Thursday 29 September 2022 10:11 PM Charleston shuts down before 7ft storm surge after tempest battered Florida ... trends now
Charleston is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Ian with storm surges of up to 7ft as it hurtles towards the historic city after barreling through Florida leaving swathes of the state decimated.
Monster tempest Ian is expected to recharge from a tropical storm back into a Category 1 hurricane as it angles northwards towards South Carolina, and will hit the coasts of North Carolina and Georgia.
Landfall in Charleston is expected around 8am on Friday, with the surrounding states also being issued with several extreme weather warnings.
A state of emergency has been declared in Charleston County, which has a population of about 413,000, with officials changing operations to react to a disaster or emergency which is 'imminent'.
The region is also braced for more storm surges, expecting between 2 to 7ft of water to be dumped on major cities such as Jacksonville, Savannah and Charlotte - as well as winds of up to 90mph.
It comes as Joe Biden warned Ian could be the 'deadliest' hurricane in Florida's history with a 'substantial loss of life' - as hundreds are feared dead after many refused to evacuate their homes.
Meanwhile Ron DeSantis said the tsunami-like flooding is a 'once in a 500-year' event and revealed it has left 2.6million without power across his state.
He has scrambled 50 National Guard helicopters to search for survivors and rescue the thousands still stranded, missing or stuck in their homes following extensive damage from the torrent of water and 155mph winds.
Eight people are confirmed to have been killed as a result of the storm in Charlotte County, County Commissioner Chris Constance told CNN.
Many emerged from their bunkers on Thursday morning to witness the devastation to their communities, with some bursting into tears at the sight of their belongings destroyed.
Lee County's Sheriff raised fears it was one of the worst natural disasters since Katrina with hundreds dead, but he later tempered his comments after DeSantis and FEMA insisted the death toll is not known.
Yet he did not row back on the claims, simply saying they were preliminary, as he also warned that 'looting and violence' in the aftermath would not be tolerated.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is urging residents to prepare to be hit hard by Ian, warning them of the ‘dangerous unpredictability’ of the storm which continues to change course.
Residents in Charleston, South Carolina, are boarding up their properties as they await Hurricane Ian's arrival on Friday
Waters on the coast of South Carolina appear calm as winds pick up ahead of the direct hit Charleston is bracing for the second US landfall
Highway cameras have captured long queues of residents fleeing South Carolina as the Charleston County has issued a state of emergency
Homes in Fort Myers have been decimated by the storm, with several properties being washed away and crashing into other buildings
The extreme damage can be seen in aerial photographs, with homes swept towards the water in Fort Myers as trees and buildings lay broken
President Biden has claimed that Hurricane Ian could be the 'deadliest' Florida has ever seen with a 'substantial loss of life'
Residents in Fort Myers were met with scenes of devastation when they were able to get to the lower floors of their properties, which were left in chaos after floodwater swept through
CHARLESTON: Locals in South Carolina are preparing for storm surges of up to 7ft as Hurricane Ian makes its second landfall
Charleston, North Carolina, is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Ian with storm surges of up to 6ft as it hurtles towards the historic city
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Sanibel Island has been partially destroyed by Hurricane Ian, with the popular tourist resort suffering devastating blows
Properties in Fort Myers are on fire as other residents were faced with a boat outside their home in the street which had been pushed out of the marina by the hurricane
Vehicles are still trying to make their way through the stagnant water left from the flooding caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers
Debris has gathered in a lake near damaged properties in Fort Myers, Florida, being pushed to one side by the 155mph storm winds
Aerial shots show the level of devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, as mobile homes and other less secure structures can be seen strewn across the floodwater
A residential road in Fort Myers found itself flooded in the storms with the roads no longer visible
Good Samaritans are seen in Orange County trying to keep children from wading through the flash floodwater as Hurricane Ian continues to cross the state
A section of the Sanibel Causeway was knocked out by Hurricane Ian, leaving the population of 6,300 residents stranded in the aftermath of the killer storm as it is the only way on or off the island
The causeway was deserted as authorities try to assess the level of damage to the bridge, before being able to transport assistance and food to the island
Shawn Hulbert, 38, stands outside his damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, Florida
Boat have been left partially submerged at a marina in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers
Horrifying pictures show the level of devastation in Fort Myers with boats usually in the marina being forced onto the shore amid broken palm trees and damaged infrastructures
President Biden spoke with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis early on Thursday morning after pledging federal assistance to nine counties
He also warned of potential power outages and confirmed that he has activated members of the state’s National Guard, adding: ‘So, for North Carolinians, I want to be clear, this storm can still be dangerous and even deadly.
‘Heavy rains, up to seven inches in some areas, are likely to bring flooding. Landslides are a threat in our mountains and there’s a chance of tornados state-wide.’
Ian blasted ashore with catastrophic force on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 storm, but has since been downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center in an update early on Thursday.
Experts are expecting the damages to cost up to $260billion, though the clean-up efforts are currently unable to get underway as swathes of Florida remain underwater.
Sanibel Island has been cut off from the mainland after the Causeway Bridge collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico due to the force of the tempest.
Ian is currently around 35 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral, with maximum speeds of 65mph, and is moving northeast at around 8mph.
Speaking at a press conference at FEMA's HQ, President Biden said: 'It is still moving across the state today. This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida's history.'
The president added: 'The numbers are still unclear but we are hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.'
Earlier he declared it a 'major disaster' and freed up funds to help those without power and hundreds of thousands whose homes have been leveled.
The President also confirmed he was in 'close coordination' with the Florida governor after a phone call early on Thursday morning.
The monster storm continues to rage across the US as:
Multiple weather warnings are in place across Orlando, as flash flooding continues to ravage central Florida; Six inches of rain could fall in southern Virginia as the storm moves inland over towards the Carolinas; The NHC has warned that landslides were possible in the southern Appalachian mountains on Friday; Two people have died, likely as a result from the storm, but their causes of death are still unconfirmed.
Flamingos were evacuated to the bathroom at Sunken Gardens, St Pete, in Florida, on Wednesday after Hurricane Ian made landfall
A horse and a foal as well as dogs are kept in a living room of a house north of Tampa as owners took drastic measures to ensure their animals stayed safe
Sanibel Island has been cut off from the mainland after the Causeway Bridge collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico due to the force of the tempest
Footage shows cars struggling to make their way through the floodwater, as trees lay strewn across the road as aerial pictures show the extent of the damage
Jackie Pelton walks around her home that was destroyed after flood waters inundated the building and caused the first floor to be swallowed
Search and rescue teams started helping families flee the waterlogged areas of Kissimmee, Florida
A child carries a damaged plant from their home as an adult watches on, taking in the chaos caused by the hurricane in Punta Gorda
Orlando authorities transported a person out of the Avante nursing home amid heavy flooding in central Florida
Though it is not clear exactly what caused the fires to break out, it could have been sparked by damaged power cables, lightning or generators being destroyed by the storm
Homes in Fort Myers were on fire on Thursday morning as the area continues to be devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian
People look on at destroyed boats after Hurricane Ian swept through at the Centennial Park in Fort Myers
Dozens of damaged boats can be seen strewn across downtown Fort Myers in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, with many piled up on top of each other
Ian blasted ashore with catastrophic force on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 storm, but has since been downgraded to a tropical storm by the National Hurricane Center in an update early on Thursday
This National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite handout image shows Hurricane Ian, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, making it's way over the Atlantic
Firefighters battled against the flames in Fort Myers as the area was swept with a wave of destruction following the hurricane
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, whose area covers Fort Myers, one of the worst affected areas by the monster storm, confirmed that he was expecting hundreds of fatalities in his jurisdiction alone.
He told GMA: 'While I don't have confirmed numbers, I definitely know the fatalities are in the hundreds.
'Thousands of people are waiting to be rescued, I cannot give a true assessment until we are on scene assessing each scene and we can't access people that is the problem.
'This will be a life changing event for the men and women who are responding. This is a life-changing event for all of us.'
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood predicted the recovery effort for the tsunami-life waves hitting the state will be like 'something we've not seen in this county ever.'
The Sheriff's department also confirmed that a man, 72, was found dead in water in a canal behind his home in Deltona near Daytona Beach.
He appeared to be using a hose to drain his pool into the wide canal and fell down an incline that was 'extremely soft and slippery due to the heavy rain.'
Meanwhile horrifying footage showed flames and black smoke coiling into the sky in Fort Myers as homes were suddenly being engulfed by the blaze.
In a press conference on Thursday, DeSantis said that Florida had 'never seen a flood event of this magnitude', saying that there has been 'extensive damage' to a lot of building.
He added that both Lee and Charlotte County are in 'difficult situations' and 'off the grid' after being the hardest hit, and recovery efforts there will focus on rebuilding communication and rescuing those in need.
FORT MYERS: Debris littered the street in Fort Myers as the clean up and rescue mission got underway, with the US Coast Guard confirming that they have performed 28 rescues
FORT MYERS: Smoldering homes in Fort Myers Beach can be seen as firefighters worked hard to put out the flames amid the water damaged homes
FORT MYERS: Rescuers this morning admitted they are only 'scratching the surface' and the actual number of victims could soar even higher than a few hundred
FORT MYERS: A beach home has been completely destroyed by the winds and floodwater of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers
PUNTA GORDA: Damaged homes are seen in Punta Gorda, as plywood and other debris are strewn across the road and lying by the side of properties
Lee County's Sheriff also raised fears it was one of the worst natural disasters since Katrina with hundreds dead, but he later tempered his comments after DeSantis and FEMA insisted the death toll is not known.
However he did not row back on the claims, simply saying they were preliminary, as he also warned that 'looting and violence' in the aftermath would not be tolerated.
Currently there are 15 river gauge locations in Florida at or above flood stage, nine of those are at major flood stage, and three have reached all-time records.
Floodwaters are expected to rise further as the Myakka River, Horse Creek and Peace River all broke their records.
FORT MYERSThe town of Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers, was in near-total darkness after the storm wiped out power, save for the few buildings with generators.
Video images of the storm's fury with floodwater reaching rooftops in the worst-hit communities, sweeping away cars and the ruins of homes as palm trees were bent almost in half.
Fire crews and police officers have been inundated with calls from people trapped in flooded homes, while others posted on social media pleading for themselves or loved ones to be rescued after they chose to ride out the storm at home rather than heed evacuation orders.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said rescue crews have been unable to reach them due to the ferocity of the winds and flooding.
Horrifying footage shows debris-strewn water flooding the ground floor of homes, prompting residents to rush to higher levels.
Brittany Hailer, a journalist in Pittsburgh, contacted rescuers about her mother in North Fort Myers, whose home was swamped by 5 feet of water.
She said: 'We don't know when the water's going to go down. We don't know how they're going to leave, their cars are totaled. Her only way out is on a boat.'
Robbie Berg, senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said: 'It doesn't matter what the intensity of the storm is. We're still expecting quite a bit of rainfall.'
The US Coast Guard has already performed 28 rescues since they went out in the early hours of the morning.
FORT MYERS: Footage shows power lines and foliage strewn across the streets of Fort Myers, with some cars and properties undergoing significant damage
PUNTA GORDA: Foliage and trees remain strewn in the streets of Punta Gorda, as residents attempt to start the clean up
PUNTA GORDA: The level of devastation is shown in Punta Gorda, close to Fort Myers, with broken trees strewn across the road and floodwater remaining
PUNTA GORDA: Residents in Punta Gorda were forced to clear out their own properties with chainsaws as trees were strewn across the area
PUNTA GORDA: Lilly Indarjit, 16, stands in her damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda, which was badly flooded
PUNTA GORDA: Tom Park begins cleaning up the damage in Punta Gorda after Hurricane Ian moved through the Gulf Coast of Florida
PUNTA GORDA: A boat is almost fully submerged on the coast of southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian which
