Hurricane Ian recovery efforts continue as death toll rises. Follow for live ...

The aftermath of Hurricane Ian is seen in Rotunda, Florida on Thursday.
The aftermath of Hurricane Ian is seen in Rotunda, Florida on Thursday. (Wesley Lagenour/Fema/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire)

With 62% of Charlotte County's population over the age of 65, authorities say the recovery effort is a lot more complex.

"They need a lot more care and assistance, and trying to get that assistance here has not been easy," said Charlotte County Commissioner Bill Truex. "I've been in contact with some folks on the east coast who were sending volunteers over this week to try to assist these folks that may not have insurance. Or at the least they can help them get their property secured and hopefully get them back on track."

Meanwhile, the county has pods set up distribute food and water, he said.

Crews are also working to get power back for residents, he said, noting that about 124,500 residents lost power when Hurricane Ian made landfall, and about 57,400 residents have gotten power back so far.

As recovery efforts continue, authorities have recommended flood insurance to residents who live in flood-prone zones. However, it costs a lot more in Florida, prompting many residents to avoid paying the high-cost premiums for it, which leaves them in a lurch in disaster situations such as this one.

Truex said he also recommends flood insurance.

"I've been talking about flood insurance for years here, and what I will say is this: My home is coming out of a flood zone. I will maintain that minimum policy, because it is still a little bit expensive, but at the end of the day, it's an insurance policy that will help us if we have storm surge. The lake in the back of my house rose between five and six feet. If it had risen three to four feet more, it would have been at my back door. So everybody needs to be aware that they should have a minimum policy," he said.

However, he noted that flood insurance is important and needs to be discussed nationwide.

"Because we do need flood insurance, and if we have the rising tides that we have around the state of Florida and other areas, obviously we need to adjust to that," he said.

All rights reserved for this news site cnn and under his responsibility

PREV Mishal Husain is tipped to be the new face of flagship Royal events for the BBC ... trends now
NEXT In news vacuum, rumours and concern swirl over Catherine mogaznewsen