Hurricane Ian: 77 killed and many unaccounted for after one of strongest, costliest storms in US history
At least 77 people have been confirmed dead after Hurricane Ian struck the US – with rescuers desperately searching for survivors among the ruins of flooded homes.
The remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes in American history is now headed north, with authorities in Florida and South Carolina left assessing the damage.
Ian has been likened to an “A-bomb” and about 10,000 people remain unaccounted for, although the authorities believe many are likely to be in shelters or without power.
According to the American Red Cross, more than 1,300 disaster workers are supporting relief efforts across five states.
Of those killed, 73 were in Florida – mostly from drowning. But the storm has also had knock-on effects, and an elderly couple lost their lives after oxygen machines stopped working because of a power outage.
A further four fatalities connected to the severe weather were reported in North Carolina – including two who died in a road crash during the storm.
Hurricane Ian’s winds and coastal surges have terrorised millions of people for most of the week – and although it has now been slightly downgraded to a cyclone, officials have warned the storm is still dangerous.
“Treacherous” conditions are still forecast throughout this weekend for large swathes of the east coast – including New York, New Jersey and Washington DC.
Lee County, Florida
Back in Florida, a massive clean-up effort is now under way, and the latest figures suggest that more than 1.1 million residents are still without power and WiFi.
Governor Ron DeSantis said SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk had agreed to provide the company’s satellite internet service Starlink to all those without connectivity trying to get help or reunite with loved ones.
Celebrities are also beginning to donate to a disaster relief fund.
American football star Tom Brady, who now plays for the Florida-based Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tweeted that he would be contributing to the Florida Disaster Fund, and urged other NFL players to do the same.
‘I want to sit in a corner and cry’
Anthony Rivera, 25, described climbing through the window of his ground-floor Fort Myers flat during the storm to carry his grandmother and girlfriend to the first floor.
As they hurried to escape the rising water, the storm surge had washed a boat right up next to his apartment.
“That’s the scariest thing in the world because I can’t stop no boat,” he said. “I’m not Superman.”
Other distraught residents waded through knee-high water, salvaging what possessions they could from their flooded homes and loading them onto rafts and canoes.
“I want to sit in the corner and cry. I don’t know what else to do,” Stevie Scuderi said after shuffling through her mostly destroyed Fort Myers home.
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Pier in S Carolina blown away by hurricane
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Dramatic before-and-after images show scale of destruction
On Friday, Ian pummelled waterfront Georgetown, north of South Carolina’s historic city of Charleston, with wind speeds of 85mph.
The storm washed away parts of four piers along the coast, including two connected to the popular tourist town of Myrtle Beach. On Saturday, more than 63,000 homes and businesses in the state were still without power.
President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for the state, which authorised the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in all its 100 counties as well as for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians – a federally recognised Indian tribe based in western North Carolina.
In Cuba, there have been protests on the streets after five days of blackouts
Meanwhile, in Cuba, residents have taken to the streets of the capital Havana in protest at ongoing blackouts since its direct hit five days ago.
It has now been reported a new weather system is heading to Mexico’s northwestern Pacific coast.
The US National Hurricane Center said Orlene had grown to hurricane strength and was heading for an expected landfall early next week with winds of 75mph.
Donald Trump has announced he will award Rudolph Giuliani the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a day after the former New York mayor and political ally was seriously injured in a traffic accident.
The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honour.
In a statement on social media on Monday, Mr Trump described Mr Giuliani as “the greatest mayor in New York City’s history and an equally great American patriot”.
Mr Giuliani has been celebrated for his leadership after the September 11 attacks but has also drawn controversy for his strong support of Mr Trump.
As the president’s lawyer, he became a central figure in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Rudy Giuliani attended Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January. Pic: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool via Reuters
On Sunday, Mr Giuliani was taken to hospital after a car crash in New Hampshire, a spokesperson for the former mayor said.
He suffered “a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple lacerations and contusions, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg”, according to Michael Ragusa, Mr Giuliani’s head of security.
His vehicle was struck from behind while driving on a highway near Manchester, New York, on Saturday evening.
“He sustained injuries but is in good spirits and recovering tremendously,” Mr Ragusa said in a statement on X, adding: “This was not a targeted attack.”
Mr Giuliani was in a rental car and “no one knew it was him”, according to Mr Ragusa.
Rudy Giuliani has drawn controversy over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Pic: Ted Shaffrey/AP
His head of security said the former mayor had been “flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident” and contacted police on her behalf. The crash was “random and unrelated” to the domestic violence incident, Mr Ragusa said.
Mr Giuliani, 81, is expected to be released from hospital in a few days.
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His son, Andrew Giuliani, thanked people for reaching out after hearing about his father’s accident, writing on X: “Your prayers mean the world.”
“As a son, I can tell you that I’m honored to have a Dad that I can call the toughest SOB I’ve ever seen,” he added.
Turbulent years
The crash on Saturday comes after several turbulent years for Mr Giuliani, who earned the nickname “America’s mayor” for his leadership in New York following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
He sought the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election but ultimately dropped out and endorsed John McCain.
Mr Giuliani re-emerged as Mr Trump’s personal lawyer in 2018 and later backed his unfounded claims of fraud in the 2020 election, which was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
However, Mr Trump’s legal team lost numerous lawsuits alleging fraud, and multiple recounts, audits, and reviews of the 2020 election uncovered no evidence of significant wrongdoing or error.
Two Georgia election workers won a defamation lawsuit against Mr Giuliani after he falsely accused them of helping to rig the presidential election. He was ordered to pay $148m (£118m) in damages.
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