Weather

Hurricane Ian Death Toll Rises To At Least 30 [VIDEO]

The Associated Press reports: Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm …

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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall In South Carolina

The Greenville News reports: Hurricane Ian made its second U.S. landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina, 2:05 p.m. Friday as a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. Hurricane-force winds could be felt 70 miles from the center of the storm and tropical-storm-force winds could be felt as far as 275 miles from the center. Reports of damage …

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Two Million Without Electricity As Florida Power Official Says System Must Be “Rebuilt, Not Restored” [VIDEO]

The Associated Press reports: More than 2 million Floridians remained without power Friday morning as they emerged from the flooding and wreckage left by Hurricane Ian and began to plot a recovery from the storm’s devastation. In Lee County, where Fort Myers and Cape Coral took direct hits from the storm, more than 80% of customers were without power Friday …

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Hurricane Ian Set To Make SC Landfall This Afternoon

USA Today reports: Ian strengthened back into a Category 1 hurricane late Thursday and was set to make landfall Friday afternoon on the coast of South Carolina before moving inland across the state and into North Carolina by Saturday. Heavy rains and tropical storm conditions had already reached the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas by Friday morning, where life-threatening …

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Ian Regains Hurricane Strength Off Northern Florida

Atlanta’s NBC affiliate reports: Ian regained hurricane strength late Thursday afternoon and became a minimal Category 1 hurricane. The storm, which left a trail of destruction after crossing the Florida peninsula, is now taking aim at South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. In its 5 p.m. EDT advisory, the hurricane center said that Ian had maximum sustained winds …

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Florida Beach Town “Decimated” By Hurricane [VIDEO]

ABC News reports: Fort Myers Beach, Florida, has been decimated by Hurricane Ian. Video shared by Bobby Pratt from the town on Estero Island in Lee County shows debris littered everywhere and buildings reduced to piles of rubble. Boats are slammed on shore, and a huge chunk of a pier is missing. Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the electric …

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Florida Sheriff: Fatalities “Definitely In The Hundreds”

The Daily Beast reports: At first light on Thursday morning, emergency crews were beginning to reckon with the monumental devastation left in Ian’s wake, as homes were ripped from their foundations and public buildings damaged. “I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told Good Morning America Thursday. “There are thousands of people that …

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2.5 Million Floridians Without Power And Cell Service

The Associated Press reports: Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, cutting off the only bridge to a barrier island, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2.5 million people as it dumped rain across the peninsula on Thursday. One of the strongest hurricanes to …

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Search And Rescue Efforts Begin In Southwest Florida

CNN reports: Search and rescue teams are working to respond to hours-old calls for help that came as Ian – now a tropical storm still marching across Florida – slammed the state’s west coast as a Category 4 hurricane, its surge trapping residents and its monstrous winds and flooding rains leaving millions without power and many without drinkable water. Collapsed …

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Ian Downgraded To Tropical Storm, Headed Toward SC

NBC News reports: Hurricane Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm early Thursday but still expected to produce strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surge across, according to the National Weather Service. The storm made landfall over the west coast of Florida as a category 4 storm on Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. It knocked out power …

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Over One Million Without Power As Ian Rages [VIDEO]

CBS News reports: Hurricane Ian is so powerful that its winds were just a few miles per hour shy of becoming a Category 5 storm as it made landfall in Florida on Wednesday. And it didn’t take long for it to unleash its wrath on Florida’s power grids. Ian’s eye began moving onshore at Sanibel and Captiva islands by midday …

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Hurricane Ian Makes Landfall As Storm Surge Worsens

The Weather Channel reports: H​urricane Ian is making landfall as one of southwest Florida’s most intense hurricanes on record, expected to produce catastrophic storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall. I​an is a strong Category 4 hurricane packing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. Ian’s storm surge has arrived along parts of the southwest Florida coast, including in Naples, Florida, …

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Ian’s Eyewall Moves Ashore With Winds At 155 MPH

The Miami Herald reports: The “extremely dangerous” eyewall of Category 4 Hurricane Ian begin moving ashore in southwest Florida late Wednesday morning with a powerful wind field that covered almost half the state. Ian could bring catastrophic damage to the southwest Gulf Coast coast while raking much of Florida with hurricane and tropical storm force winds and flooding rains of …

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Ripple Effect: 3600 Flights Canceled Due To Hurricane

CNN reports: As Hurricane Ian is set to make landfall in Florida, more than 2,000 US flights have now been canceled Wednesday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware. Another 1,600 flights have already been canceled for Thursday, a two-day total topping 3,600 flights. Airlines are canceling flights in order to ensure their aircraft and crews are in safe locations …

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Up To 18 Foot Storm Surge Now Forecast At Landfall

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports: Hurricane Ian was poised to crash into Southwest Florida Wednesday and into the history books as one of the worst storms to hit the area in modern times, bringing massive storm surge, incredible amounts of rain and some of the strongest winds of any hurricane to impact Florida. Ian surged to a near Category 5 hurricane …

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Hurricane Ian Nears Category 5 Strength [VIDEO]

The Weather Channel reports: H​urricane Ian has strengthened into a Category 4 as it draws closer to landfall later today between Sarasota and Fort Myers, packing threats of life-threatening storm surge as well as potentially catastrophic wind damage and flooding rainfall. Bands of heavy rain containing strong wind gusts are lashing parts of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys …

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Orlando Theme Parks To Close As Storm Shifts Track

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Universal Orlando Resort, including CityWalk, will close on Wednesday and Thursday, with tentative plans to reopen on Friday as conditions permit. Universal Orlando said its hotels are currently at full capacity and will remain operational. Walt Disney World has announced that the theme parks and Disney Springs will be closing. All Disney parks are scheduled to …

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DeSantis: Over Two Million Are Under Evacuation Orders

The Hill reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says more than 2 million residents in the state are under evacuation orders as Hurricane Ian approaches, set to make landfall on the Gulf Coast as soon as Wednesday. DeSantis said at a press conference on Tuesday that he is urging those under evacuation orders to heed them and move to higher …

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Florida Braces For Up To Ten Feet Of Storm Surge

NBC News reports: A storm surge warning is in effect for the Tampa Bay area, which means deadly inundation could hit within the next 48 hours. A surge of up to 10 feet of ocean water and 16 inches of rain was predicted across the Tampa Bay area, with as much as 24 inches in isolated areas. That’s enough water …

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Tampa Airports To Close Today Ahead Of Hurricane

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: Tampa International Airport said it will suspend all operations beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday due to Hurricane Ian. The storm continues to threaten the Tampa Bay area with strong winds, heavy rain and storm surge, the airport said. Officials said the 5 p.m. closure will allow the airport to prepare the airfield and terminals, including the …

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