Hurricane Ian Death Toll Rises; Most Florida Victims Died by Drowning 

The devastation left behind by Hurricane Ian is still being felt, as local officials report more than 100 victims of the deadly storm.

Most deaths occurred in Florida, with at least 127 succumbing to the hurricane across the affected areas. According to ABC News, 56 deaths were reported in Lee County, 24 in Charlotte County, and Monroe and Sarasota reported seven each as of Wednesday evening. Five lives were lost in North Carolina and one in Virginia. Three people died in Cuba when Ian first slammed the island.

Sadly, most of the deceased were over the age of 70. Nearly 60% of the fatalities were due to drowning. Many of those who perished were unable to evacuate, and their bodies were found during search and rescue efforts. Concerned family and friends located others. Past research has shown that rising storm waters are the number one killer during powerful storms. Experts warned ahead of Ian that the storm surge would be 12-18 feet. Before the hurricane, one victim died while trying to prepare for the storm by adding shutters to his roof.

Hurricane Ian is among the deadliest storms in U.S. history. In fact, according to Washington Post, Ian is likely the Sunshine State’s deadliest hurricane since 1935.

In 2012, Hurricane Sandy claimed 117 lives, while the devastating Hurricane Katrina killed nearly 1,800 people in 2005. However, these stats are debatable in most cases. For instance, the death toll was heavily debated when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017. The lowest count has stood at 64, with the highest number being 4,000. Officials updated the number of deaths to 2,975 in 2018, though residents continue to debate this toll.