New York, Europe Brief News – At least 10 people have died in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which cut a swathe of destruction across the US state.
The state officials expressed fear that the confirmed toll could rise considerably.
US President Joe Biden has warned the category one storm could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history, with a “substantial loss of life”.
Ian is now moving inland and heading towards North and South Carolina.
A blackout is still affecting some 2.2 million Florida homes and businesses.
The flood waters have been so severe they have trapped some people in their homes, officials said, with the National Guard going door to door in the city of Orlando to rescue those stranded.
Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida on Wednesday.
The hurricane turned the streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland.
As Hurricane Ian rolls on and attention moves to Florida, many on the island expressed fear about being forgotten.
“To the people of Puerto Rico, we have not gone away,” President Biden said on Thursday, speaking at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) in Washington DC.
“I will stand by you and the recovery of the island, we will stand by you no matter how long it takes.”
