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: September 28, 2022, 12:03 PM 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 28, 2022, 12:03 PM EDT

Ian nears record-breaking winds

Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 with 155 mph winds, is nearing record-breaking wind levels.

Only four hurricanes have ever made landfall in the continental U.S. with winds over 155 mph: Labor Day in 1935 with 185 mph winds; Camille in 1969 with 175 mph winds; Andrew in 1992 with 165 mph; and Michael in 2018 with 160 mph.

Hurricane Ian
ABC News Photo Illustration

Sep 28, 2022, 11:53 AM EDT

Naples sees record storm surge

Naples, Florida, reached a new record-high storm surge of 4.8 feet Wednesday morning -- and the water continues to rise.

This beats the record of 4.25 feet reached during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Ken Graham, director of NOAA's National Weather Service, warned Wednesday, “This is going to be a storm we talk about for many years to come -- historic event."

An airplane overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian is shown Sept. 28, 2022.
Wilfredo Lee/AP

Sep 28, 2022, 11:13 AM EDT

Ian’s eyewall moving on shore

Hurricane Ian’s eyewall is moving on shore.

The powerful Category 4 storm is set to bring catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding.

Sanibel Island has reported sustained winds of 58 mph with a wind gust reaching 75 mph.

Sarasota County Sheriff Deputies block the access to a downtown bridge over to the barrier islands as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida's Gulf Coast in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022.
Steve Nesius/Reuters

PHOTO: A U.S. postal service mailbox is dry wrapped as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida's Gulf Coast in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022.
A U.S. postal service mailbox is dry wrapped as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida's Gulf Coast in Sarasota, Fla., Sept. 28, 2022.
Steve Nesius/Reuters

Sep 28, 2022, 10:45 AM EDT

Over 2,000 flights canceled

The airports in Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale are leading the world in flight cancellations Wednesday morning.

American Airlines check-in counters are closed at Orlando International Airport ahead of Hurricane Ian, Sept. 28, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
John Raoux/AP

Over 2,000 flights have been canceled within, into, or out of the United States on Wednesday.

Another 1,600 flights are already cancelled for Thursday.

The Tampa International Airport will remain closed through Thursday.

-ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway and Sam Sweeney

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