Hurricane Ian updates: Florida death toll climbs

Lee County, which encompasses Fort Myers, accounts for most of the fatalities.

ByJulia Jacobo, Teddy Grant, Kevin Shalvey, Emily Shapiro, Melissa Gaffney, Meredith Deliso, Jon Haworth, Nadine El-Bawab, and Stephanie Guerilus
Last Updated: October 4, 2022, 7:27 AM EDT

The remnants of Ian are charging up the East Coast on Saturday after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina on Friday afternoon.

The monster storm made its first U.S. landfall on Wednesday on Florida's west coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, shredding homes with ferocious winds topping 150 mph. Florida's death toll has climbed to at least 81, according to information from local officials.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Sep 27, 2022, 8:33 PM EDT

Some Florida residents begin evacuating ahead of Ian's landfall

Some Florida residents have begun evacuating their homes as Hurricane Ian approaches.

PHOTO: Allen Silke, 33, left, helps his brother's family, Isabella, 4, JP, 8 and Heather, 35, load their belongings into vehicles as they evacuate their home before Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022
Allen Silke, 33, left, helps his brother's family, Isabella, 4, JP, 8 and Heather, 35, load their belongings into vehicles as they evacuate their home before Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022. Heather Silke said Allen will take in the family's dogs as they shelter with family friends in Riverview at Publix in Plant City.
Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times via ZumaPress

People are seeking shelter ahead of the storm, which is currently forecast to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane sometime Wednesday afternoon.

People get settled into the gym at Island Coast High School, the only shelter open ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian, in Cape Coral, Ft Myers, Fla., on the afternoon of Sept. 27, 2022.
Amanda Inscore/The News-Press via USA Today Network

PHOTO: Heather Silke, 35, carries Nugget, the family's 16-year-old Chihuahua, as they evacuate from their home to shelter with family friends in Riverview before Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022.
Heather Silke, 35, carries Nugget, the family's 16-year-old Chihuahua, as they evacuate from their home to shelter with family friends in Riverview before Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022. Silke said they plan for her brother-in-law to take in the family's dogs.
Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times via ZumaPress

Ian remains a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph as of Tuesday might.

It’s moving north-northeast at 10 mph and the center is located about 180 miles south-southwest of Punta Gorda, Florida.

There have been multiple tornado warnings in the area over the past few hours. A large tornado was reported on the ground in southern Broward County, near Davie, at around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Cape Coral residents arrive at Island Coast High School for shelter after mandatory evacuations in areas of the city were implemented due to possible impact from Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla., Sept. 27, 2022
Ricardo Rolon/The News-Press via USA Today Network

-ABC News’ Daniel Peck

Sep 27, 2022, 7:34 PM EDT

Satellite images show lightning-packed eye of Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian is barreling toward Florida, and satellite images show the eye of the storm packed with lightning as it strengthens over the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is currently forecast to make landfall on Florida's western coast on Wednesday between 1 and 6 p.m., somewhere between Port Charlotte and Sarasota.

See the latest maps and read more about Hurricane Ian's projections and possible paths here.

Sep 27, 2022, 6:31 PM EDT

DeSantis on Hurricane Ian: 'This thing is the real deal, it is a major, major storm'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has urged Floridians to take Hurricane Ian seriously as the powerful storm heads to the state.

"You don't get a mulligan when your personal safety is at risk,” he said during a press conference on Tuesday.

About 2.5 million people in the state are under evacuation orders.

"This thing is the real deal. It is a major, major storm,” DeSantis said.

-ABC News’ Darren Reynolds

Sep 27, 2022, 5:43 PM EDT

5,000 Florida Guardsmen activated and prepping for Hurricane Ian

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has activated 5,000 Florida National Guardsmen to armories across the state in preparation for Hurricane Ian, which is forecast to hit the state on Wednesday.

Roughly 2,000 National Guard members from neighboring states such as Tennessee are also being activated to assist, the Florida National Guard said in a statement Tuesday.

"The Florida National Guard is well-equipped, with assets including high-wheeled vehicles, helicopters, boats, generators and more," the statement said.

The U.S. Navy has authorized non-essential personnel in various Florida counties to evacuate.

-ABC News’ Matt Seyler

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