As Hurricane Ian Moves On, Photos Capture Full Extent Of Florida Damage

At least 21 people in Florida are dead and nearly 2 million remain without power.
An aerial view of damaged properties after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers, Florida, on Sept. 30, 2022.
An aerial view of damaged properties after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers, Florida, on Sept. 30, 2022.
Shannon Stapleton via Reuters

At least 21 people in Florida are dead and nearly 2 million remain without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian as the state takes stock of the damage wrought by the powerful storm.

Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, cautioned Friday that most storm-related deaths have yet to be confirmed. The death toll will undoubtedly also fluctuate as search and rescue efforts continue.

More than 1,000 rescue personnel have been dispatched to the Florida coast, with more than 700 rescues completed so far.

Guthrie said Coast Guard rescuers are encountering numerous flooded properties, including houses where “the water was up over the rooftop.”

At one such house, “we had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swim down into it and he could identify there appeared to be human remains,” he said.

With estimated property losses potentially as high as $47 billion, Hurricane Ian could be the most expensive storm since Hurricane Andrew destroyed and damaged more than 150,000 homes in the state in 1992.

The storm, now a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to bank north and make landfall in South Carolina on Friday.

Both North and South Carolina are bracing for 8-12 inches of coastal rainfall, with some local extremes of up to 18 inches possible in some areas. Wind gusts through Friday are expected to peak at around 100 mph.

See the latest photos below.

An aerial view of damaged properties in Fort Myers on Sept. 30.
An aerial view of damaged properties in Fort Myers on Sept. 30.
Shannon Stapleton via Reuters
Whitney Hall waves to a friend from the remains of his home while waving the American flag amidst wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian on the island of Matlacha on Sept. 30.
Whitney Hall waves to a friend from the remains of his home while waving the American flag amidst wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian on the island of Matlacha on Sept. 30.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
A swimming pool lays amongst the wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on the island of Matlacha on Sept. 30.
A swimming pool lays amongst the wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on the island of Matlacha on Sept. 30.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
The wreckage of a car teeters on a buckled roadway in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Matlacha.
The wreckage of a car teeters on a buckled roadway in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Matlacha.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
In this aerial view, vehicles line up to purchase gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte, Florida.
In this aerial view, vehicles line up to purchase gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
Vehicles drive through standing water on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte.
Vehicles drive through standing water on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte.
Win McNamee via Getty Images
A family gathers in a flooded parking lot in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Sept. 30.
A family gathers in a flooded parking lot in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on Sept. 30.
JIM WATSON via Getty Images
A man stands in floodwaters in front of his house on Sept. 30, 2022, in Kissimmee, Florida.
A man stands in floodwaters in front of his house on Sept. 30, 2022, in Kissimmee, Florida.
BRYAN R. SMITH via Getty Images
A wall of this condo was torn off as hurricane Ian passed through Fort Myers.
A wall of this condo was torn off as hurricane Ian passed through Fort Myers.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
An American flag lies partially submerged in the flooded front yard of a house in New Smyrna Beach on Sept. 30.
An American flag lies partially submerged in the flooded front yard of a house in New Smyrna Beach on Sept. 30.
JIM WATSON via Getty Images
Vehicles float in the water on Sept. 29 after Hurricane Ian passed through Bonita Springs, Florida.
Vehicles float in the water on Sept. 29 after Hurricane Ian passed through Bonita Springs, Florida.
Sean Rayford via Getty Images
People walk down a storm-littered road in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29.
People walk down a storm-littered road in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A woman stands in a destroyed building in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29.
A woman stands in a destroyed building in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A large boat crushes a vehicle in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29, 2022.
A large boat crushes a vehicle in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29, 2022.
Ted Richardson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

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