Hurricane Ian updates: Florida death toll climbs
Lee County, which encompasses Fort Myers, accounts for most of the fatalities.
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.
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Storm severely damages Sanibel Causeway, Pine Island bridge
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.
Tampa International Airport to reopen 10 a.m. Friday
Tampa International Airport announced it will resume commercial operations on Friday at 10 a.m. after shutting down due to Hurricane Ian.
Although an inspection of the airfield and facilities determined the airport did not sustain any serious damage during the storm, reopening Friday will give the airport and its partners, including the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and airlines, time to take necessary steps to resume business safely, the airport said in a statement.
This includes bringing back aircraft and staff that had been removed ahead of the storm.
The airport had suspended operations at 5 p.m. on Tuesday ahead of Ian's landfall.
-ABC News' Amanda Maile
Coast Guard air crews rescue 7 people in Ft. Myers, Tampa areas
U.S. Coast Guard air crews rescued seven people in four separate rescue missions Wednesday night, Petty Officer Ayla Hudson told ABC News.
The rescues occurred in the Fort Myers and Tampa areas, Hudson said. The Coast Guard's search and rescue missions are still ongoing.
-ABC News' Victoria Arancio
Hurricane warning issued for entire coast of South Carolina
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the entire coast of South Carolina. A hurricane watch had been in place for the entire state earlier.
Now a tropical storm, Ian is expected to become a hurricane again Thursday night before making landfall near Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday morning or early afternoon.
Ian currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, just 4 mph from returning to hurricane strength.