Death toll from Ian, storm-caused flooding reaches nearly 60; remnants to dissipate over Virginia

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Streets have been flooded with water in Florida and hundreds of thousands of residents are without power. National Guard helicopters are flying rescue missions to help those  still stranded on the state's barrier islands.

Dangers still persisted, and even worsened in some areas, in the days after Hurricane Ian wrecked havoc from Florida to the Carolinas.

Ian continued on Sunday as it doused Virginia with rain. Officials warned of the possibility of severe flooding along the commonwealth's coast starting overnight Monday.

At least 68 people have been confirmed dead from Hurricane Ian: 61 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office released footage showing of some of the damage and flooding in the Myakka City area in Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to assist Lee County to expedite emergency repairs to the road and bridges that provide motorists access to Pine Island.

“The 9,000 residents of Pine Island – some still on the island and those not – are without power, water, and other critical resources needed to recover from Hurricane Ian,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “FDOT has the workforce and resources needed to quickly restore this road and bridge and allow these families access to their homes so they can start rebuilding their lives.”

The governor's office said FDOT will begin mobilizing equipment, materials, and crews Sunday, with access to Pine Island being restored by Saturday, October 8, 2022.

It’s been four days since Hurricane Ian tore through Florida, but many communities remain without power. As of Sunday afternoon, the number of power outages were reported in the following communities:

Lee County: 121,320

Sarasota County: 98,960

Charlotte County: 77,050

Collier County: 51,240

Volusia County: 48,140

Manatee County: 44,430

Seminole County: 7,030

Desoto County: 5,520

Hendry County: 5,440

Flagler County: 3,470

A Florida firefighter was applauded after his rescuing of a young girl from flooding during Hurricane Ian Thursday. 

Hardus Oberholzer was one of several first responders engaging in the department's 26 rescue missions in St. Augustine this past week. During the city's worst high tide Thursday afternoon, Oberholzer was forced to walk through waist-high water in an attempt to rescue a young girl from her home. 

President Biden thanked a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer for saving lives as Hurricane Ian battered Florida, a service member who will be discharged for not having a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report.

Biden called several members of the Coast Guard over the phone, including Technician Second Class Zach Loesch, and thanked them for rescuing people on the southwest Florida coast in Fort Myers and Naples.

Read more.

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joined “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in the 19th district, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral. 

“We’re devastated here,” Donalds said. “Fort Myers Beach, which is one of the large tourist destinations in the country, has just been obliterated. It looks like they fought a war on Fort Myers Beach.” 

Donalds said that while officials have not come up with an estimated cost for the damage, he believes it could come in at over $5 billion. 

He credited Gov. Ron DeSantis and his team for working with FEMA and the White House to get resources ready before the storm hit and for the quick response.

Deputies in Seminole County, Florida, are using airboats to reach residents that floodwaters have trapped inside their homes and evacuate them to safety, authorities said Saturday. 

“Right now what we’re going to focus on for the next couple of days is focusing on getting the people out and that the people are safe,” Lt. Bobby Smith said in a video posted to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office’s social media pages. 

The area around Lake Harney was inundated with water after the St. John’s River rose above historic flood levels, officials said. Now, authorities say boats are “the only reliable way” in or out of the hardest-hit neighborhoods. 

Some residents who were trying to wait out the storm and flooding from inside their homes are calling deputies for help, the sheriff's office said.

Vik, a Geneva resident, said that he’s never seen flooding like this and now has water inside his house. He recalled waking up around 6:30 a.m. and telling his wife that “we’re in trouble.” 

The couple were just some of the residents evacuated on Saturday.

The bridge leading from Fort Myers to Pine Island, Fla., is heavily damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Due to the damage, the island can only be reached by boat or air. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Paramedics and volunteers with a group that rescues people after natural disasters went door to door Saturday on Florida's devastated Pine Island, offering to evacuate residents who spoke of the terror of riding out Hurricane Ian in flooded homes and howling winds.

The largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, Pine Island has been largely cut off from the outside world. Ian heavily damaged the only bridge to the island, leaving it only reachable by boat or air.

For many, the volunteers from the non-profit Medic Corps were the first people they have seen from outside the island in days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more on this story here: Pine Island residents recount horror, fear as Ian bore down

While federal and state officials continue to respond to the damage from Hurricane Ian,  FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell defended officials in Lee County, Florida, after a New York Times report made it seem that they had failed to properly respond to the storm which ravaged their area.

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Criswell noted that it was difficult to guess exactly where Ian was going to strike.

"This storm, it was really dynamic, and it was very unpredictable for a long period of time," Criswell said. "Just 72 hours before the storm made landfall, Lee County wasn't even in the hurricane path. It wasn't even in the predicted zone of where it was going to make impact, and it continued to move south day by day."

"As soon as the storm predictions were that it was going to impact Lee County, I know that local officials immediately put the right measures in place to make sure that they were warning citizens to get them out of harm's way," she continued.

Read more on this story here: FEMA head defends Lee County, Florida officials' Hurricane Ian prep: Storm was 'very unpredictable'

Florida state Rep. Fiona McFarland appeared on “Fox & Friends Weekend” early Sunday to discuss the damage sustained in Sarasota County in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. 

“It feels like we’re fighting a two-front war,” McFarland said. 

The state representative said that four days after the storm, the county is still dealing with downed trees, power outages and flooding on the coastal side of the district. 

McFarland said that there is now also flooding occurring inland as floodwaters dump into rivers and cause them to overflow.

Water floods a damaged trailer park in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday after Hurricane Ian passed by the area. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

About 75% of energy customers in Florida have had their power restored since Hurricane Ian first struck the state four days ago, but some customers may have to wait at least another week for power, officials said Sunday morning. 

Ed DeVarona, vice presidents of Florida Power & Light Transmission, told reporters in Fort Myers that as of 6 a.m., the utility has restored power to 1.6 million customers, which is about 75% of affected customers, across the state. 

“We have a workforce of over 21,000 men and women from across the United States, 30 states represented working to restore power here to our communities,” DeVarona said. 

The company estimated it will have power restored to 95% of customers by midnight on Oct. 9. 

While the storm did not cause any significant damage to any of the company’s power plants, several areas in north and southwest Florida were still facing severe flooding, according to DeVarona. Areas heavily impacted by flooding would have to wait for the water to recede before getting power restored. 

DeVarona said that all hospitals under the company’s service have power, and that it is prioritizing critical infrastructure facilities before the utility begins moving in to neighborhoods.

Dominic D'Andrea, a 7-year-old boy, was inspired to donate all the money he saved in his piggy bank to help Floridians recover from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ian. 

The 7-year-old appeared on “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday to share why he made the donation. 

“Because they need it more than I do,” Dominic said when asked by co-host Pete Hegseth. 

Dominic said he had saved $200 in his piggy bank to go toward an electric scooter or a Corvette, but knew that people who lost homes and businesses needed help. 

“I was really saving up for a Corvette or an electric scooter but people need this,” Dominic said in a video his mother posted online. 

Dominic’s mother, Jaclyn, said she is packing up a U-Haul with supplies and will head to Fort Myers once the county reopens to help residents.

Read more on this story here: 7-year-old donates entire piggy bank to help those devastated by Hurricane Ian: 'They need it more than I do'

Firefighters said the blaze in unincorporated Sanford, Florida, was sparked by a faulty extension cord connected to a generator. (Seminole County Fire Department)

Firefighters in Florida battled a house fire early Saturday that authorities say was sparked by improper use of an extension cord with a generator.

The flames erupted at a home in unincorporated Sanford in Seminole County. Firefighters rescued one dog from the home, noting that all occupants were safely out of the home by the time they arrived on scene.

The home sustained 30% fire damage with smoke and water damage throughout, according to the Seminole County Fire Department.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, just under 900,000 power customers in Florida were without electricity early Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us.

With some residents using generators to power their homes, the fire department urged them to follow all manufacturer's recommendations when using an extension cord with a generator.

FEMA also issued some safety tips on how to operate a generator safely:

Among the four storm-related deaths in North Carolina, officials said one resident was killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator in a garage.

The Seminole County Fire Department and Florida National Guard helped rescue families in Geneva, Florida, on Saturday amid historic flooding in the wake of Hurricane Ian. (Seminole County Fire Department)

First responders in Seminole County, Florida, on Saturday were going door-to-door to help evacuate families as historic floodwaters continued to rise around their homes in the wake of Hurricane Ian. 

In the small community of Geneva, firefighters and national guardsmen waded through waist-level water to rescue families and pets along Whitcomb Road. 

Among the rescued were seven family members, including a baby, three dogs and two cats, the Seminole County Fire Department said. 

Deputies also helped evacuate families stuck inside their homes along nearby Lake Harney.

Some residents who had planned on waiting out the storm were now forced to leave after floodwater from the overflowing Saint John River began to enter their homes, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. 

“All of that water from the last three or four days of rain is now finding its way out eventually to the St. John’s River, which eventually leads into Lake Harney and then on into Mullet Lake and Lake Monroe,” Lt. Bobby Smith said in a video posted to the department’s social media pages. “As a result, all that water not having anywhere to go, they’re seeing historic flooding.” 

The sheriff’s office said that the water in the area is not expected to reach its peak until at least Sunday.

Over 2 million people lost power due to Hurricane Ian but many have since had their electricity restored amid post-storm recovery efforts. 

Florida, which was initially hit with Ian's 150 mph sustained winds, had over 1.7 million people without power. Now, that figure is less than 900,000, according to Poweroutage.us.

The Carolinas were also impacted when the then-category 1 Hurricane Ian left about 400,000 people in North Carolina, and about 80,000 people in South Carolina without power.

After recovery efforts, these figures fell to 56,000 and 2,400, respectively, according to Poweroutage.us.

In Virginia, nearly 12,000 people are without power — a decline from 98,000 Virginians who were in the dark the day before.

On Saturday, Florida Power and Light CEO Eric Silagy provided an update to energy consumers in the state during a news conference at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota.

"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.

Silagy added: "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."

As of Saturday morning, more than 1.2 million Floridians were still without power. But, by Sunday, that figure tapered off to under 900,000.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management said over 42,000 personnel were working across the state to restore power.

President Joe Biden remains in regular contact with officials in Florida, including Governor Ron DeSantis, as well as those in South Carolina "to make sure needs are being met," the White House said Saturday.

In another statement, the White House confirmed the federal government was "covering the costs of debris removal and will make disaster assistance available" after Biden declared an emergency in the state.

The federal assistance also covers 100% of the costs "associated with search and rescue, sheltering, feeding, and other emergency measures to save lives for 30 days."

On Saturday, Biden declared an emergency in North Carolina, as the storm was crossing the state, to enable the same federal assistance.

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

On Friday, Biden declared an emergency in Florida after the state was devastated by Ian, which was still a hurricane at that time.

The same day, Biden declared a state of emergency in South Carolina.

For more on how the White House is supplementing state and local hurricane recovery efforts, click here.

United Cajun Navy spokesman Brian Trascher said the recovery effort for Hurricane Ian will take time during a segment of "Cross Country with Lawrence Jones."

Rescuers in Florida continue to search for survivors in flooded homes, he added.

Tony Rivera carries items recovered from his family's waterlogged car through receding flood waters still filling a street in the Harlem Heights neighborhood, three days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

More than 50 people have died to Ian, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the U.S., and its subsequent weather effects such as structural damage and flooding.

The state of Florida was the most deadly, with at least 47 deaths confirmed in the state. Four deaths were confirmed in North Carolina and three in Cuba.

On Saturday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed the deaths in his state and his office said they mostly happened in Johnston County.

A 25-year-old man passed away when he lost control of his car and hydroplaned into another vehicle. 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 from a generator in his closed garage. His wife was hospitalized.

A fourth person died by drowning when officials said his truck became submerged in a flooded swamp in Martin County Friday night.

Ian continues to weaken over Saturday night and into Sunday as its once 150 mph wind speed has fallen to a mere 15 mph sustain speed.

The decrease was not before the storm washed out bridges and piers, pushed massive boats into buildings onshore and sheared roofs off homes, leaving millions without power. Most of those who lost power from the storm have had it restored.

The bulk of the deaths confirmed in Florida were from drowning in storm waters, but others from Ian's tragic aftereffects. An older couple died when they lost power and their oxygen machines shut off, authorities said.

As of Saturday night, nearly 1,600 people had been rescued from flooded areas along Florida's southwestern coast alone, FEMA said.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Florida on Wednesday, the White House announced Saturday.

Fox News' Sarah Sarah Rumpf and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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.

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

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

TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 25: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enters the field at Raymond James Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

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

For previous coverage on Ian from October 1, 2022, click here.