People kayaking down streets that were passable a day or two ago. Hundreds of thousands of people without electricity. National Guard helicopters on missions to rescue residents still stranded on Florida’s barrier islands.
Days after Hurricane Ian left a path of destruction from Florida to the Carolinas, the danger lingered and was even worsening in some places. It was clear that the road to destruction after the huge storm would be long and arduous.
Besides, Ian wasn’t done yet. The storm dumped downpours on Virginia on Sunday and authorities warned of the risk of severe flooding along its coast, starting Monday night.
Ian’s remnants drifted out to sea and formed a northeasterly front that was expected to dump even more water onto the already flooded Chesapeake Bay. The system could cause the worst coastal flooding in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area in 10 to 15 years, said Cody Poche, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The island town of Chincoteague declared a state of emergency Sunday and strongly recommended that residents in some areas evacuate. The eastern seaboard and northern Outer Banks of North Carolina were also expected to be affected.
At least 68 deaths have been confirmed, 61 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba.
As the death toll climbed, Deanne Criswell, administrator of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said the federal government was willing to offer tremendous help, focusing first on the victims. victims in Florida, who bore the brunt of one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall in the United States. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were scheduled to visit the state on Wednesday.
Flooded roads and broken bridges leading to islands have left many people isolated amid limited cell phone service and a lack of basic services like water, electricity and internet. Authorities warned that the situation is not expected to improve in many areas for several days because all the rain that has fallen has nowhere to drain off.
Fewer than 700,000 Florida homes and businesses were still without power Sunday night, down from a peak of 2.6 million.
Criswell told “Fox News Sunday” that the federal government, including the Coast Guard and Department of Defense, has begun to organize “the largest number of search-and-rescue assets that I think we’ve ever put together before.”
However, recovery will take time, said Criswell, who visited the state on Friday and Saturday to assess the damage and speak with survivors. He warned that there is still danger from downed power lines in areas with stagnant water.
More than 1,600 people have been rescued statewide, according to the state’s emergency management agency.
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