A first assessment reports at least 12 dead, but it is still provisional and must be confirmed “over the next few days”, according to local authorities.
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Devastated lands. Hurricane Ian left devastated cities in its wake on Thursday, September 29, in Florida. Downgraded to a tropical storm after its landfall, Ian strengthened again to the point of being recategorized as a hurricane by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). He sped Thursday at the end of the day towards North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
At least 12 people have died, according to the latest report. For his part, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not provide a provisional figure. He prefers to wait for the balance sheet to be confirmed “over the next few days”. An official in Charlotte County, West Florida, confirmed to CNN the death of at least “eight or nine people”without giving further details. A spokesperson for Volusia County, on the east coast, identified “one death related to Hurricane Ian”a 72-year-old man, “went out to empty your pool during the storm”. At the same time, the search continues to find 18 passengers of a migrant boat which capsized on Wednesday near the archipelago of the Keys, nine others having been rescued.
The human toll is still provisional but could be substantial. “This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history”said the American president, Joe Biden, during a visit to the premises of the federal agency which fights against natural disasters, Fema. “The figures (…) are not yet clear but we are receiving initial reports of human losses which could be substantial”, he added. Joe Biden says he wants to go to the southern state as soon as possible, but also to the American territory of Puerto Rico, an island recently damaged by hurricane Fiona.