News

Hurricane Ian death toll continues to climb in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — Officials said as of Tuesday morning, more than 100 people have died from Hurricane Ian.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

At least 103 people in Florida and North Carolina died because of the storm.

Watch: Floodwaters continue to rise, inching into homes in St. Cloud

More than half of those victims, at least 54 people, died in Lee County, where Ian made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Officials in the southwestern part of the state are being questioned about whether evacuation orders should have been issued sooner.

Watch: Geneva residents voice frustration over Seminole County’s response to Hurricane Ian

Meanwhile, the urgent search for survivors is still underway.

Officials in Southwest Florida said they do not know how many people could be missing.

Read: ‘We will make it’: Hurricane Ian shakes SW Florida’s faith but can’t destroy it

In parts of Central Florida, the biggest issue people are facing is historic flooding.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.