Hurricane Ian strengthens as it nears the Carolinas after devastating Florida, where death toll is likely to rise

Hurricane Ian regained power because it heads towards the Carolinas Friday (Photos: AFP / AP / Getty)

Hurricane Ian regained power because it headed towards South Carolina’s coast Friday, shifting north after placing Florida with huge floods, energy outages and abandoning a path of devastation.

Early studies point out at the very least 12 individuals are lifeless from the storm, together with two on Sanibel, an island of seven,000 folks now fully cut-off from mainland after a big part of its causeway collapsed within the storm.

Ian strengthened right into a Class 1 hurricane Thursday, with winds at 75mph because it nears South Carolina, the place it's anticipated to make landfall Friday.

The system had weakened right into a tropical storm because it moved over central Florida into the Atlantic, however officers within the Carolinas are warning the storm nonetheless might have a severe affect on the coast.

A broken causeway to Sanibel Island is seen within the aftermath of Hurricane Ian (Image: AP)

Ian is predicted to move instantly into Charleston, South Carolina, Friday throughout the early afternoon, in keeping with the Nationwide Hurricane Middle.

Hours earlier than Hurricane Ian is predicted to make landfall for a 3rd time, officers in South Carolina say flooding has begun, and are urging residents to solely journey if it’s important.

Life-threatening storm surge situations, sturdy sustained winds of 85 mph and flooding are anticipated to persist all through Friday. Energy outages have already begun for 11,750 folks in South Carolina and about 8,000 in North Carolina with out electrical energy.

The storm’s devastating affect persists, as there are nonetheless 1.9 million folks with out electrical energy in Florida.

‘Catastrophic’ flooding left parts of Florida devastated (Image: Getty Photos)

On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that over 700 folks have been rescued all through the state since Wednesday.

DeSantis additionally stated that officers count on the dying toll to proceed to rise.

‘We completely count on to have mortality from this hurricane,’ DeSantis stated. ‘Simply warning, folks, there’s a course of by the place that's confirmed.’

His feedback come after President Joe Biden had stated earlier within the day that Ian might be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s historical past.

The storm is predicted to make landfall for a 3rd time in South Carolina on Friday (Image: AP)

‘The numbers are nonetheless unclear, however we're listening to early studies of what could also be substantial lack of life,’ Biden stated.

The hurricane heart has warned that there could also be ‘life-threatening’ storm surge situations alongside the Carolina coast, in addition to flooding in each the Carolinas in addition to Virginia.

Forecasters say there could also be a storm surge of as much as 7 toes and as much as 8 inches of rainfall for the coastal a part of the Carolinas.

The middle of the storm is predicted to maneuver extra inland by Friday night time and Saturday.

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