After Hurricane Ian’s devastation, water and electrical energy might be restored to properties, companies, colleges and hospitals in southwest Florida by Sunday, officers mentioned on Monday.
“We have put collectively a extremely good plan,” mentioned Florida’s director of emergency administration, Kevin Guthrie.
about 550,000 Properties and companies have been darkish on Monday night, 5 days after the storm hit the state’s Gulf Coast.
Training Commissioner Manny Diaz mentioned colleges remained closed in 13 counties, however all counties in southwest Florida are anticipated to be again absolutely by the top of the week. Diaz mentioned Lee, DeSoto, Charlotte, Sarasota and Hardy counties have “probably the most to cope with.”
In keeping with the Related Press, the dying toll from Ian reached not less than 78 folks: 71 4 folks have been confirmed useless in Florida, 4 in North Carolina and three in Cuba, the place Ian made his first landfall on Tuesday. Florida Legislation Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass mentioned Monday that not less than 58 folks have been confirmed useless within the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mentioned throughout a information convention on Monday that greater than 1,900 folks throughout the state have been rescued because the storm hit the state. Search and rescue efforts are on.
Earlier than and after:A Take a look at the Harm of Hurricane Ian in Florida
Ian, Fiona shatters hopes of a relaxed storm season:What is going to occur subsequent?
Flooding occurred after Hurricane Ian:These folks took out a rally to save lots of the residents, horses, cows
Energy restored to 95% of Floridians, says DeSantis
DeSantis mentioned on Monday that electrical energy had been restored to greater than two million Florida residents.
“Proper now, statewide, 95% of consumers have the ability,” the governor mentioned at a information convention on Monday. “We’re all the way down to solely 5% with out clients.”
About 550,000 properties and companies in Florida had no electrical energy on Monday morning, down from a peak of two.6 million.
The worst outages proceed to have an effect on southwest Florida, DeSantis mentioned, the place Hurricane Ian made landfall final week.
With 55% of Lee County residents, 58% of Charlotte County residents don’t have energy, in accordance with the governor.
Elon Musk Ian. Supplies satellite tv for pc Web service to residents affected by
DeSantis mentioned on Monday that Florida is within the technique of deploying 375 satellite tv for pc tools offered by Elon Musk to revive web in areas affected by Ian Hurricane.
web expertise, known as starlinkis a broadband Web service, specializing in increasing protection to rural and distant communities by launching a “constellation” of satellites into low Earth orbit by way of a SpaceX rocket.
DeSantis mentioned the satellites allowed him to carry press conferences within the Florida countryside with out a lot problem.
“Due to your modern expertise, Floridians will be capable to higher join with their family members,” he wrote on twitter,
Virginia faces historic flooding
5 days after Hurricane Ian’s first US landfall in Florida, the unbelievable storm threatened to set off the worst flooding in additional than a decade — practically 1,000 miles away — in Virginia on Monday.
After blasting via Florida after which pounding the Carolinas, the weakening however nonetheless harmful storm lashed Virginia with rain on Monday, and officers warned of probably extreme flooding by Tuesday. The remnants of the once-Class 4 hurricane moved offshore and merged with a low-pressure system anticipated to drive extra water into the already-flooded Chesapeake Bay.
Nationwide Climate Service meteorologist Cody Poche mentioned the consequence might be probably the most vital tidal flooding within the Hampton Roads space of Virginia prior to now 10 to fifteen years.
Norfolk and Virginia Seaside declared states of emergency, and Virginia Seaside warned residents to “make the mandatory preparations now if evacuation turns into needed.” The island metropolis of Chincoteague issued a voluntary evacuation order for its 3,000 residents and was opening a shelter at an area highschool.
Southwest Florida sees a rise in crime after Ian
There’s rising concern about looting and scams in southwest Florida, officers mentioned Monday.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosch mentioned on Fb that for curbside choosing, it isn’t thought-about theft or theft by regulation.
“We all know that there’s deep emotional ache in throwing away private objects that have been ruined by a storm. And it appears like a violation when strangers are passing these issues on the road. It actually hurts and triggers anger. however it isn’t unlawful and you will need to not react with violence or aggression.”
He warned pickers to not let their enthusiasm for “free stuff” go “past the suitable of means”.
“It is a crime and that is Florida. Florida householders and tenants have rights. Simply saying. Bear in mind,” Rambosch mentioned.
And the rumours are being dispelled, he mentioned. No, Naples Pier is not fully destroyed and Sanibel Lighthouse hasn’t been.
Though the lighthouse is partially gone, the sunshine stays, he mentioned.
– Laura Layden, Naples Each day Information
Florida emergency chief defends controversial evacuation determination
Florida’s Director of Emergency Administration Kevin Guthrie mentioned Monday that Lee County’s determination to not order evacuations till Tuesday morning — a day after neighboring counties warned residents of low-lying areas to go away — had solely been made by county officers. . The choice to attend in a single day to gauge Hurricane Ian’s path apparently clashed with the county’s personal planning protocol, ordering residents even when there was minimal danger of a extreme storm with an oncoming storm. . However Guthrie was a supporter of native officers.
“He made the most effective determination based mostly on the knowledge he had on the time,” Guthrie mentioned at a briefing Monday in Tallahassee. “When making choices in a catastrophe, emergency administration administrators do not have a crystal ball.”
Gasoline tax reduction is an efficient time for Floridians
Florida’s gasoline tax reduction got here on the excellent time this weekend because the state begins on its lengthy street to restoration after Hurricane Ian. The Florida Motor Gas Tax Aid Act 2022 went into impact on Saturday and drop gasoline costs Common $3.26 per gallon, the bottom each day common value since January. The state common value per gallon dropped 13 cents this week, and pump costs have already taken an enormous hit because the summer time.
“Whereas not everybody could also be fortunate sufficient to see sub-$3 gasoline, all Floridians ought to anticipate a giant low cost this week,” mentioned AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins.
, Anna Goni-Lesson, Tallahassee Democrat
Delay in deployment of newest plane service as a consequence of climate
The Navy’s Second Fleet introduced that the Navy’s latest and most superior plane service, the USS Gerald R. Ford’s first deployment, which was set to depart Norfolk, Virginia, on Monday was postponed due to hurricane issues. The date of the brand new deployment was not introduced. Ford Gerald R is the flagship of the Ford Service Strike Group, which is over 1,000 toes tall and accommodates a crew of 4,500. It should finally sail throughout the Atlantic with ships from NATO allies, the Navy mentioned.
Cat Rescue goes viral, takes donations
Michael Ross, of Naples, Florida, was in Bonita Springs when Hurricane Ian resolved via. Ross, 29, mentioned he and his household appeared out the window and Noticed a cat clinging to an air-con unit, a video Ross walks via swirling flood waters to rescue the cat unfold quickly And have helped elevate hundreds of {dollars} in charity.
“I used to be in a position to go on the market and get it, and that is a great factor I did,” Ross mentioned. “After taking that video, the water got here up like one other 6 toes. And the air conditioner he was sitting on was underwater.”
Ross began gofundme web page To help displaced pets and people in want. To date it has withdrawn greater than $22,000. However the proprietor of the cat has not been discovered but.
“If we won’t discover one, I am going to maintain it,” Ross mentioned.
– Tomas Rodriguez, Naples Each day Information
After Hurricane Ian is gone, ‘all of the water’s gone
Flooding, pushed by the 20 inches of rain that Ian dropped, blocked many roads in Florida’s DeSoto County, turning some neighborhoods into islands. Along with flooded properties, the water engulfed a gasoline station and Peace River Campground, the place about 150 folks lived year-round, officers mentioned. Widespread energy cuts and poor sail service hampered evacuation efforts by way of airboats, regardless of the assistance of the Florida Nationwide Guard. The officers have been distributing water and ready meals to the stranded individuals who didn’t need to go away.
“We find out about hurricanes however flooding is a brand new factor for us,” mentioned DeSoto County Commissioner Jesse Derriso. “Hurricane, our neighborhood was very nicely ready for it. However the flood was very unpredictable. Yearly rivers rise and fall. However what we noticed was as soon as in a lifetime. A minimum of that is what we anticipate.” Learn extra right here.
– Trevor Hughes, USA Right this moment
DeSantis seeks speedy restoration effort for ‘500-year flood occasion’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed on Sunday for fast restoration efforts in southwest Florida, closely broken by Ian final week. DeSantis visited some areas nonetheless dealing with flooding from the storm, surveyed the harm by boat at North Port in Sarasota County, after which visited Arcadia in DeSoto County. Earlier within the day, he distributed meals and water to hurricane victims in Naples, Collier County.
DeSantis mentioned at a information convention on Sunday that Arcadia’s properties have been nonetheless flooded to their roofs and that RVs have been nearly fully submerged.
“It was such an enormous storm that introduced a lot water that you simply principally did a 500-year flood occasion in DeSoto County and a few neighboring counties,” DeSantis mentioned.
Almost 600,000 properties and companies throughout Florida remained with out electrical energy on Monday, in accordance with poweroutage.us, Florida Energy & Mild, the state’s largest energy firm, mentioned it had restored energy to about 1.7 million clients and anticipated to revive most of energy by Friday.
– Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspaper

Fort Myers churchgoers share their Ian survival tales
On Sunday morning, a number of dozen seniors broke right into a damaged Fort Myers church that had been hit by Hurricane Ian just a few days earlier. An inverted jeep was mendacity outdoors and dumpers have been blown right into a tree line. Close by are a reduction mall and a cellular house park in a dilapidated state. Energy strains on the street resulting in Sanibel Island have been reduce off by a broken bridge.
There have been holes within the ground and ceiling underneath the steeple that was dropped over the South-West Baptist. The pages of the Bible started to dry up. Within the chapel, displaced members slept on makeshift beds manufactured from chairs and boiled water with propane burners.
The church insisted on holding a service – even when it needed to be held outdoors – for a weak neighborhood thundered by loss and trauma. learn full story,
– Chris Kenning, USA Right this moment
Contribution: George L. Ortiz and Nada Hasnain, USA Right this moment; Sergio Bustos, USA Right this moment Community Florida; Ed Reed and Stacey Henson, Fort Myers Information-Press; The Related Press