Hurricane Ian strengthened as it tracked down the South Carolina coast on Friday after hitting parts of Florida, where it killed at least a dozen people, knocked out power for millions of people and devastated communities across the state.
At least 12 people had been confirmed dead in the storm Thursday evening, including seven in Charlotte County, near where Ian made landfall on Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday afternoon as a hurricane of category 4.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie suggested the death toll could be higher on Friday, telling a news conference that up to 21 deaths had been reported in the wake of the ‘Ian. He said it had not yet been confirmed if many of them were related to the storm, however.
Speaking after a briefing with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Joe Biden had also warned late Thursday that Ian could be responsible for ‘substantial loss of life’ and end up being the deadliest storm. of Florida history.
“I have spoken with the commissioners, and they are worried,” he said.
