At least 15 people died as of Thursday evening (29), Brasília time, as a result of Hurricane Ian’s passage through Florida, in the United States. Authorities estimate, however, that the total number of fatalities is expected to increase.
Ian had been downgraded to a tropical storm category. However, around 6:30 pm this Thursday (Brasilia time), the National Hurricane Center (NTH) issued an alert informing that the phenomenon was once again classified as a hurricane. At this time, the winds are approximately 120 km/h.
Also on Thursday, President Joe Biden said Ian could be “the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history.” “The numbers are still unclear, but there are early reports that there could be substantial loss of life,” he said.
Local authorities estimate that more than 500 people have already been rescued after the severe floods that have occurred in Florida since last Thursday (28). Rescue teams continue to search for survivors and people stranded.
More than 2.5 million homes are without power across the state of Florida. Several homes even suffered structural damage after the hurricane.
The expectation, however, is that normality begins to gradually return. Governor Ron DeSantis said he expects most schools to reopen this Friday (30) or Monday (3).
Meteorologists estimate that the Ian should move across the Atlantic Ocean, possibly reaching other US states such as Georgia, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. In these places, the population is already preparing to deal with the impacts caused by strong winds.
*With input from CNN’s Brandon Miller
Source: CNN Brasil
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