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Tag: floods and flooding

  • Black residents in 2 Florida neighborhoods raise questions about hurricane relief efforts and say they’ve been left out | CNN

    Black residents in 2 Florida neighborhoods raise questions about hurricane relief efforts and say they’ve been left out | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Latronia Latson said she feels like she has been neglected in the recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian.

    Latson, who lives in the Dunbar neighborhood in Fort Myers, Florida, said she can’t get to a relief center to get bottled water and other necessities being distributed because she doesn’t have transportation; the bus system is not running in her neighborhood. Her stove and microwave also mysteriously stopped working after the hurricane, despite power being restored.

    Latson said the more affluent, predominately White communities seem to be getting prioritized in the storm recovery.

    “They need to make it convenient for those that don’t have transportation,” said Latson, who is disabled. “We just don’t get the same service (as people in other parts of town).”

    Latson is among the residents and community leaders in Florida who say the poor, majority Black neighborhoods of Dunbar and River Park in Naples are forgotten as rescue and relief teams descend on the areas hit by Hurricane Ian last week.

    The residents say they were among the last to get their power restored and shelters and relief centers are being set up too far away for people who don’t have access to vehicles.

    Officials in Fort Myers did not immediately provide a response to these concerns when contacted by CNN.

    The city of Naples released a statement on Thursday outlining its efforts to assist the River Park community since the storm. The statement said officials opened a comfort center at the River Park Community Center on Sept. 29 that provided access to phone charging, air conditioning, water, ice and restrooms. Additionally the city said staff members visited River Park to speak with residents, developed a plan for debris removal, transported residents to shelters and partnered with local groups to serve and deliver hot meals, water and clothing to the community.

    Yet Black residents’ complaints and questions about the warnings and response lay bare the racial disparities in natural disaster recovery each time a major storm affects part of the country. Several studies found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides less aid to people of color facing disaster relief compared to White people. Poor communities and communities of color are also often built in locations that are more physically vulnerable to extreme weather events and have less investment in their infrastructure, experts say.

    Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the inequity when she spoke last week at the National Committee Women’s Leadership Forum.

    “It is our lowest-income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” Harris said. “And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity.”

    Deanne Criswell, FEMA administrator, agreed that there are barriers to receiving federal resources. Criswell said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” earlier this week that her office is working to create more equitable access to FEMA’s disaster relief programs.

    “One of our focus areas since I’ve been in office is to make sure that we’re removing those barriers,” Criswell said. “So these people that need our help the most are going to be able to access the help that we offer.”

    Black activists and residents in Florida are pleading for more help from officials.

    Vincent Keeys, president of the Collier County NAACP, said residents in River Park were already more vulnerable because it is a coastal community. The city of Naples, Keeys said, has worked to gentrify the area in recent years but has not built a sea wall that could provide more protection during hurricanes.

    Some residents complained that they never even received a notification to evacuate their homes ahead of the storm, Keeys said.

    The timing of evacuation orders has been a point of contention for Florida officials since the storm. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said officials in Lee County, where Dunbar sits, acted appropriately when they issued their first mandatory evacuations less than 24 hours before Hurricane Ian made landfall on the state, and a day after several neighboring counties issued their orders. Lee County officials have faced mounting questions about why the first mandatory evacuations weren’t ordered until a day before Ian’s landfall – despite an emergency plan that suggests evacuations should have happened earlier.

    The city of Naples said in its statement Thursday that it issued mandatory evacuation notices to residents via email, the CodeRed system, social media and a press release sent to media outlets.

    In River Park, many homes suffered 4 to 6 feet of flooding, downed trees and structural damage. Keeys said there are no shelters in close proximity to the neighborhood, leaving residents with nowhere to go if their homes are uninhabitable.

    “Please, you cannot put our people in a flood prone situation and expect them to survive,” Keeys said. “At least, if humanly possible, help us improve, plan and make things better for human beings.”

    Sharda Williams, of River Park, said she never received an evacuation order but people in nearby communities were told to leave. “No one came to our neighborhood and told us to get out,” Williams said. “Not one person.”

    Now Williams said all she can do is “sit and wait until the help comes through.”

    “You try and do what you can and that’s why, you know, we’re all pitching together and trying to help each other with what we can,” she said.

    Curtis Williams (no relation to Sharda), another River Park resident, was also frustrated he didn’t get an evacuation order.

    “Not one city employee, police or whatever, came through the neighborhood before the flood water and said there was a mandatory evacuation, not one,” he said. “They could have easily rode down here with a bullhorn, before the storm, and say ‘you people need to vacate.’ They didn’t do that.”

    However, Naples said in its statement that the city’s first responders were trapped and its fire station was flooded. As a result, the North Collier Fire Rescue (NCFR) team responded to the River Park community with the high water vehicle. NCFR drove three vehicle loads of residents to high ground, which was at the Coastland Center Mall. Numerous people in the area were trapped and the city said its goal was to get everyone to safety and high ground.

    More than 100 miles away in Dunbar, one pastor said while the Black community hasn’t received much support from officials, residents are leaning on each other to get through the recovery.

    “We are trying to give some moral support, you know, with our neighbors and friends,” said Pastor Nicles Emile of Galilee Baptist Church. “We are working on helping our neighbors as much as we can and I can say that whatever we have and share with them.”

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  • Death toll soars to 76 in Florida after Hurricane Ian demolished entire communities | CNN

    Death toll soars to 76 in Florida after Hurricane Ian demolished entire communities | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Newly homeless Floridians are struggling to restart their lives while rescuers scramble to find any remaining signs of life among the wreckage of Hurricane Ian.

    In some cases, emergency workers are juggling both unimaginable tasks.

    “Some of the guys on Pine Island, they lost everything, but they’re doing what they can,” said emergency physician Dr. Ben Abo, who was preparing to join first responders on a rescue mission Sunday near decimated Sanibel Island and Pine Island.

    “It brings tears to my eye to see how hard they’re working.”

    But because Hurricane Ian washed out Sanibel Island’s lone road to mainland Florida, “we’re helicoptering in and doing our grid search,” Abo said.

    More than 1,100 people have been rescued from inundated parts of southwest and central Florida since Ian crashed into the state last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office said. More than 800 were rescued in Lee County alone, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Sunday.

    But as the search for survivors continues, rescuers are also finding more bodies. Officials say Ian killed at least 76 people in Florida and four more in North Carolina.

    Those lucky enough to survive face an arduous road to recovery. More than 689,000 homes, businesses and other customers in Florida still did not have power as of Sunday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. Many are without clean tap water, with well over 100 boil-water advisories in places around the state, according to Florida Health Department data.


    Hurricane Ian could be the most expensive storm in Florida’s history, devastating communities from the state’s western coast to inland cities like Orlando.

    While Florida has more flood insurance policies than any other state, only about 13% of homes there have flood insurance, and only 18% who live in the counties that had mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders in place ahead of Ian, according to an analysis by actuarial firm Milliman.

    On Sunday, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Americans don’t have to live in a flood zone to benefit from flood insurance.

    “I think anybody who lives near water should certainly purchase flood insurance because it’s your No. 1 tool to help protect your family and your home after the storm,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said.

    “If you live near water or where it rains, it can certainly flood, and we have seen that (with) multiple storms this year.”

    She said FEMA is in the process of updating its flood zone maps. “While in certain areas we require flood insurance, everybody has the ability to purchase flood insurance,” Criswell said

    “It is certainly in your best defense to help protect your property in the aftermath of any of these storms.”

    But the most severe lashing took place in southwestern coastal cities like Fort Myers and Naples, where some neighborhoods were annihilated.

    “We’re flying and we’re operating in areas that are unrecognizable,” US Coast Guard Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson said.

    “There’s no street signs. They don’t look like they used to look like. Buildings that were once benchmarks in the community are no longer there.”

    Many of the Ian-related deaths have been reported in southwestern Florida’s Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Sanibel Island, where at least 42 people died.

    Local officials are facing criticism about whether mandatory evacuations in Lee County should have been issued sooner.

    Officials there did not order evacuations until less than 24 hours before the storm made landfall, and a day after several neighboring counties issued their orders.

    DeSantis defended the timing of Lee County’s orders, saying they were given as soon as the storm’s projected path shifted south, putting the area in Ian’s crosshairs.

    “As soon as we saw the model shift northeast, we did exactly what we could to encourage people to” evacuate, Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane said Sunday.

    “I’m just disappointed that so many people didn’t go to shelters, because they’re open.”

    Ruane called the reporting about a possible delay in issuing a mandatory evacuation “inaccurate.” He said the county did what it was supposed to do, without providing any evidence that the reporting was inaccurate.

    “I think the most important thing that most people need to understand is we opened up 15 shelters. During Irma there were 60,000 people in our shelters. There’s 4,000 people in the shelters right now,” Ruane said Sunday.

    “Unfortunately, people did get complacent … As far as I’m concerned, the shelters were open, they had the ability, they had all day Tuesday, they had a good part of Wednesday as the storm was coming down – they had the ability to (go to a shelter).”

    The US Coast Guard made plans to evacuate people from Lee County’s Pine Island on Sunday, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

    In addition to the 42 deaths in Lee County, Hurricane Ian also contributed to the deaths of 12 people in Charlotte County, eight in Collier County, five in Volusia County, three in Sarasota County, two in Manatee County, and one each in Polk, Lake, Hendry and Hillsborough counties, officials said.

    President Joe Biden continued to pledge federal support for Florida, saying Hurricane Ian is “likely to rank among the worst … in the nation’s history.”

    The President and first lady Jill Biden are set to travel to Puerto Rico Monday to survey damage from Hurricane Fiona, then head to Florida on Wednesday.

    After Hurricane Ian finished its devastating crawl over Florida, residents tried to venture back to their damaged or destroyed homes and sifted through debris.

    Residents from Sanibel and Captiva islands were cut off from mainland Florida after parts of a causeway were destroyed by the storm, leaving boats and helicopters as their only exit options.

    Civilian volunteers rushed to help residents on Sanibel, where some homes were obliterated.

    Andy Boyle was on Sanibel Island when the hurricane hit. He said he lost his home and two cars, but feels lucky to be alive.

    “A lot of people have very expensive, well-built homes on Sanibel, and they felt with their multi-million dollar homes built like fortresses, they would be fine,” he said.

    Boyle was riding out the storm at home when the dining room roof collapsed. “That’s when we started to get concerned,” he said.

    He described waving down National Guard aircraft the next day outside his house, and seeing the scenes of devastation around the island.

    “When you go to the east end of the island, there’s just a lot of destruction. The houses surrounding the lighthouse are all gone. When you go to the west end of the island, the old restaurants up there, they’re all gone. The street going to Captiva is now a beach,” Boyle said.

    In Naples, Hank DeWolf’s 4,000-pound boat dock was carried through a condo complex and is now in his neighbor’s yard. And the water brought someone’s car into his own backyard. He doesn’t know who it belongs to or how to remove it.

    Another neighbor, Joanne Fisher, told CNN she’s coping with some shock in the storm’s aftermath, but she is in clean-up and salvage mode. Her oven is filled with mud, and water still spills out of the kitchen cabinets.

    “I’m almost ready to cry right now talking to you,” Fisher said. “But it’s okay because we’re alive and we’re here. And that is the most important thing.”

    Residents were also evacuated from the Hidden River area of Sarasota County after a compromised levee threatened to flood homes, the sheriff’s office said Saturday.

    A man surveys his damaged trailer home Saturday in Matlacha, Florida.

    Further complicating recovery is the lack of electricity and spotty communication in impacted areas.

    It could take up to a week from Sunday before power is restored in storm-damaged counties, said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of Florida Power & Light Company.

    And some customers may not be back on the grid for “weeks or months” because some buildings with structural damage will need safety inspections.

    In Cape Coral, just southwest of Fort Myers, 98% of the city’s power structure was “obliterated” and will need complete reconstruction, Fire Department Chief & Emergency Management Director Ryan Lamb told CNN’s Jim Acosta.

    Around 65% of all power outages in Florida from the storm had been restored as of early Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us.

    Florida is also working with Elon Musk and Starlink satellite to help restore communication in the state, according to DeSantis.

    “They’re positioning those Starlink satellites to provide good coverage in Southwest Florida and other affected areas,” DeSantis said.

    Emergency responders in Lee County will be among those receiving Starlink devices.

    In Charlotte County, residents are “facing a tragedy” without homes, electricity or water supplies, sheriff’s office spokesperson Claudette Smith said.

    “We need everything. We need all hands on deck,” Smith told CNN Friday. “The people who have come to our assistance have been tremendously helpful, but we do need everything.”

    Hear why this expert believes Hurricane Ian damage could have been prevented

    Hurricane Ian may have caused as much as $47 billion in insured losses in Florida, according to an estimate from property analytics firm CoreLogic. That could make it the most expensive storm in the state’s history.

    After pummeling Florida, Ian made its second landfall in the US near Georgetown, South Carolina, Friday afternoon as a Category 1 hurricane.

    Workers and owners of a large shrimping boat prepare their vessel for towing back into the water Saturday after it was swept ashore in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

    In North Carolina, the four storm-related deaths include a man who drowned when his truck went into a flooded swamp; two people who died in separate crashes; and a man who died of carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in a closed garage, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.

    No deaths have been reported in South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster said Saturday.

    The storm has flooded homes and submerged vehicles along South Carolina’s shoreline. Two piers – one in Pawleys Island and another in North Myrtle Beach – partially collapsed as high winds pushed water even higher.

    Edgar Stephens, who manages the Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, stood yards away as a 100-foot section from the pier’s middle crashed into the ocean.

    Stephens said the Cherry Grove Pier is a staple for community members and tourists alike.

    “We’re a destination,” he said, “not just a fishing pier.”

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  • Hurricane Orlene strengthens into Category 3 storm as it heads toward western Mexico | CNN

    Hurricane Orlene strengthens into Category 3 storm as it heads toward western Mexico | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Rapidly intensifying Category 3 Hurricane Orlene is approaching western Mexico, where it’s expected to cause life-threatening flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.

    The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, was churning north at 5 mph Sunday morning about 205 miles south of Las Islas Marias, Mexico, the center said.

    Orlene is projected to reach the coast of mainland Mexico Monday or Monday night, making landfall just south of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, where life-threatening flash flooding is a concern, according to Mexico’s CONAGUA Agency.

    Hurricane conditions are expected by Sunday night in Islas Marias, with tropical storm conditions beginning earlier in the day.

    Orlene’s wind speed increased by 35 mph within a 12-hour period, forecasters said.

    “Some additional strengthening is forecast through this morning, followed by weakening beginning later today and continuing until landfall,” the hurricane center said early Sunday.

    The storm is expected produce heavy downpours, which could lead to life-threatening flash flooding and landslides in western Mexico. Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa could see nearly six inches of rain Sunday into Monday.

    Strong winds between 37 and 43 mph and wave heights of 2 to 4 meters are also a threat.

    03 hurricane orlene track map update 3 100222

    A hurricane warning is in effect for Las Islas Marias and the coast of mainland Mexico from San Blas to Mazatlán. A hurricane watch is in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Playa Perula to San Blas and from Mazatlán to Bahia Tempehuaya, including the city of Puerto Vallarta.

    A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Playa Perula to San Blas. A tropical storm watch is in effect for the coast of mainland Mexico from Manzanillo to Playa Perula.

    Residents in the hurricane’s path are being advised to take extreme precautions due to the potential for life-threatening flooding, wind and dangerous rip currents.

    Orlene is barreling towards Mexico just weeks after Hurricane Kay made landfall in Mexico, along the west coast of the central Baja California Peninsula, as a Category 1 hurricane.

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  • As Ian continues to weaken farther inland, recovery efforts are underway in Florida and South Carolina | CNN

    As Ian continues to weaken farther inland, recovery efforts are underway in Florida and South Carolina | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: Affected by the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth. You also can text or WhatsApp your Ian stories to CNN +1 332-261-0775.



    CNN
     — 

    As post-tropical cyclone Ian moves inland across North Carolina early Saturday, communities in Florida and South Carolina are recovering after the deadly storm brought torrential rain, powerful winds and cataclysmic flooding over the course of three terrifying days.

    Ian slammed into southwest Florida as a severe Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, packing sustained winds of 150 mph. Officials believe the death toll of at least 45 people is likely to climb in the coming days as search-and-rescue crews access additional areas blocked off by debris and floodwaters.

    After striking South Carolina on Friday, the storm is roughly 50 miles south-southeast of Greensboro, North Carolina, and has weakened to maximum sustained winds measured at 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center as of 2 a.m. ET Saturday.

    “Considerable flash, urban and small stream flooding is possible across portions of North Carolina and southern Virginia through this morning, with minor river flooding possible over Coastal Carolinas,” the hurricane center warned. Wind gusts of up to tropical storm force are also possible and 3-6 inches of rainfall are forecast for the region.

    Possible isolated tornadoes threaten parts of southeast Virginia and the Delmarva peninsula through Saturday morning, the hurricane center said. Ian is forecast to move north through Virginia Saturday and should dissipate by early Sunday.

    This week, Ian left a trail of destruction felt most intensely in Florida’s southwestern coastal communities, including Fort Myers and Naples. Tampa, Orlando and cities along Florida’s northeastern coast were also impacted by downpours and high winds. Across the state, more than 1.3 million homes and businesses were still in the dark early Saturday.

    “I made it about two-thirds down the island and I’d say 90% of the island is pretty much gone,” Fort Myers Beach Town Councilman Dan Allers said. “Unless you have a high-rise condo or a newer concrete home that is built to the same standards today, your house is pretty much gone.”


    By Friday afternoon, Ian had weakened to a tropical storm before strengthening over Atlantic waters and making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near Georgetown, South Carolina, bringing extreme storm surge, collapsing structures and ripping roofs off buildings.

    How to help victims of Hurricane Ian

    More than 70,000 customers in South Carolina did not have power early Saturday, according to tracker PowerOutage.us. Another 340,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina and more than 100,000 in Virginia were also in the dark Saturday morning.

    Authorities in South Carolina began cataloging damage on Pawleys Island, a coastal town roughly 70 miles north of Charleston. The biggest concern there, according to the mayor, is how to remove debris so the island can be safe again.

    “It was a Category 1 hurricane, but we experienced tremendous storm surge today, probably beyond what most people anticipated,” Mayor Brian Henry told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Friday.

    “Most of us did not believe we would see the storm surge at 7-plus feet,” Henry said. “It’s beginning to recede, but we have a huge amount of water on the roadways and across the island.”

    Pawleys Island residents are not allowed to return home until safety assessments are fully conducted Saturday, police said.

    The storm has flooded homes and submerged vehicles along the shoreline. Two piers – one in Pawleys Island and another in North Myrtle Beach – partially collapsed as high winds pushed water even higher.

    In Horry County, where North Myrtle Beach in located, crews began removing debris left by the storm. Officials are urging residents to remain home and to not drive.

    “It’s a pretty scary sight,” Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said of the hurricane. “I’m seeing way too many cars passing by. And I think people just don’t realize how dangerous it is to be out in these types of conditions. We’ve seen so many people’s cars get stuck, and emergency personnel has to go out and rescue people.”

    South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said on social media Friday, “A lot of prayers have been answered,” adding that the storm is “not as bad as it could have been, but don’t let your guard down yet. We are not out of the woods, there is water on the roads, still heavy winds, and it is still dangerous in many parts of the state.”

    A swath of destruction was cut across the Florida peninsula Wednesday and Thursday, with communities along the southwestern coast facing the brunt of Ian’s storm surge at landfall. Sanibel and Captiva islands have been cut off from the mainland after parts of a causeway were obliterated by the storm.

    Those living in Charlotte County are “facing a tragedy” without homes, electricity or water supplies, said Claudette Smith, public information officer for the sheriff’s office.

    “We need everything, to put it plain and simple. We need everything. We need all hands on deck,” Smith told CNN Friday. “The people who have come to our assistance have been tremendously helpful, but we do need everything.”

    From Florida’s coastal shores to inland cities such as Orlando, dangerous flooding has forced locals into dire circumstances. In one Orlando neighborhood where deep water has covered roads, some residents traveled by boat to assist others.

    Rivers rising due to the substantial rainfall are still impacting areas headed into the weekend. A 12-mile portion of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County is closed in both directions due to the rising Myakka River, according to the Florida Department of Transportation Friday evening.

    The US Coast Guard has rescued more than 275 people in Florida, according to Rear Admiral Brendan McPherson, and hundreds of additional rescues were being performed by teams from FEMA and local and state agencies. But post-storm conditions remain a huge challenge, he told CNN on Friday.

    “We’re flying and we’re operating in areas that are unrecognizable. There’s no street signs. They don’t look like they used to look like. Buildings that were once benchmarks in the community are no longer there,” he said.

    At least 45 deaths suspected to be related to Ian have been reported in Florida, including 16 in Lee County, 12 in Charlotte County, eight in Collier County, four in Volusia County, one in Polk County, one in Lake County, one in Manatee County and two in unincorporated Sarasota County, according to officials. Unconfirmed death cases are being processed by local medical examiners, who decide whether they are disaster-related, state emergency management Director Kevin Guthrie said.

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  • DeSantis outlines plans for insurance payouts and calls for claims to be paid out quickly | CNN Politics

    DeSantis outlines plans for insurance payouts and calls for claims to be paid out quickly | CNN Politics

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    Washington
    CNN
     — 

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said the state plans to assist people who suffered damage to their homes after Hurricane Ian with insurance claims and called for them to be “paid very quickly so that people can get back on their feet.”

    As part of Florida’s disaster recovery centers, the state will also set up “insurance villages” under the leadership of Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis to assist with insurance claims, anticipating that there will be a lot of flood claims and wind claims, DeSantis, a Republican, said in Tallahassee during an update on hurricane recovery efforts.

    The “insurance villages” are a site for Floridians to file their claims in-person with their carrier. The state’s preliminary site will have between 20 to 25 carriers in RVs to initially give out living expense funding, according to Patronis.

    Florida homeowners had already been facing an expensive and difficult market for home insurance before Hurricane Ian hit the state, and damage from floodwaters is not covered by homeowners’ insurance. Such claims are filed with the National Flood Insurance Program, a federal insurer operated by FEMA.

    “Make sure if you’re looking at claims on your property, you document that. Take photos, make sure you have it. We want you to be able to be made whole as quickly as possible,” DeSantis advised.

    Patronis advised people who have suffered damage to their homes that the “first phone call” for people to make “needs be to your agent, your carrier, or to my office.”

    On Thursday, he warned those impacted by Hurricane Ian to be cautious of insurance scammers.

    “The predators that are going to come up, that are initially try to sign up construction management contracts, public adjusters. They’re going to come in like a bunch of locusts, and they’re going to try to hit the neighborhoods, and people are vulnerable right now,” Patronis said in Punta Gorda during a briefing with DeSantis, adding, “If it sounds too good to be true, it is.”

    On Friday, DeSantis praised the “Herculean effort” from the response and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ian, as the state works to assess the damage, restore power and get food, water and supplies to people.

    The governor also spoke with President Joe Biden by phone on Friday, the third time this week as the Sunshine State deals with catastrophic devastation.

    Biden said Thursday that he plans to visit Florida “when the conditions allow” and that he would meet with DeSantis, a top political rival, during his trip “if he wants to meet.”

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  • Hurricane Ian starts lashing South Carolina after leaving at least 19 dead and millions without power across Florida | CNN

    Hurricane Ian starts lashing South Carolina after leaving at least 19 dead and millions without power across Florida | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    As Florida wakes up Friday to apocalyptic, coast-to-coast damage – with searchers still going door-to-door and millions without power – deadly Hurricane Ian has begun lashing South Carolina, where an expected Friday afternoon landfall threatens more lethal flooding and could be powerful enough to alter the coastal landscape.

    After killing at least 19 people, Ian restrengthened to a Category 1 storm in the Atlantic and was barreling toward South Carolina with winds of 85 mph as of 8 a.m. ET Friday, with its center expected to move onto land in the afternoon between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, forecasters said.

    Winds of tropical-storm strength – 39 to 73 mph – already were hitting much of the Carolinas’ coast by 8 a.m., and life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions were expected within hours, the National Hurricane Center said.

    “This is a dangerous storm that will bring high winds and a lot of water,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. “Be smart, make good decisions, check on your loved ones, and stay safe.”

    Meanwhile, Florida is taking stock of the dizzying destruction Ian wrought through much of the peninsula Wednesday and Thursday after it smashed the southwest coast as a Category 4 storm. Homes on the coast were washed out to sea, buildings were smashed throughout the state, and floodwater ruined homes and businesses and trapped residents, even inland in places like the Orlando area.

    Hundreds of rescues have taken place by land, air and sea, with residents stuck in homes or stranded on rooftops, and searchers still are performing wellness checks, especially in the Fort Myers and Naples areas, where feet of storm surge inundated streets and homes.

    And now, the storm’s aftermath poses new, deadly dangers of its own. Some standing water is electrified, officials warned, while maneuvering through debris-strewn buildings and streets – many without working traffic signals – risks injury. Lack of air conditioning can lead to heat illness, and improper generator use can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

    In North Port between Fort Myers and Sarasota, Rosanna Walker stood Thursday in the flood-damaged home where she rode out the storm. Part of her drywall ceiling was hanging down.

    “And all of a sudden, the water was coming in through the doors – the top, the bottom, the windows over here,” she told CNN’s John Berman. “It’s all in my closets; I’ve got to empty out my closets.”

    “Everything got ruined.”

    Here’s what to know:

    • Dozens of deaths reported: At least 19 storm-related deaths have been reported so far in Florida, though that number is likely to rise. A majority of the fatalities are in hard-hit Lee and Charlotte counties.

    • More than 2 million outages: Millions of Floridians who were in Ian’s path are still in the dark as of early Friday, according to PowerOutage.us. Most counties with the highest percentage of residents without power lie in the southwest, including Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Hardee.

    • Historic flooding in some areas: Record flooding was recorded across central and northern Florida, including at least three rivers that hit all-time flood records. Officials in Orlando warned residents of dangerous flooding, which exceeded a foot in some areas.

    • Hundreds of rescues and thousands of evacuations: More than 700 rescues have happened across Florida so far, the governor said Thursday, and thousands of evacuees have been reported. In Lee County, a hospital system had to evacuate more than 1,000 patients after its water supply was cut off, while other widespread evacuations have been reported in prisons and nursing homes.

    • Coastal islands completely isolated from mainland: Sanibel and Captiva islands in southwest Florida are cut off from the mainland after several parts of a critical causeway were torn away. At least two people were killed in the storm in Sanibel, and the bridge may need to be completely rebuilt, local officials said. Chip Farrar, a resident of the tiny island of Matlacha, told CNN that 50 feet of road essential to reaching the mainland bridge has been washed out, and a second nearby bridge has also collapsed.

    • Storm’s impacts today: A hurricane warning has been issued from the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina state line to Cape Fear, North Carolina. Considerable flooding is possible from seawater and rain, especially in parts of coastal South Carolina, where storm surge up to 7 feet and 4 to 12 inches of rain could hit, forecasters say.

    As Hurricane Ian moved away from Florida, governors in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia declared emergencies.

    McMaster, of South Carolina, implored residents not to underestimate the storm’s danger and urged them to follow storm warnings closely to prepare for impact on Friday.

    And when all is said and done, Ian’s storm system will likely have left behind lasting changes in its wake.

    The coastlines along Georgia and South Carolina may sustain significant alterations because the powerful waves and storm surges brought by Ian could inundate coastal sand dunes, according to the US Geological Survey.

    In addition to flooding communities behind the dunes, the storm may push sand back and deposit it inland, which could “reduce the height of protective sand dunes, alter beach profiles and leave areas behind the dunes more vulnerable to future storms,” the agency said.

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  • After a devastating hurricane, here’s how to get help, stay safe and protect your sanity in the weeks ahead | CNN

    After a devastating hurricane, here’s how to get help, stay safe and protect your sanity in the weeks ahead | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Hurricane victims returning to damaged houses face a torrent of challenges – if they’re lucky enough to have a home standing at all.

    Flooding. Mold damage. Insurance headaches. Deadly hidden hazards.

    The onslaught of mental anguish and post-hurricane dangers can seem overwhelming. Here’s how victims can stay safe, get help and take the first steps toward recovery:

    Just because the hurricane is over doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive.

    Residents should “return home only when local officials say it is safe to do so,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency says.

    If you see a flooded road, officials stress a life-saving but often ignored mantra: “Turn around, don’t drown.”

    Every year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm-related hazard, the National Weather Service says.

    “Don’t drive in flooded areas – cars or other vehicles won’t protect you from floodwaters,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “They can be swept away or may stall in moving water.”

    If it’s too dangerous to go home, search for open shelters in your area on the American Red Cross or Salvation Army websites.

    You can also download the FEMA Mobile App to find open shelters, text SHELTER (or REFUGIO in Spanish), and your zip code to 4FEMA (or 43362).

    When it’s safe to go home, try to arrive during daytime hours so you don’t need any lights, the CDC says. You might not have power in the area.

    Once you get there, “Walk carefully around the outside of your home to check for loose power lines, gas leaks, and structural damage,” the National Weather Service says.

    If your home is flooded, “wait to re-enter your home until professionals tell you it is safe, with no structural, electrical or other hazards,” the CDC says.

    If the home is damaged, “leave immediately if you hear shifting or unusual noises,” the CDC says. “Strange noises could mean the building (is) about to fall.”

    If you must use lighting, carry a battery-powered flashlight – not candles or gas-powered lanterns.

    “Turn on your flashlight before entering a vacated building,” the National Weather Service says. “The battery could produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.”

    Flooded homes require additional precautions to prevent electrocution.

    “If you have standing water in your home and can turn off the main power from a dry location, then go ahead and turn off the power,” the CDC says.

    “If you must enter standing water to access the main power switch, then call an electrician to turn it off. NEVER turn power on or off yourself or use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water.”

    In general, “Do not wade in flood water, which can contain dangerous pathogens that cause illnesses, debris, chemicals, waste and wildlife,” the FEMA website Ready.gov says. “Underground or downed power lines can also electrically charge the water.”

    If it’s safe to go inside, don’t start cleaning right away.

    First, “contact your insurance company and take pictures of the home and your belongings,” the CDC says.

    Those seeking federal assistance can call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585) or apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.

    Residents who have flood insurance from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program can start their claim at FloodSmart.gov.

    “If your home has been flooded and has been closed up for several days, assume your home has mold,” the CDC says.

    “You need to completely dry everything, clean up the mold, and make sure you don’t still have a moisture problem.”

    The CDC has a list of ways to eliminate and prevent mold growth, with or without electricity.

    Mold can be cleaned by using a mixture of 1 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water. Don’t use the bleach solution in an enclosed space – make sure doors or windows are open, the CDC says.

    But anyone with a lung condition such as asthma or who is immunocompromised “should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled, even if they do not have an allergy to mold,” the FEMA website Ready.gov says.

    “Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work.”

    Any remaining floodwater can contain sewage and other hazards that can be difficult to see.

    “Floodwater can contain dangerous bacteria from overflowing sewage and agricultural and industrial waste,” the CDC says.

    “While skin contact with floodwater doesn’t pose a serious health risk by itself, eating or drinking anything contaminated with floodwater can cause diseases.”

    With widespread power outages expected, it’s critical to not overexert yourself when there’s no air conditioning.

    “If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity,” the CDC warns. “Get into a cool area or into the shade, and rest, especially if you become lightheaded, confused, weak, or faint.”

    With intense heat, it’s also important to drink plenty of fluids “regardless of how active you are,” the CDC says. “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.”

    Generators can be immensely helpful for storm victims without power. They can also be deadly when used incorrectly.

    “Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas dealing with power outages,” the National Weather Service says.

    “Never use a portable generator inside your home or garage,” even if the doors and windows are open.

    “Only use generators outside, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows,” the NWS says.

    Be extra cautious when using gas-powered appliances, as they can also lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s also a good idea to have a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector, as carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless.

    Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible until the power comes back. If it’s been less than four hours, food is still safe to eat. Otherwise, the food can be spoiled and cause serious illness.

    “When in doubt, throw it out,” the CDC says.

    Throw away any food that may have come into contact with floodwater or stormwater, perishable food that may have not been refrigerated properly and anything that does not look, smells or feels like it should.

    If your area is under a boil water advisory, take that guidance seriously. If it’s not possible to boil water, use bottled water.

    But never use contaminated water – either suspected or confirmed – to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash and prepare food, wash your hands, make ice or make baby formula.

    Ideally, residents have ways to charge cell phones without the use of electricity – for example, with an external battery pack or battery-powered charger.

    Those who don’t might have to get creative – such as using your car and a car adapter to charge your phone.

    “Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions after a disaster,” the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration says.

    When logistical nightmares collide with overwhelming emotions, don’t try to tough it out alone. That can actually impede your recovery, the CDC says.

    “Taking care of your emotional health during an emergency will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family,” the CDC says.

    “Coping with these feelings and getting help when you need it will help you, your family, and your community recover from a disaster.”

    Storm victims can contact SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline by calling or texting 1-800-985-5990.

    The helpline “is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster,” SAMHSA’s website says.

    “Our staff members provide counseling and support before, during, and after disasters and refer people to local disaster-related resources for follow-up care and support.”

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  • ‘Life-changing’ Hurricane Ian batters Florida, knocking out power and trapping residents as it continues its damaging crawl through the state | CNN

    ‘Life-changing’ Hurricane Ian batters Florida, knocking out power and trapping residents as it continues its damaging crawl through the state | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    As Hurricane Ian continues to pummel Florida, trapping residents in their homes and leaving millions without power in what’s already being called a “life-changing event,” authorities are fielding rescue calls from across the state and 911 call centers are being inundated.

    Ian slammed into southwestern Florida near Cayo Costa Wednesday afternoon as one of the strongest storms to make landfall on the state’s west coast, sending rising ocean water onshore and lashing the state with catastrophic 150 mph winds as it moved deeper inland.

    The monster storm flooded roads and homes, uprooted trees, sent cars floating in the streets and left nearly 2.5 million homes and businesses without power as of early Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us.

    By early Thursday morning, authorities were reporting heavy rain and flooding in the Orlando metro area, where 8 to 12 inches of rain had already fallen and up to 4 more inches of rain was expected.

    The storm has since weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and is crawling across central Florida as it heads toward the east coast, dumping heavy rains on low-lying areas.

    Here are the latest developments:

    • Sustained winds of 75 mph: The center of the storm is about 55 miles south-southeast of Orlando, packing powerful winds while it makes its way across the state. Hurricane Ian is tied with 2004’s Hurricane Charley as the strongest storm to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida Peninsula, both with 150 mph winds at landfall.
    • Record-high storm surges: The storm surge from Hurricane Ian hit up to 12 feet in some places, while multiple areas, including Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers and Naples, were facing record-high storm surge of 12 to 16 feet. By Wednesday night, the storm surge along the west coast of Florida was believed to have peaked and was beginning to recede, while officials in Tampa warned residents to stay on guard.
    • More than a foot of rainfall: Up to 20 inches of rain was expected in some areas, including Lehigh Acres, which received 14.42 inches of rain and Warm Mineral Springs which got 11.05 inches.
    • Hurricane warnings and tornado watches continue: The storm is moving northeast at 9 mph, prompting hurricane warnings for a stretch of Florida’s west coast north of Bonita Beach to the Anclote River, and on the east coast from Sebastian Inlet to the Flagler-Volusia County line.
    • Other states brace for Ian’s destruction: The storm is expected to exit Florida and move into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, where governors in Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina have already declared a state of emergency

    With Hurricane Ian continuing to cut a path of destruction through Florida, the state is planning a “three-pronged” search and rescue response, with crews ready to fan out and help residents from the air, ground and sea once it is safe to do, officials said.

    Calls for help were coming into several counties Wednesday.

    In Fort Myers – where about 96% of the city was without power – Fire Chief Tracy McMillion told residents to stay inside, and to stay hopeful. “We’re coming for you, be encouraged,” he told residents.

    The city’s downtown streets were flooded with almost four feet of water Wednesday, Mayor Kevin Anderson told CNN.

    Crews surveying damage in the city early Thursday reported debris in the roadways, flooding, electrical lines down, power poles in the roads, traffic lights out, disabled vehicles and collapsed buildings.

    Fort Myers resident Thomas Podgorny told CNN he was trapped in his two-story home with three others, watching vehicles float away outside and worrying for his neighbors who did not evacuate.

    “I’ve lost my house. I have water and gas flowing through my bottom floor,” Podgorny said. “My neighbors have very little breathing room in their one-story house.”

    A couple in Fort Myers said they were trapped in their home when the ceiling caved in, sending water inside.

    “Something is dripping on me,” Belinda Collins recalled her partner saying. “He got up, and the ceiling – the family room ceiling – caved in.’”

    The couple said they called 911 and were waiting for a call back about when it would be safe to leave.

    In Port Charlotte, the roof above an ICU at a hospital was torn off by the storm while there were about 160 patients inside, Dr. Birgit Bodine, an internal medicine specialist at the facility, told CNN.

    The staff moved patients to a safe place, but they couldn’t evacuate yet because of the conditions outside, the doctor said Wednesday night, adding, “It’s actually pretty terrible.”

    People in nearby Collier County were also without power and trapped in their homes, calling for help.

    “Some are reporting life threatening medical emergencies in deep water. We will get to them first. Some are reporting water coming into their house but not life threatening. They will have to wait. Possibly until the water recedes,” a Collier County Sheriff’s Office statement said.

    Complicating matters further, neighboring Lee County’s 911 system was down and calls were being rerouted to Collier County, Chief Stephanie Spell told CNN. “At this point the majority of our 911 calls are water rescues,” Spell added.

    Elsewhere, conditions were too severe for first responders to be out.

    Emergency crews in Charlotte County were not able to respond to 911 calls Wednesday due to dangerous storm conditions, county Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller told CNN.

    And in Sarasota, authorities decided Wednesday to withdraw all police officers from the street due to wind speeds and hazardous conditions, Mayor Eric Arroyo told CNN.

    While other areas began rescue efforts Wednesday evening, authorities in Tampa and Orange County warned residents that the worst of Hurricane Ian had “yet to come” Wednesday night.

    Curfews were in effect for residents in Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties while severe conditions continued.

    Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    NOAA/NASA

    A satellite image shows Hurricane Ian making landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday, September 28.

    A flooded street is seen in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, after Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday.

    Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Marco Bello/Reuters

    A flooded street is seen in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, after Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday.

    A woman surveys damage through a door during a power outage in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    Photos: Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Marco Bello/Reuters

    A woman surveys damage through a door during a power outage in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    The streets of Naples, Florida, are flooded on Wednesday. City officials asked residents to <a href=shelter in place until further notice.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1042″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Naples Police

    The streets of Naples, Florida, are flooded on Wednesday. City officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice.

    A woman is helped out of a muddy area on Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, where <a href=water was receding due to a negative storm surge.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1264″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ben Hendren/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

    A woman is helped out of a muddy area on Wednesday in Tampa, Florida, where water was receding due to a negative storm surge.

    Strong winds hit Punta Gorda, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ricardo Arduengo/AFP/Getty Images

    Strong winds hit Punta Gorda, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS/Abaca/Reuters

    Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm/USA Today Network

    Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.

    A man walks where <a href=water was receding from Tampa Bay on Wednesday.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1125″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

    Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. <a href=Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1332″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network

    Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.

    A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Marco Bello/Reuters

    A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/AP

    Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.

    Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.

    An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Wilfredo Lee/AP

    An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

    Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.

    People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, <a href=causing an islandwide blackout.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1953″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ramon Espinosa/AP

    People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, causing an islandwide blackout.

    People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

    People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Chris O’Meara/AP

    Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.

    Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ramon Espinosa/AP

    Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP

    Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.

    A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

    A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

    People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.

    NASA's Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

    NASA’s Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.

    Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    NASA via AP

    Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.

    Waves kick up along the shore of Batabano as <a href=Hurricane Ian reaches Cuba on Monday.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1145″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

    A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.

    A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

    A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.

    People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

    People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.

    Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T's in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store's windows on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Mike Lang/USA Today Network

    Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T’s in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store’s windows on Monday.

    A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba's Havana Bay on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes

    A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba’s Havana Bay on Monday.

    Shelves are empty in a supermarket's water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images

    Shelves are empty in a supermarket’s water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.

    Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire

    Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.

    Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Andrew West/USA Today Network

    Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.


    Even before the hurricane made landfall, officials knew the damage would be severe, and there will be a long road to recovery.

    “Ian is going to be a life-changing event. This is a very powerful, catastrophic storm that is going to do significant damage,” President and CEO of Florida Power & Light Eric Silagy, said.

    There will be sections of infrastructure that crews won’t be able to repair and will have to be rebuilt, which can take weeks, Silagy said.

    Jennifer Dexter, a spokesperson for the town of Fort Myers Beach, told CNN backup water pumps are down.

    “When the backup water pump system goes down, that shows you how serious it is,” Dexter said.

    Lee County Utilities issued a system-wide boil water notice for all customers effective immediately due to the impacts of the hurricane, according to county officials. Residents in parts of Pasco County were also asked to boil their tap water as the water distribution system in the area lost pressure and a water main ruptured.

    Punta Gorda’s water system is empty and boil water notices are in effect, according to an update from the city overnight.

    In Manatee County, residents were asked to limit flushing, showering, doing dishes and laundry due to power outages impacting the system.

    In Cape Coral, authorities were getting reports of significant structural damage across the city, Ryan Lamb, the city’s fire chief and emergency management director, told CNN.

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has requested President Joe Biden approve a major disaster declaration for all 67 counties in the state, his office said in a news release. DeSantis is also requesting Biden grant FEMA the authority to provide 100% federal cost share for debris removal and emergency protective measures for the first 60 days from Ian’s landfall.

    After walloping Cuba and making landfall in Florida, Hurricane Ian is expected to slowly move across the central portion of the state before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon, where it could strengthen again and affect another part of the US.

    The governors of Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency in preparation for the storm’s potential impact.

    There is a danger of “life-threatening” storm surge on Thursday and Friday along the coasts of northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane conditions are also possible in those areas.

    The storm is expected to drop up to 20 inches of rain across central and northeast Florida, with some isolated areas receiving 30 inches, the hurricane center said.

    Near the hurricane’s core, powerful wind gusts will continue to spread across central Florida and along the east-central coast overnight.

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  • Hurricane Ian nears landfall in southwest Florida, bringing high winds, heavy rain and historic storm surge | CNN

    Hurricane Ian nears landfall in southwest Florida, bringing high winds, heavy rain and historic storm surge | CNN

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    Editor’s Note: Affected by the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth. You also can text or WhatsApp your Ian stories to CNN +1 332-261-0775.



    CNN
     — 

    Hurricane Ian is poised to make landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday and is already bringing a catastrophic trifecta of high winds, heavy rain and historic storm surge to the state.

    Ian is a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 155 mph, and its center was located about 35 miles west-southwest of Fort Myers as of 1 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm is moving at about 9 mph and is expected to make landfall, perhaps north of Fort Myers near the Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda areas, this afternoon, the center said.

    Much of west-central Florida and places inland face disaster: “Historic” storm surge up to 18 feet is possible and could swallow coastal homes; rain could cause flooding across much of the state; and crushing winds could flatten homes and stop electricity service for days or weeks.

    “This is a wind storm and a surge storm and a flood storm, all in one,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “And this is going to spread itself out across the entire state. Everybody is going to see something from this.”

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    NOAA/AP

    A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday, September 28.

    Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Pedro Portal/El Nuevo Herald/TNS/Abaca/Reuters

    Sailboats anchored in Roberts Bay are blown around in Venice, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Crystal Vander Weit/TCPalm/USA Today Network

    Melvin Phillips stands in the flooded basement of his mobile home in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday.

    A man walks where <a href=water was receding from Tampa Bay due to a negative storm surge on Wednesday.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1125″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images

    A man walks where water was receding from Tampa Bay due to a negative storm surge on Wednesday.

    Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/AP

    Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot Wednesday in The Villages, a Florida retirement community.

    Traffic lights are blown by strong gusts of wind in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Marco Bello/Reuters

    Traffic lights are blown by strong gusts of wind in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. <a href=Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1265″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network

    Damage is seen at the Kings Point condos in Delray Beach, Florida, on Wednesday. Officials believe it was caused by a tornado fueled by Hurricane Ian.

    A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Marco Bello/Reuters

    A TV crew broadcasts from the beach in Fort Myers on Wednesday.

    Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Highways in Tampa, Florida, are empty Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall. Several coastal counties in western Florida were under mandatory evacuations.

    An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Wilfredo Lee/AP

    An airplane is overturned in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on Wednesday.

    Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP

    Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her home in Davie, Florida, early on Wednesday.

    People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, <a href=causing an islandwide blackout.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1953″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ramon Espinosa/AP

    People play dominoes by flashlight during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, on Wednesday. Crews in Cuba have been working to restore power for millions after the storm battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, causing an islandwide blackout.

    Workers board up windows on the University of Tampa campus on Tuesday, September 27.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Chris O’Meara/AP

    Workers board up windows on the University of Tampa campus on Tuesday, September 27.

    People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

    People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Chris O’Meara/AP

    Southwest Airlines passengers check in near a sign that shows canceled flights at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.

    Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Ramon Espinosa/AP

    Maria Llonch retrieves belongings from her home in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, on Tuesday.

    Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel via AP

    Traffic builds along Interstate 4 in Tampa on Tuesday.

    A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

    A man carries his children through rain and debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

    People drive through debris in Pinar del Rio on Tuesday.

    Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Joe Raedle/Getty Images

    Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday.

    People stand outside a flooded warehouse in Batabano on Tuesday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

    People stand outside a flooded warehouse in Batabano on Tuesday.

    NASA's Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

    NASA’s Artemis I rocket rolls back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Tuesday. The launch of the rocket was postponed due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ian.

    Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    NASA via AP

    Hurricane Ian is seen from the International Space Station on Monday, September 26.

    Waves kick up along the shore of Batabano as <a href=Hurricane Ian reaches Cuba on Monday.” class=”gallery-image__dam-img” height=”1145″/>

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images

    A Cuban family transports personal belongings to a safe place in the Fanguito neighborhood of Havana on Monday.

    Local residents fill sandbags in Tampa on Monday to help protect their homes from flooding.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

    Local residents fill sandbags in Tampa on Monday to help protect their homes from flooding.

    A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Adalberto Roque/AFP/Getty Images

    A family carries a dog to a safe place in Batabano on Monday.

    People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

    People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco store in Orlando on Monday.

    Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T's in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store's windows on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Mike Lang/USA Today Network

    Ryan Copenhaver, manager of Siesta T’s in Sarasota, Florida, installs hurricane panels over the store’s windows on Monday.

    A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall in George Town, Grand Cayman, on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Kevin Morales/AP

    A woman takes photos while waves crash against a seawall in George Town, Grand Cayman, on Monday.

    A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba's Havana Bay on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Imagaes

    A man helps pull small boats out of Cuba’s Havana Bay on Monday.

    Shelves are empty in a supermarket's water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images

    Shelves are empty in a supermarket’s water aisle in Kissimmee, Florida, on Monday.

    Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire

    Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, Florida, references a map on Monday that indicates where storm surges would impact the county. During a news conference, she urged anyone living in those areas to evacuate.

    This satellite image, taken Monday at 1 p.m. ET, shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    NOAA/NASA

    This satellite image, taken Monday at 1 p.m. ET, shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba.

    Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Andrew West/USA Today Network

    Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Saturday, September 24.

    Besnik Bushati fills gas containers at a gas station in Naples, Florida, on Saturday. The station had only premium gas that morning.

    Photos&colon; Hurricane Ian barrels into Florida

    Andrew West/USA Today Network

    Besnik Bushati fills gas containers at a gas station in Naples, Florida, on Saturday. The station had only premium gas that morning.


    Fort Myers Beach was already feeling the brunt of the storm’s powerful eyewall just after noon Wednesday. Frank Loni, an architect from California staying in the community, posted video from a building’s balcony of some of the flooding on the streets below.

    “The storm surge is very significant. We’re seeing cars and boats float down the street. We’re seeing trees nearly bent in half,” Loni said. “There’s quite a bit of chaos on the streets.”

    FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

    Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for flood-prone areas on the coast, and the National Weather Service warned those who stayed behind to move to upper floors in case of rising water levels.

    “This is a powerful storm that should be treated like you would treat” a tornado approaching your home, Gov. Ron DeSantis said around 8 a.m.

    Images showed extensive flooding in coastal neighborhoods in Naples, where officials asked residents to shelter in place until further notice.

    In some areas, such as Charlotte County, Florida, 911 response teams have stopped emergency service due to the high winds and dangerous conditions. Sarasota Mayor Eric Arroyo said on CNN’s “At This Hour” that police officers were being taken off the streets due to the wind speeds and hazardous conditions.

    “It is too late to evacuate at this point,” Arroyo said.

    About 480,000 Florida utility customers already were without power as of 2 p.m., according to PowerOutage.us.

    Ian poses several major dangers:

    • Storm surge: Some 12 to 18 feet of seawater pushed onto land is forecast Wednesday for the coastal Fort Myers area, from Englewood to Bonita Beach, forecasters said. Only slightly less is forecast for a stretch from Bonita Beach down to near the Everglades (8 to 12 feet), and from near Bradenton to Englewood (6 to 10 feet), forecasters said.

    Lower – but still life-threatening – surge is possible elsewhere, including north of Tampa and along Florida’s northeast coast near Jacksonville.

    • Winds: Southwest Florida is facing “catastrophic wind damage.” Winds near the core of Hurricane Ian could exceed 150 mph, with gusts up to 190 mph, the hurricane center said. Multiple locations, including Sanibel Island, already have recorded wind gusts above 100 mph.

    Ian is expected to retain hurricane strength for some time as it crosses the peninsula, with hurricane warnings issued for not only southwest Florida but also much of central Florida from coast to coast.

    • Flooding rain: Because the storm is expected to slow down, 12 to 24 inches of rain could fall in central and northeastern Florida – including Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. That makes for a top-of-scale risk for flooding rainfall across this area.

    Prior to nearing Florida, Hurricane Ian pummeled Cuba on Tuesday, leaving at least two dead and an islandwide blackout.

    Since then, residents of Florida’s vulnerable Gulf Coast have been boarding up and leaving in droves on congested highways. More than 2.5 million people were advised to flee, including 1.75 million under mandatory evacuation orders – no small ask in a state with a large elderly population, some of whom have to be moved from long-term care centers.

    Storm surge already was rising late Wednesday morning – more than 4.5 feet above normal highest tides was recorded before noon in Naples, already higher than the previous record there of 4.02 feet from Hurricane Irma in 2017.

    After making landfall in southwest Florida, Ian’s center is expected to move over central Florida through Thursday morning. Heavy rain and flooding also is possible in southern Florida, Georgia and coastal South Carolina.

    Ian is slowing as it approaches land, and that will cause the worst conditions to remain over some areas for eight or more hours.

    “Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flash, urban, and river flooding is expected” across central and southern Florida, the hurricane center said.

    By late Thursday, Ian is due to emerge over the Atlantic Ocean, where it could strengthen again and affect another part of the US.

    Parts of far southern Florida by early Wednesday morning had begun feeling the storm’s effects, with tropical storm-force winds and at least two possible tornadoes reported in Broward County, including at North Perry Airport, where planes and hangers were damaged. Major flooding was being reported in Key West due to storm surge, along with power outages.

    Schools, supermarkets, theme parks, hospitals and airports had announced closures. The Navy moved its ships, and the Coast Guard has shut down ports. As winds pick up, gas stations may temporarily run out of fuel, DeSantis said.

    Sarasota County Sheriff Deputies block the access to a downtown bridge over to the barrier islands as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida's Gulf Coast on September 28.

    In Tampa, police went door to door Tuesday in a mandatory evacuation zone, making sure residents were ready to flee. Earlier projections had Ian on track to slam Tampa Bay, and even as the hurricane’s path shifted south, mandatory evacuations and preparations continued, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said.

    Law enforcement officials around the state warned that people who stayed behind in evacuation areas cannot expect rescuers to respond to calls for help during the storm when winds are high.

    “If you call for help, once we pull (officers) off the road … we’re not coming. … We’re not putting people in peril when (others) didn’t heed the mandatory evacuation order,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Wednesday.

    Not everyone moved. Chelsye Napier, of Fort Myers, stayed home with her fiance and cats despite being in an evacuation zone, she told CNN Wednesday. They waited “because we don’t know anyone down here,” and ultimately decided to stay put, she said.

    Ian’s winds could be catastrophic

    Category 4: 130-156 mph

  • • Most of the area is uninhabitable for weeks or months.
  • • Power outages last weeks to months.
  • • Fallen trees and power poles isolate residential areas.
  • + Well-built framed homes sustain severe damage.

    • Category 5: 157+ mph

  • + A high percentage of framed homes are destroyed.
  • Source: National Hurricane Center

“If anything happens, we have everything that we need here. We’ve got food, we got water. We have everything that we need here,” she said. “So it’s all OK for right now. We’ll see, though, later on.”

Preparations across Florida have been underway for days as residents braced for Ian’s wrath. People lined up to pick up sandbags and flocked to stores to stock up on supplies like water and batteries.

And as the hurricane marched closer, the closures began.

Across Florida, 58 school districts have announced closures due to storm as campuses turned into shelters for evacuees. Disney World is set to close Wednesday and Thursday, as is Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex. And hundreds of Publix grocery stores shut their doors Tuesday evening, expected to remain closed through Thursday.

As millions were told evacuate, 176 shelters opened statewide and hotels and Airbnbs opened to people leaving evacuation zones, DeSantis said.

Local governments and state agencies also prepared those living in nursing homes and other senior care facilities to evacuate.

Heather Danenhower, with Duke Energy, walks around utility trucks that are staged in a rural lot in The Villages of Sumter County on Wednesday.

Florida has around 6 million residents over the age of 60, according to the state’s Department of Elder Affairs – nearly 30% of its total population. As of Tuesday, all adult day cares, senior community cafes and transportation services in evacuation zones are closed, according to the department.

Authorities also readied services to fan out and respond to calls for rescue and then, in the aftermath of the hurricane, for recovery and repair efforts.

Nearly 400 ambulances, buses and support vehicles were responding to areas where the hurricane was expected to make landfall, according to the governor’s office.

DeSantis activated 5,000 Florida National Guard members for Ian’s response operations, and 2,000 more guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina were being activated to assist.

Florida urban search and rescue teams also were prepping.

“We have five state teams that are activated with additional five FEMA teams that are in play,” Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said at a news conference Tuesday night. “We have over 600 resources to bear in addition to these out-of-town teams.”

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  • Ron DeSantis, facing challenges at home, will test presidential ambitions overseas | CNN Politics

    Ron DeSantis, facing challenges at home, will test presidential ambitions overseas | CNN Politics

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    CNN
     — 

    After a trying week for his national political ambitions, Gov. Ron DeSantis is headed abroad this week for a series of visits to allied nations – an opportunity for the Florida Republican to step onto the international stage for the first time as a likely presidential contender.

    The official purpose behind DeSantis’ globetrotting is for an “international trade mission,” according to his office. DeSantis, as well as first lady Casey DeSantis and two representatives from his administration, will travel to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom to meet with officials and chat up potential business partnerships.

    “This trade mission will give us the opportunity to strengthen economic relationships and continue to demonstrate Florida’s position as an economic leader,” the governor said in a news release Thursday.

    DeSantis met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday in Tokyo where the two exchanged views on “regional affairs.” Kishida said he hopes DeSantis’ “visit to Japan will lead to the further strengthening of Japan-US and Japan-Florida relationship,” according to a Japanese foreign ministry statement published on Monday.

    While in Israel, DeSantis will also keynote an event hosted by The Jerusalem Post and the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem. The appearance there comes at a time of increased tension between the US and its Middle East ally over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul proposal.

    The trip will spotlight DeSantis’ foreign policy credentials as he inches toward a White House bid. DeSantis rose to the national consciousness as a pandemic contrarian and by leading his state through a series of cultural fights, but his views on world affairs had been less scrutinized until recently, when the governor offered a series of contradicting opinions on the war in Ukraine.

    DeSantis’ remark that support for Ukraine was not of “vital” national interest set off alarm bells among hawkish Republicans in Congress before the governor backtracked in an interview with Piers Morgan and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal. He further obscured his position a few days later by dismissing the war as a fight over the “borderlands.”

    Over his nearly six years as a congressman in Washington, DeSantis, a former Navy lawyer stationed in both Guantanamo Bay and Iraq, served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he was often critical of President Barack Obama’s overseas agenda. As governor, he has urged hard-line policies against communist governments in Cuba and China, most recently banning TikTok on state government devices and pushing legislation that would make it illegal for Chinese nationals to buy property in Florida.

    And even as he is scheduled to meet with allies to encourage business with his state, DeSantis on Friday poked fun at a United Nations committee resolution that criticized an anti-riot law he championed as governor.

    “I wear that criticism as a badge of honor,” he said at an event hosted by The Heritage Foundation outside Washington.

    DeSantis’ trip abroad marks the first time he has left US soil on official business since the early days of his first term as governor in 2019, when he visited Israel along with the state’s elected cabinet members. As an elected official, DeSantis has not visited a foreign country other than Israel.

    DeSantis’ predecessor, now-US Sen. Rick Scott, embarked on more than a dozen trade missions during his tenure as governor. DeSantis, though, has focused largely on issues at home while also dealing with a coronavirus outbreak that significantly restricted travel for much of his first term.

    As he now prepares for his first visits to Europe and East Asia as governor, DeSantis is leaving behind the most difficult stretch so far of the unofficial rollout of his expected presidential campaign, as well as challenges in his home state that have caused critics to raise questions about his extensive recent travel.

    Some key donors have publicly expressed reservations about DeSantis’ chances in a primary against Donald Trump, who continues to hammer his onetime ally on social media. The former president last week upstaged DeSantis’ return to Capitol Hill to seek support from within the chamber he once served in by rolling out a string of congressional endorsements – including a handful from Florida lawmakers. Eleven Florida Republicans have endorsed Trump over DeSantis so far – including seven last week.

    DeSantis has also faced scrutiny for his response this month to torrential storms – described as a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event – that left Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities underwater. Amid the severe flooding, DeSantis took his book tour to Ohio and spoke at a fundraiser for New Hampshire Republicans – returning to Florida in between trips for a late-night, closed-door signing of a six-week abortion ban – and said little publicly about the storms.

    “Fort Lauderdale is under water and DeSantis is campaigning in Ohio right now instead of taking care of the people suffering in his state,” Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, tweeted earlier this month.

    The storms also caused gasoline shortages throughout South Florida, leading the state’s US senators, both Republicans, to criticize the response, though without directly calling out DeSantis. Sen. Marco Rubio called the situation “crazy,” adding, “They gotta get this thing fixed.”

    “Florida families shouldn’t have uncertainty about their next tank of gas. Every resource available should be deployed to fix this,” Scott tweeted.

    Asked about the comments from Florida’s senators, DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin told CNN that “the state emergency response apparatus has been at work since the flooding occurred and continues in full swing responding to the needs of the localities as they are communicated to us. The governor issued a state of emergency the day after the flooding occurred.”

    On Saturday, DeSantis requested a major disaster declaration from the Biden administration.

    Meanwhile, in his state’s capital of Tallahassee, the Florida Legislature is nearing the end of a 60-day session where GOP lawmakers have been tasked with helping DeSantis rack up policy victories before he launches a campaign for president. He has already signed several of those bills, including the abortion ban, a measure to allow Floridians to carry concealed guns in public and an overhaul of the state’s tort laws.

    With DeSantis mostly on the road, though, several of his priorities appear to have stalled in the GOP-controlled legislature. A bill that would make it easier to sue media outlets for libel hasn’t moved in weeks. State lawmakers have also balked at a provision in DeSantis’ immigration package that would eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented residents.

    US Rep. Greg Steube, who previously served in the Florida Senate and endorsed Trump last week, accused state lawmakers on Friday of “carrying the water for an unannounced presidential campaign.”

    “Your constituents voted you into those positions to represent them, not to kowtow to the presidential ambitions of a Governor!” the GOP lawmaker tweeted. “Be strong and courageous, the people of Florida will thank you.”

    Appearing unfazed by the chatter, DeSantis on Friday rattled off his conservative victories as governor before a friendly audience at the Heritage Foundation event.

    DeSantis also looked briefly ahead to the 2024 race, laying out what was at stake in the next presidential election and suggesting the country needed a “determined and disciplined chief executive to root out politicization and corruption throughout the old executive branch” – a likely jab at the distracted and often chaotic presidency of Trump.

    “We need to reject the pessimism that is in the air about our country’s future,” DeSantis said. “Because at the end of the day, decline is a choice, success is attainable and freedom is worth fighting for.”

    This story has been updated with additional details.

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