Hurricane Ian updates: Florida death toll climbs

Ian is expected to be at least a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds when it makes its third landfall near or north of Charleston, South Carolina, Friday, in the late morning or early afternoon.

Ian, currently a high-end tropical storm with winds up to 70 mph, is moving off the east-central coast of Florida, currently 40 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. The storm is forecast to regain hurricane strength in the next 12 hours.

Hurricane warnings remain in effect for the entire coast of South Carolina. Charleston already had almost 2 foot storm surge Thursday as Ian gets closer, and storm surge is forecast up to 7 feet.

The storm surge combined with up to 10 to 12 inches of rain is extremely concerning as the area floods easily.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin

President Joe Biden said officials are hearing early reports of what may be a substantial loss of life due to Hurricane Ian, he said at a press conference at Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters Thursday.

"This could be the deadliest storm in Florida history. The numbers we have are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life," Biden said.

Biden also promised support to state and local officials as officials assess the damage caused by the storm, saying the federal government will cover the entire cost of clearing debris and of rebuilding public buildings like schools and state fire stations. The government will also be providing support to people with destroyed or damaged homes.

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Hurricane Ian has left ‘many families hurting,’ Biden says

The president said America will “pull together as one team” in efforts to assist people impacted by the storm.

ABCNews.com

President Joe Biden and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswel spoke with Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass Thursday to discuss response to the hurricane and ways the administration can support the county in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

The administration said it would assist in meeting immediate needs for search and rescue efforts, power restoration, helping to address challenges faced by local hospitals and problems presented by damage to roads and bridges, according to a statement from the White House.

-ABC News' Justin Gomez

The Sanibel Causeway, which connects Sanibel Island to mainland Florida, and the Matlacha Pass Bridge, which connects Pine Island to the mainland in Cape Coral, are not passable and will require structural rebuilds due to the storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday.

Officials have received reports of damages to other bridges. A team of 100 engineers is on site to do bridge inspections.

"I anticipate there will likely be other bridges that have suffered damage, but once bridges are inspected and determined to be safe, they will be reopened as soon as possible," DeSantis said.