Hurricane Ian leaves behind heavy damage in Florida’s Key West
Ian is at hurricane status once more as the tropical storm ploughs towards the Carolinas on the southeast US coastline on Friday.
South Carolina, which is subject to major flood warnings, strong winds and a “life threatening storm surge”, is where the hurricane is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon.
President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for South Carolina ahead of time as the National Hurricane Center warns of Ian’s strengthening over the Atlantic.
In Florida, rescue operations have been taking place after unprecedented flooding from one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the United States. It remains unclear how many people are exactly missing.
Thousands of people are stranded across the state and some 2.5 million people remain without power, in damage and economic losses that could amount to as much as $120bn, according to the latest estimate.
