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Rescue crews are desperately attempting to reach stranded people in Florida on Friday after Hurricane Ian wrought devastation across the state as the Carolinas braced for the onslaught of the historic storm.
Ian left widespread flooding, catastrophic infrastructure damage, and an as yet unknown number of people dead after it made landfall in Florida on Wednesday afternoon as one of the most powerful storms in American history.
At a news conference Thursday night, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the death toll was too early to confirm. “We fully expect to have mortality from this hurricane,” he said. He added that at least 700 rescues had already been completed throughout the state, though it remains unclear how many more people are still trapped by flooding. After surveying some coastal towns from the air on Thursday, DeSantis called the damage “indescribable.”