Ian a deadly, 'life-changing' storm, Lee County sheriff says
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC News' "Good Morning America" that Hurricane Ian was very unpredictable, with officials tracking the storm every minute and they didn't know where it would hit.
"This is a life-changing event for all of us. We tracked that storm up the coast of Florida, it was very unpredictable," Marceno said.
![PHOTO: Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno speaks at a press conference about Hurricane Ian on Sept 26, 2022, at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center in Fort Myers, Fla.](https://i.abcnewsfe.com/a/6d7ac177-74e7-4dec-9cc0-a616d14aca15/sherif-carmine-marceno-02-us-iwb-220929_1664451953660_hpEmbed_23x15.jpg)
He added, "We didn't know where it would hit. I can tell you it came into Lee County strong and it was slow moving."
Marceno said there were fatalities, but he didn't yet know the exact number.
Marceno said they are already assessing the area, but the whole area is "crushed" and people are trapped. Marceno said they have thousands of 911 calls that they are currently answering.
"We still cannot access many of the people that are in need," Marceno said. "It's a real, real rough road ahead."
In Volusia County, on Florida's east coast, authorities said one person has been confirmed dead. A 72-year-old man who went outside to drain his pool was swept away and found dead in a canal behind the house.