbursement.

Mayor Dyer said Orlando was "now down from 95,000 customers without power to somewhere around 7,000.

Criswell stressed that residents should contact their insurance companies to see what would be eligible and then file a claim, noting that every individual would have a unique situation.

A source in North Port Fire Rescue told Fox News that its first responders have a backlog of more than 500 addresses to get to, mostly due to flooding in the area.

"We know you're hurting. Our first responders and partners are working hard to get our community the help it needs," the department said in a Facebook post. "Look out for your neighbors. We will persevere."

On Friday they wrote that the need for help hasn't stopped and that the fire department is working around the clock.

"Strike teams from around the country have arrived to assist with response. The support is greatly appreciated," it said then.

Lake County Fire Chief Jim Dickerson mentioned in an earlier briefing that his crews had deployed to North Port to assist with the backlog.

Dozens of people have been reported dead in the wake of now-Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian.

Search and rescue operations in Florida continued amid the wreckage, while South Carolina began to assess damage.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced in a Facebook video on Saturday that there were about 35 fatalities in his county.

"It's with a heavy heart that I say that number," he said.

The Associated Press reported that at least 31 people had been confirmed dead due to the storm, including 27 people in Florida.

Three others were killed when Ian hit Cuba, knocking out power for the entire island.

While most of those deaths were from drowning, others were reported from the storm’s tragic aftereffects.

Authorities warned that the death toll would likely rise much higher.

The Medical Examiners Commission said Saturday that there are now 24 deaths attributed to Hurricane Ian confirmed by the commission.

Hurricane Ian has likely caused “well over $100 billion” in damage, including $63 billion in privately insured losses, according to the disaster modeling firm Karen Clark & Co.

If those numbers are borne out, that would make Ian at least the fourth costliest hurricane in America's history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"We're beginning to see the scale of the devastation in Florida which is likely to rank among the worst in the nation’s history," President Biden tweeted Saturday morning from the @POTUS account.

"Our hearts break for the folks whose lives have been devastated by this storm," he continued. "We are with you. And, we'll stay at it for as long as it takes."

Florida Power and Light CEO Eric Silagy told residents that he was still amazed by the destruction and damage of Hurricane Ian.

Following the storm's landfall in the state, the chairman said that the utility was making good progress on getting lights back on across the state.

"Restoration is going well. We have a long way to go. But, I am pleased to tell you that, as of this morning, we have been able to restore two-thirds of all of our customers: 1.4 million FPL customers have their lights back on this morning," he told reporters.

"That's no consolation to the 700,000 that still have their power out," Silagy noted. "And, I do want you to know that we will work 24 hours a day until the lights are back on for those remaining customers."

The CEO said that some customers in the state would not be able to take power once it's back on because of the level of destruction from the storm.

"But, for most of you, you will have your power back on here in the days ahead. For those who take longer, we will be here to also help as much as we can on the rebuild process," he assured.

Silagy added that power plants and the transmission system faired well in the hurricane and that not a single transmission system was lost.

In counties where there is not power, he said FPL was working around the clock and that it expects to be able to provide estimate rimes to restore power in the hardest hit counties by the end of the business day.

Silagy also stressed that people using generators do so properly and that cars going through intersections with no operating stoplights treat them as a four-way stop.

"Every storm, people unnecessarily are injured or killed in traffic accidents because they do not treat intersections without power as a four way stop," he said.

Silagy also warned people not to drive or wade through high water.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said that 1.2 million residents are without power there.

"42,000+ restoration personnel are working diligently to get power restored as efficiently & safely as possible. For restoration times, please contact your service provider," it tweeted.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is traveling to Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.

She will meet with local officials and emergency managers responding to Hurricane Ian. 

The administrator met with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday and the pair spoke on the phone with President Biden.

The Jacksonville Port Authority said it was open and that operations have rescumed.

"Thank you to the @USCG, @CBP [and] our JAXPORT employees [and] partners for their hard work to safely reopen the port after #Ian, ensuring we can continue to provide supply chain security for Florida, Puerto Rico [and] all communities we serve," it tweeted

JAXPORT said its thoughts and prayers are with friends and neighbors hardest hit by Hurricane Ian.

UPDATE: Naples Police said the technicians working on the 911 system are starting to get it back online. The public are now able to call or text 911 for help.

Florida's Collier County 911 system is down.

"We are working to fix it as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you have an emergency you can reach us at 239-252-9300," the Naples Police Department tweeted Saturday.

UPDATE: FHP troopers consolidated the I-75 closure at Sumter Boulevard in Sarasota County due to the flooding waters of the Myakka River. The interstate is now only closed southbound at Exit 193 (Jacaranda Blvd) and northbound at Exit 179 (North Port / Toledo Blade Blvd).

The Florida Department of Transportation said that Interstate 75 was no longer safely passable for motorists due to rising water from the Myakka River.

"Due to the rising water, I-75 in both directions is now closed from mile marker 179 (North Port / Toledo Blade Blvd) to mile marker 191 (Englewood / Jacaranda Blvd)," the department said in a release.

Motorists planning on traveling on I-75 to southwest Florida should seek an alternative route or follow detours they have listed here.

Early Saturday, President Biden approved an emergency declaration for North Carolina, ordering federal assistance to supplement response efforts to Hurricane Ian.

Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75% federal funding. 

On Friday, the president approved a disaster declaration for the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The action makes federal funding available to individuals of the Seminole Tribe of Florida and its associated lands who were affected by the storm.

These steps come as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a Public Health Emergency for the state of South Carolina.

“Hurricane Ian is carving a destructive path along the southeast, placing the health of millions of people at risk,” said Becerra. “We are working closely with state, local and tribal health authorities to protect the health of everyone possible and save lives.”

According to outage tracker PowerOutage.US, customers without power in states and territories impacted by Hurricane Ian still totaled nearly two million on Saturday morning.

Florida customers accounted for more than 1.3 million of those outages.

In the Carolinas, which have been impacted from Friday afternoon through this morning, 383,513 customers were powerless.

Dominion Energy, which services South Carolina and other states, said Friday that it was restoring power after a peak of around 110,000 outages.

“Ian is one heck of a fickle and stubborn storm,” Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina, said in a release. “It couldn’t make up its mind where it wanted to go or how long it wanted to stay. That’s exactly why we had to be prepared – and we urged our customers to be prepared – for whatever bite Ian would bring. I want our customers to know that our crews will continue to work as hard and as long as we need to until everyone has their lights back on. Please stay safe, and please be patient.” 

Puerto Rico was shown with 203,690 customers without power.

Virginia was nearing 100,000 outages as Ian made its way north.

Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian was located about 30 miles south of Greensboro, North Carolina.

The storm has maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, with higher gusts, and it is moving north-northwest at 12 mph.

Winds are occurring over the waters east of North Carolina and Virginia.

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

The National Hurricane Center said that a turn toward the north with a decrease in forward speed is expected later Saturday.

Ian is projected to reach south-central Virginia by the afternoon.

Additional weakening is anticipated and Ian is forecast to dissipate over south-central Virginia by tonight.

Currently, heavy rains continue across the central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic and the hurricane center said ongoing major to record river flooding would continue through next week across parts of central Florida.

Limited flash, urban and small stream flooding is possible across parts of the central Appalachians and the southern Mid-Atlantic.

In addition, gusty winds are expected for parts of the central and southern Appalachians through Saturday morning.

The latest update from Dominion Energy, which serves electricity to several states including Virginia and North Carolina, shows as of 5:15 a.m. Saturday morning that over 44,000 Virginia customers are without power in its service area. The outages include:

Chesapeake — 908 customers

City of Richmond — 146 customers

Henrico — 110 customers

Chesterfield — 893 customers

Dinwiddie — 132 customers

James City — 234 customers

Gloucester — 1,578 customers

Halifax — 2,371 customers

Hampton — 4,445 customers

Isle of Wight — 1,243 customers

Matthews — 245 customers

Newport News — 4,658 customers

Norfolk — 11,336 customers

Portsmouth — 427 customers

Suffolk — 676 customers

Virginia Beach — 7,711 customers

York — 1,633 customers

According to Poweroutage.us, nearly 98,000 Virginians in total are without power.

The National Hurricane Center released an advisory early Saturday morning warning of flash flooding risks over portions of North Carolina and Virginia still posed by post-tropical cyclone Ian.

The center of the storm is about 50 miles south-southeast of Greensboro, North Carolina, the weather service said.

Ian, once a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph wind speed, maintains a maximum sustained wind speed of 40 mph. It continues to travel north at 13 mph.

Ian's remnants are expected to continue weakening as it moves further inland across central North Carolina on Saturday. It will then enter Virginia, where it is expected to dissipate by early Sunday.

After making its final U.S. landfall, Ian will continue to bring tropical storm-force winds and torrential rain to the I-95 corridor through the weekend.

Ian made landfall in South Carolina Friday afternoon as a Category 1 hurricane. The storm brought 85 mph winds to Georgetown, South Carolina, around 2 p.m.

And while Ian no longer holds hurricane strength, the storm’s lasting effects will be felt through the weekend.

The remnants of Hurricane Ian will bring widespread rain and strong winds along the I-95 corridor from North Carolina to Rhode Island.

The storm is expected to weaken to an extratropical low-pressure system over North Carolina before dissipating Saturday night.

Between 3 and 6 inches of rain is possible along the Appalachian Mountains from North Carolina into the Virginias. Persistent rain will also lead to rainfall totals between 2 and 4 inches from the Delmarva Peninsula to parts of New Jersey.

On Sunday, soaking rains will continue to be the issue for a wide swath of the mid-Atlantic as the remnants of Ian slowly move away from the U.S.

Between 2 and 4 inches of rain is possible in this region, with some places potentially receiving up to 5 inches.

Click here to read more on Ian's potential path from FOX Weather: Ian to impact I-95 corridor after leaving behind path of destruction from Florida to South Carolina

A South Florida healthcare system is stepping up to assist the smallest patients at a Fort Myers hospital significantly affected by Hurricane Ian.

On Friday, Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County announced three of its Neonatal Intensive Care Units will be accepting NICU patients from Lee Health.

The system is expecting to receive 22 newborns over the next few days. The most critical patients will be transferred by helicopter and the rest will travel via ambulance, FOX 7 Miami reported.

The babies will be placed in the care of Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Memorial Hospital West or Memorial Hospital Miramar.

"It’s bad enough to have the stress of a sick baby in the hospital, and then with having a catastrophe of this size on top of that, it’s unthinkable," Dr. Ronald Ford, the chief medical officer at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, told FOX 7 Miami.

President Joe Biden declared that an emergency exists in the state of North Carolina on Saturday, following Ian's impact and has ordered federal agencies to help in state and local disaster relief efforts.  

The president authorized the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help alleviate the "hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 100 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians," the White House said in a statement.

"FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency," the White House added.

Nearly 360,000 people are without power in North Carolina due to Ian, now a post-tropical cyclone.

The U.S. death toll from Hurricane Ian and its subsequent weather effects rose to at least 27 late Friday night as authorities have been able to confirm additional drownings and other fatalities.

Just hours earlier, the death toll was recorded as 17, but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said later that evening that other deaths in the state have been confirmed.

One of the deaths was a 22-year-old woman who was fatally ejected from an ATV because of a road washout and a 68-year-old woman who drowned after she was swept into the ocean by a wave. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines shut off when they lost power, authorities said. 

Authorities expect the death toll to rise further as emergency officials are able to assess damages properties.

Hundreds of rescues have already taken place across the state.

Three people reportedly died to the storm in Cuba.

Ian, officially a post-tropical cyclone with 55 mph sustained wind speeds, is estimated to be one of the costliest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S.

According to the disaster modeling firm Karen Clark & Company, the storm has likely caused “well over $100 billion’’ in damage, including $63 billion in privately insured losses.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A steeple blew off a church in Virginia Beach, Virginia on Friday as Ian, now a post-tropical cyclone, battered the Hampton Roads area with 45-55 mph winds Friday.

The steeple of Galilee Episcopal Church, located on 41st Street and Pacific Avenue, is currently wedged between facility and the neighboring Holly Hill Apartment complex, WAVY reported.

Some scattered power outages and other minor damage has been reported across the area.

High wind warnings remain in effect for Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake through Saturday morning.

Post-tropical Cyclone Ian continues to weaken as it crosses the Carolinas and weather models predict it will continue traveling north before it wholly dissipates over Virginia late Saturday.

After regaining strength over the Atlantic, Ian made landfall near Charleston, South Carolina on Friday as a Category 1. The storm's 60 mph winds and major flooding continues to impact local communities and about 2 million people across Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia are without power.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, just under 1.4 million energy consumers in Florida are without power — a sizeable decline from the 2.7 million people that were without power earlier this week.

About 400,000 people in North Carolina, about 80,000 people in South Carolina and 100,000 people in Virginia are without power.

Extreme flash flood warnings are in place for several North Carolina cities including Lexington, Asheboro, Sanford, Raleigh, and parts of Dunn.

High surf advisories or coastal flood warnings are still in place along the East Coast, from Conway, South Carolina to Long Branch, New Jersey.