A resurgent Hurricane Ian lashed the South Carolina coast on Friday, smashing docks and filling neighborhoods with calf-deep water, after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and left thousands stranded.
The center of Ian made landfall near Georgetown with much weaker winds than when it crossed Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the United States.
Sheets of rain lashed trees and power lines and left many areas of the central Charleston peninsula under water. A popular pier in the beach community of Pawleys Island collapsed and floated away. In Myrtle Beach, the waves pushed the tourist area of the boardwalk.
Ian left a wide swath of destruction after making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday as one of the strongest storms ever to hit the US. The storm flooded areas on both coasts of Florida, tore homes off their slabs, toppled beachfront businesses and left more than two million people without power. At least nine people were confirmed dead in the state, a number likely to rise as officials confirm more deaths and continue to search for people.
Rescue teams piloted boats and waded through streets Thursday to save thousands of people trapped amid flooded homes and destroyed buildings.
LOOK | An aerial view of Ian’s destructive path:
Florida cleans up after Hurricane Ian, officials say it could take years to rebuild
Hurricane Ian has increased in size again as it heads toward South Carolina. The extent of the damage in Florida, where Ian first made landfall on Wednesday as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the North American continent, became more apparent Thursday as emergency crews began arriving in stranded residents
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said rescue teams have gone door-to-door to more than 3,000 homes in the worst-hit areas.
“It really has been a herculean effort,” he said during a news conference in Tallahassee on Friday.
Climate change added at least 10 percent more rain to Hurricane Ian, according to a study prepared immediately after the storm, said co-author climate scientist Michael Wehner of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Among the dead were an 80-year-old woman and a 94-year-old man who were relying on oxygen machines that stopped working amid the power outages, as well as a 67-year-old man who was waiting to be rescued who died when he fell. to rising water in his home, authorities said.
LOOK | Florida officials say cleanup from Ian could take years:
Aerial images of Florida show the destruction of Hurricane Ian
Two days after Hurricane Ian ripped through Florida’s Gulf Coast, the images above show the destruction left behind.
Officials fear the death toll could rise substantially, given the vast territory inundated by the storm.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said officials have so far focused on “rushed” searches, aimed at emergency rescues and initial assessments, which will be followed by two additional waves of searches First responders who come across possible debris are leaving it unconfirmed, he said Friday, citing the case of a submerged house as an example.
“The water was up on the roof to the right, but we had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer go down there and he was able to identify what appeared to be human remains. We don’t know exactly how many,” Guthrie said.
“There is water everywhere”
Desperate to locate and rescue their loved ones, social media users shared phone numbers, addresses and photos of their family and friends online for anyone to check.
Orlando residents returned to flooded homes Friday, pulling up their pants to wade through muddy, knee-deep water on their streets. Friends of Ramon Rodriguez left ice, bottled water and hot coffee at the entrance to his subdivision, where 10 of the 50 homes were flooded and the road looked like a lake. He had no electricity or food in his home, and his car was stuck in water.
“There’s water everywhere,” Rodriguez said. “The situation here is pretty bad.”
College students evacuate an apartment complex that was completely flooded by Ian in Orlando, Florida on Friday. (John Raoux/The Associated Press)
University of Central Florida students living in an apartment complex near the Orlando campus arrived to retrieve possessions from their water-filled units.
Deandra Smith, a nursing student, was asleep when others evacuated and stayed in her third-floor apartment with her dog. Other students helped her dry off Friday by pushing her across the flooded parking lot on a pontoon. She wasn’t sure if she should return to her parents’ home in South Florida or find shelter so she can still attend classes. “I’m still trying to figure it out,” he said.
The devastating storm surge destroyed many older homes on the barrier island of Sanibel, Florida, and cracked its sand dunes. The tallest condo buildings were intact but with the bottom floor blown out. Trees and utility poles were scattered everywhere.
Houses destroyed by Ian are seen on San Carlos Island, Florida on Friday. (Marie Morrisey/CBC)
Municipal rescuers, private crews and the Coast Guard used boats and helicopters Friday to evacuate residents who were caught in the storm and then cut off from the mainland when a causeway collapsed. Volunteers who rode to the island on personal watercraft helped escort an elderly couple to an area where Coast Guard lifeguards took them aboard a helicopter.
Hours after weakening to a tropical storm as it crossed the Florida peninsula, Ian regained strength Thursday evening over the Atlantic. Ian made landfall in South Carolina with maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h. When it hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, it was a powerful Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph (240 km/h).
After the heaviest rain swept through Charleston, Will Shalosky examined a large elm tree in front of his house that had fallen on his downtown street.
A firefighter examines a large fallen tree on a road in Charleston on Friday. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
“If this tree fell any other way, it would be on our house,” Shalosky said. “It’s pretty scary, pretty distressing.”
In North Carolina, bands of heavy rain and winds moved across the state Friday afternoon. Governor Roy Cooper warned residents to be alert, given that some areas could see up to 20 centimeters of rain, with strong winds.
“Hurricane Ian is on our doorstep. Expect heavy rain and strong sustained winds across most of our state,” Cooper said. “Our message today is simple: be smart and be safe.”
Vehicles ride on water in Charleston on Friday. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press)
In Washington, President Joe Biden said he was directing “every possible action to save lives and get help to survivors.”
“It’s going to take months, years to rebuild,” Biden said.
“I just want the people of Florida to know, we see what you’re going through and we stand with you.”