Five days after Hurricane Ian’s first US landfall in Florida, the unrelenting storm threatened Monday to trigger some the worst flooding in more than a decade – 1,000 miles away in Virginia.
After blasting through Florida and then pounding the Carolinas, the weakened but still-dangerous storm didused Virginia with rain Sunday, and officials warned of potentially severe flooding by Tuesday.
The remnants of the eleven-Category 4 hurricane moved offshore and helped form a nor’easter expected to drive more water into an already inundated Chesapeake Bay. Cody Poche, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the result could be the most significant tidal flooding in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region in the last 10 to 15 years.
The island town of Chincoteague issued a voluntary evacuation order for its 3,000 residents and was opening a shelter at a local high school.
At least 68 people have been confirmed dead following the storm: 61 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba.
BEFORE AND AFTER:A look at Hurricane Ian’s damage in Florida
IAN, FIONA SHATTERED HOPES FOR A QUIET HURRICANE SEASON:What’s next?
AFTER HURRICANE IAN CAME THE FLOODS:These people rally to rescue residents, horses, cows
After Hurricane Ian was gone, ‘then all the water came’
The flooding driven by 20 inches of rain dropped by Ian blocked multiple roads in Florida’s DeSoto County, turning some neighborhoods into islands. In addition to flooding homes, the waters engulfed a gas station and the Peace River Campground, where about 150 people lived year-round, officials said. Lingering’ widespread power outages and poor cell service hampered evacuation efforts via airboats despite the help of the Florida National Guard. Authorities were distributing water and ready-made meals to stranded people who didn’t want to leave.
“We know about hurricanes but flooding is a new thing for us,” said DeSoto County Commissioner JC Deriso. “The storm, our community was pretty well prepared for. But the flood was pretty unexpected. Rivers rise and fall every year. But what we saw was once in a lifetime. At least we hope so.” Read more here.
– Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY
DeSantis seeks expedited recovery effort for ‘500-year flood event’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed Sunday for expedited recovery efforts in southwest Florida, heavily damaged from Ian last week. DeSantis toured some of the areas still experiencing flooding from the storm, surveying damage by boat in North Port in Sarasota County and then Arcadia in DeSoto County. Earlier in the day, he distributed food and water to hurricane victims in Naples in Collier County.
Homes in Arcadia were still flooded up to their rooftops and RVs almost completely submerged, DeSantis said at a news conference Sunday.
“This was such a big storm, that brought so much water, that you have basically what’s been a 500-year flood event here in DeSoto County, and some of the neighboring counties,” DeSantis said.
More than 600,000 homes and businesses across Florida remained without power Monday, according to PowerOutage.us. Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest power company, said it had restored electricity to nearly 1.7 million customers and expects to restore the majority of power by Friday.
— Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Fort Myers churchgoers share their Ian survival stories
Sunday morning, several dozen seniors trickled into a shattered Fort Myers church not far from where Hurricane Ian made landfall a few days earlier. Outside lay an overturned Jeep and dumpsters blown into a tree line. A nearby discount mall and a mobile home park lay in tatters. Power lines dangled over a road leading to Sanibel Island, cut off by a destroyed bridge.
Under Southwest Baptist’s toppled steeple were soaked floors and holes in the roof. Bible pages fanned out to dry. In the chapel, displaced members slept on makeshift beds made of chairs and boiled water with propane burners.
The church insisted on holding a service – even if it had to be held outside – for a vulnerable community thunderstruck by loss and trauma. Read the full story.
— Chris Kenning, USA TODAY
Ian death toll rises to at least 68, thousands rescued in Florida
The death toll from Ian climbed to at least 68 people with 61 confirmed fatalities in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba, where Ian made his first landfall Tuesday. Over 4,000 people were rescued in Florida by federal, state and local authorities, according to FEMA and US Coast Guard officials. After weathering out the storm on barrier islands, Sanibel and Pine, some residents were evacuated by helicopter.
The islands remained inaccessible by cars as parts of the causeway to Sanibel collapsed, and the bridge to Pine, the largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, was destroyed by the storm.
Floodwaters continue to rise in central Florida
Homes and streets that were passable a day or two earlier were inundated and notices advising that water for human consumption be boiled were issued to at least parts of 23 counties.
Some residents in central Florida wore fishing waders, boots while canoeing or kayaking to their homes as streets were swamped with 3 feet of water. Some residents had several inches of water inside their home.
Seminole County officials warned residents over the weekend that flooding could continue for several days, specifically in areas near the St. Johns River and its tributaries.
Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz and Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY; Sergio Bustos, USA TODAY Network Florida; Ed Reed and Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press; Associated Press
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism