Ian: Storm downgraded to post-tropical cyclone, responsible for at least 17 deaths (live updates)

Ian moves inland over North Carolina

Update 10:57 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: The National Hurricane Center during their 11 p.m. update said that heavy rain, gusty winds and some flash flooding continues. The storm is starting move inland over North Carolina.

The National Weather Service is also warning people to stay out of the floodwaters because there may be bacteria, chemicals, animals and other things.

Gov. DeSantis tours storm damage

Update 8:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Gov. DeSantis shared some details about an aerial tour of Central Florida and his ground tour of St. Augustine to assess storm damage.

“Remember to avoid wading in floodwater and never drive through flooded areas,” he said.

Heavy rain, high winds and flash flooding heading to Carolinas

Update 7:56 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: The National Hurricane Center said that North Carolina and South Carolina are getting heavy rains, flash flooding and lots of high winds.

US death total from Ian rises to 17

Update 6:20 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: According to The Associated Press, the death total from Ian has risen to at least 17. Florida authorities have confirmed some of the deaths are from drownings and other causes.

Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian

Update 4:50 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: The National Hurricane Center says Ian has become a post-tropical cyclone in the latest update but warns that dangerous storm surge, flash flooding and high wind threat continues to take place. Winds are max sustained at 70 miles per hour.

Florida rivers could see flooding risk for days, NWS says

Update 4 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials said that river flooding could be ongoing for days in Florida after the passage of Hurricane Ian.

“That water doesn’t drain very fast,” National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said at a news conference with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday. “Some of those rivers (flooding in Florida) could stay at flood-stage ... It could be that way for days, even more than a week.”

Hurricane Ian might have caused as much as $47B worth of damage, analysis shows

Update 3:40 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: A property analytics firm has said that winds and storm surge brought to Florida by Hurricane Ian caused as much as $47 billion worth of damage.

“This is the costliest Florida storm since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992 and a record number of homes and properties were lost due to Hurricane Ian’s intense and destructive characteristics,” Tom Larsen, associate vice president of hazard and risk management for CoreLogic, said Thursday in a statement.

“Hurricane Ian will forever change the real estate industry and city infrastructure. Insurers will go into bankruptcy, homeowners will be forced into delinquency and insurance will become less accessible in regions like Florida.”

Water beginning to recede on Pawleys Island, police say

Update 3:20 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Police on Pawleys Island in South Carolina said Friday afternoon that high waters have begun to recede although they remained “extremely high.”

Earlier photos shared by the police department showed waters inundating the roadways.

Strong winds seen in Charleston, South Carolina, after storm makes landfall

Update 2:50 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Videos shared by WSOC-TV showed strong winds causing damage and prompting officials to shelter-in-place in Charleston as Hurricane Ian moved into the state on Friday afternoon.

[ Read more on WSOCTV.com ]

Thousands more lose electricity in the Carolinas

Update 2:40 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Reports of power outages soared in the Carolinas on Friday after Hurricane Ian made landfall on the coast of South Carolina, according to a website that tracks outages.

As of 2:35 p.m., more than 181,000 people were without power across South Carolina — more than three times the 53,000 outages reported two hours earlier, according to PowerOutage.us. In the same amount of time reports of outages rose from 19,000 to about 46,500 in North Carolina.

Meanwhile, officials continued working to restore power in Florida, where 1.8 million outages were reported on Friday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.

Hurricane Ian makes landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina

Update 2:22 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Hurricane Ian made landfall on Friday for a third time, this time striking the South Carolina coast as a Category 1 storm, officials with the National Hurricane Center said.

Orlando International Airport resumes flights

Update 2:20 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Commercial flights resumed at Orlando International Airport on Friday after operations were halted by the threat posed by Hurricane Ian, WFTV reported.

[ Read more on WFTV.com ]

Hurricane Ian nearing landfall on South Carolina coast

Update 2:05 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials with the National Hurricane Center said that the center of the storm was “about to make landfall” on Friday on the coast of South Carolina.

In a 2 p.m. advisory, NHC forecasters said the storm was about 55 miles east-northeast of Charleston with maximum sustained winds of 15 mph.

Biden: Hurricane Ian ‘an American crisis’

Update 2 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: President Joe Biden said Friday that he’s continuing to speak with officials in Florida and South Carolina about the impacts of Hurricane Ian.

“I’ve directed that every possible action be taken to save lives and get help to survivors, because every single second counts,” the president said Friday afternoon. “It’s not just a crisis for Florida, this is an American crisis. We’re all in this together.”

Biden said he received and approved an emergency declaration from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday, making federal funds available to aid in efforts to respond to Ian.

The storm made landfall on Florida’s west coast on Thursday before weakening and moving across the state. It later regained strength and took aim at the South Carolina coast on Friday.

Photos, video shows flooding on Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Update 1:45 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Photos and videos shared by police in Pawleys Island show waters inundating the area as Hurricane Ian moves closer to the South Carolina coast.

Officials said firefighters rescued people and pets who were trapped by high waters at a home on Myrtle Avenue.

“Everyone is ok but (it was) a scary situation,” police said in a social media post.

Conditions expected to ‘deteriorate very rapidly’ on South Carolina coast, NHC says

Update 1:25 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Conditions along the South Carolina coast are expected to “deteriorate very rapidly” on Friday as Hurricane Ian bears down on the state, officials with the National Hurricane Center said.

“It looks like it’s going to make landfall in the next couple of hours somewhere here between Charleston and the Myrtle Beach area,” Michael Brennan, acting deputy director of the NHC, said Friday afternoon. “We have the onset of hurricane-force winds expected eminently, life-threatening storm surge developing, and you can see the expansive rain shield associated with Ian that extends all the way up into North Carolina.”

The storm was spinning toward the coast with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, forecasters said.

2 deaths in Sarasota County, Florida, appear to be storm-related, deputies say

Update 12:50 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office on Friday reported that a pair of deaths within an unincorporated part of the county appeared to be related to Hurricane Ian.

Officials said a 94-year-old man living in the Palmer Beach area and an 80-year-old woman in north Sarasota died during the storm. Deputies said they both relied on oxygen machines that went down amid power outages caused by the storm.

“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of these two individuals and with all others impacted by this catastrophic weather event,” deputies said in a social media post.

The deaths are among at least 26 believed to be linked to Ian across Florida. Earlier, state officials said they had confirmed one Ian-related death in Polk County and suspected 12 others in Charlotte County and eight more in Collier County. Officials in Volusia County have reported two deaths during Hurricane Ian while officials in Bay County said a child died while evacuating in Panama City Beach.

Child dies while evacuating in Bay County, Florida

Update 12:30 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials in Panama City Beach told reporters that an 11-year-old boy died Thursday after falling from a balcony while evacuating due to Hurricane Ian.

[ Read more ]

The death is at least the 24th believed to be linked to Ian. Earlier, Florida officials said they had confirmed one death related to the storm in Polk County and suspected that 12 deaths in Charlotte County and eight deaths in Collier County were also storm-related. Sheriff’s deputies in Volusia County have also reported a pair of deaths during Ian.

Biden speaks with South Carolina governor as Hurricane Ian approaches

Update 12:25 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: President Joe Biden spoke Friday with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster as Hurricane Ian continued to crawl toward the coast of the state on Friday.

White House officials said Biden talked to McMaster about the steps federal officials were taking in preparation for landfall, which is expected to happen north of Charleston later Friday.

Power outage reports spread in the Carolinas; 1.9 million remain without electricity in Florida

Update 12:15 p.m. EDT Sept. 30: Reports of power outages grew Friday across the Carolinas as Hurricane Ian inched toward the coast, according to a website that tracks outages. Officials in Florida continued working to restore power to about 1.9 million people who remained without electricity in the state.

About 53,000 people across South Carolina had lost power while more than 19,000 outages were reported in North Carolina, according to PowerOutage.us.

Videos show strong winds, waters rising in Charleston, South Carolina

Update 11:50 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Videos shared by WSOC-TV show rising waters, heavy winds and downed trees in Charleston as Hurricane Ian approaches the South Carolina coast.

The storm is expected to make landfall later Friday between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, according to WSOC.

Biden gets update on Hurricane Ian response efforts in Florida

Update 11:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: President Joe Biden spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell on Friday to discuss ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Ian, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Hurricane Ian gains speed on path to South Carolina

Update 11:05 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Hurricane Ian began moving faster Friday, from 9 mph three hours earlier to 14 mph, as it continued to spin toward the coast of South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm maintained maximum sustained winds of 85 mph as it churned about 60 miles east-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and 120 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear in North Carolina, forecasters said in an 11 a.m. advisory.

Officials expect the storm to weaken rapidly after reaching the coast of South Carolina later Friday. Ian is forecast to dissipate over western North Carolina or Virginia late on Saturday, according to NHC.

2nd death during Hurricane Ian reported in Florida’s Volusia County

Update 10:25 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: A 67-year-old man on Thursday night became the second person to die in Volusia County as Hurricane Ian brought heavy rain and caused flooding across a swathe of Florida, sheriff’s deputies said.

The New Smyrna Beach resident fell inside of his home as water levels rose and could not get up before the water level rose over him, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. The man and his wife were on a list to be rescued by high-water crews when he died.

[ Read more on WFTV.com ]

Officials said they attempted to perform life-saving measures, but the 67-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife and two dogs inside the house were taken to a storm shelter. A third dog in the home was taken to an animal shelter, officials said.

Earlier, authorities said a 72-year-old man died in Delton after going out to drain a pool as Ian approached.

Authorities said at least 21 deaths are believed to be linked to the storm, not including the two deaths reported in Volusia County.

More than 200 residents, staff evacuated from assisted living complex, nursing home in Orlando

Update 10:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials with the National Guard used boats and trucks to evacuate more than 200 residents and staff members from an assisted living complex and a nursing home in Orlando, WFTV reported.

Charleston International Airport closes as Hurricane Ian approaches coast

Update 10:15 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials with Charleston International Airport on Friday announced that the airfield has been closed as Hurricane Ian brings high winds to the area.

Officials expect to reopen the airfield at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Electricity returning to some Florida residents as outages grow in South Carolina

Update 10 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: More than 1.9 million people remained without power in Florida, down from the 2.2 million reported earlier Friday, while reports of outages began to grow in South Carolina, according to a website that tracks outages.

Nearly all power customers in Florida’s Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto, Charlotte and Lee counties remained without electricity on Friday morning as officials continued recovery efforts in areas hard-hit by the storm, according to PowerOutage.us.

In South Carolina, where Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall later Friday, more than 22,000 people were without power on Friday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

21 deaths in Florida believed to be linked to Hurricane Ian

Update 9:40 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Officials believe at least 21 deaths might be linked to Hurricane Ian’s arrival in Florida, with that number expected to rise, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management said Friday.

Kevin Guthrie said one death in Polk County was confirmed to have been linked to Ian. Twelve deaths in Charlotte County and eight deaths in Collier County are also believed to be caused by the storm.

“People die in disasters that have nothing to do with the disaster,” Guthrie noted at a news conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis. “The medical examiner is the one that makes that determination. They are the lead agency at the local level to determine when they investigate that this is either disaster-related or not disaster-related.”

He added that officials expect more fatalities to be reported in Lee County, citing the case of a house that was completely underwater.

“The water was up over the rooftop,” Guthrie said. “We had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swim down into it, and he could identify that (there) appeared to be human remains. We do not know exactly how many, we do not know what the situation is.”

Lee County, Florida, without water after water main break

Update 9:15 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Florida’s Lee County was without water Friday following a water main break affecting the county’s water utility, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference.

The governor said officials requested help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that the Army Corps of Engineers is assessing the situation.

“At the end of the day, that is something that will be very, very critical,” DeSantis said. “It may require more of a rebuild, and it may require more short-term remediation. They’re going through that, but that’s clearly a top priority.”

Officials with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office earlier said that Fort Myers Beach was “impassable” in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

“We understand you have loved ones on the island,” deputies said in a social media post. “Please understand it’s not safe to drive onto the island. Bicycles cannot even make it through clear pathways.”

More than 1,700 flights canceled, hundreds more delayed

Update 9:05 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: More than 1,700 flights within, going to or leaving the U.S. have been cancelled Friday as Floridians work to recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Ian and residents of the Carolinas brace for impact, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

The site reported that more than 700 additional flights have been delayed.

Airports in Florida began to announce plans to reopen Thursday, one day after Ian hit the state’s west coast.

Ian expected to make landfall by Friday afternoon

Update 8:35 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Hurricane Ian will likely make its third landfall by Friday afternoon in South Carolina between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, WSOC-TV reported.

The storm struck western Cuba as a Category 3 hurricane on Tuesday before spinning into the Gulf of Mexico and aiming for Florida’s coast. On Wednesday, Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Cayo Costa.

The storm was a Category 1 hurricane on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

[ Read more on WSOCTV.com ]

Hurricane expected to maintain strength as it crawls toward the Carolinas

Update 8:10 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Hurricane Ian inched toward the South Carolina coast with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph on Friday morning and was expected to maintain that strength until reaching the coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is moving toward the north at 9 mph.

In an 8 a.m. advisory, officials said the storm will likely weaken rapidly after making landfall later Friday before becoming an extratropical low over North Carolina later Friday or on Saturday. Ian is expected to dissipate by Saturday night.

DeSantis slated to give briefing Friday morning

Update 6:26 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to give a briefing Friday morning on the state’s response to Hurricane Ian, ABC News is reporting.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell also will appear at the briefing, which is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. EDT, according to the news outlet.

[ Hurricane Ian: Good Samaritan helps locate 84-year-old woman stranded from rising waters ]

NHC: Hurricane conditions, storm surge expected along Carolina coast Friday afternoon

Update 5 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Ian is expected to bring “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions” along the Carolina coast by Friday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.

In its 5 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, was about 145 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and 225 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina. It was moving north-northeast at 9 mph.

Officials have discontinued a tropical storm warning south of Altamaha Sound, Georgia, the agency said.

[ What is a storm surge and why is it dangerous? ]

Tampa police rescue kitten found outdoors during storm

Update 4 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Two police officers discovered a frightened kitten on Tampa’s Florida Avenue as the storm battered the area, according to WTVT and WFLA.

“They welcomed her into their patrol vehicle, drove her to the Veterinary Emergency Group and within an hour, found a family willing to give her a home,” Tampa police wrote in a Thursday Facebook post, calling the rescue “a bright spot in the storm.”

Police said the kitten now has a fitting name – Stormie.

[ Hurricane Ian: Tampa police rescue kitten found outdoors during storm ]

Nearly 2.2 million customers still without power in Florida

Update 3 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Nearly 2.2 million customers remain without power in Florida, according to a website that tracks outages.

PowerOutage.us is reporting that 2,197,044 customers in the state have lost power, including 411,615 in Lee County, 232,579 in Volusia County, 179,934 in Collier County, 178,250 in Sarasota County, 154,498 in Orange County, 153,047 in Hillsborough County, 141,797 in Polk County and 111,103 in Manatee County.

[ 5 hacks to keep your smartphone charged during a power outage ]

NHC: Ian expected to bring ‘life-threatening’ storm surge to Carolina coast

Update 2 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Ian is expected to bring “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions” to the Carolina coast, as well as flooding rains to the Carolinas and southwest Virginia, the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.

In its 2 a.m. EDT advisory, the agency said the storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, was about 175 miles south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and 260 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina. It was moving north-northeast at 10 mph.

[ Hurricane Ian: If you’re in Georgia or the Carolinas, here is what you need to do now ]

NHC: Hurricane Ian’s winds reach 85 mph

Update 1:20 a.m. EDT Sept. 30: Hurricane’s Ian’s maximum sustained winds have increased to 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said late Thursday.

In an 11:15 p.m. EDT update statement, the agency said the Category 1 storm was about 185 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina, and 265 miles south-southwest of Cape Fear, North Carolina. It was moving north-northeast at 10 mph.

Officials have discontinued a tropical storm warning south of Florida’s Flagler-Volusia County line and a hurricane watch south of the Savannah River, the agency said in its 11 p.m. EDT advisory.

– The Associated Press, WFTV.com and ActionNewsJax.com contributed to this report.