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.
Latest headlines:
14-mile stretch of Florida's I-75 reopens after shutdown due to flooding river
The Florida Department of Transportation announced Saturday that it is reopening the 14-mile stretch of Interstate 75 that was shut down due to rising river water under the highway. Officials said the Myakka River's water levels had receded enough to safely reopen the highway.
But, officials warned they may have to shut down the interstate again if water levels rise once more.
Officials had shut down I-75 from mile marker 179, near North Port and Toledo Blade Blvd. to mile marker 193, near Jacaranda Blvd, and long detours were in place.
I-75 is the main highway on the west coast of Florida and is a main route for travelers between Tampa-St. Petersburg and Fort Myers and Naples.
CDC tells healthcare professionals to be on alert for carbon monoxide poisoning
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention put out a health advisory to healthcare professionals treating patients in areas affected by Hurricanes Fiona or Ian, telling them to maintain a high index of suspicion for carbon monoxide poisoning.
"Other people who may have been exposed to the same CO source may need to be identified and evaluated," the CDC said in a health advisory.
-ABC News' Eric Strauss
North Carolina reports 4 deaths due to Ian
Four people have died in North Carolina since Friday in storm-related incidents, state officials said Saturday.
Two people died due to car accidents caused by storm conditions, one man drowned in his car and a fourth man died due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator.
Among those killed was a 25-year-old man who lost control of his vehicle and hydroplaned into another vehicle, a 24-year-old woman whose vehicle went off a wet road and struck a tree and a 22-year-old man who drowned when his truck left the roadway and submerged in a flooded swamp.
A 65-year-old man died Saturday from carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running in his closed garage while the power was out. His wife was hospitalized.
“The storm has passed, but many hazards remain with downed trees, downed power lines and power outages,” said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in a press release. “We mourn with the families of those who have died and urge everyone to be cautious while cleaning up to avoid more deaths or injuries.”
Rain pushes north
A flood watch remains in effect in parts of Virginia and West Virginia on Saturday as Ian’s remnants push north.
The storm is significantly weakened, but winds may still top 35 mph as rain covers the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend.
-ABC News’ Daniel Amarante
Gov. Ron DeSantis urges residents all over Florida to prepare for storm
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is imploring Floridians to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian, no matter which side of the state they live on.
While Ian is forecast to make landfall on the west coast or panhandle of Florida in a matter of days, DeSantis warned those not in its direct path against a false sense of security.
"Just don't think that if you're not in that eye, that somehow you don't have to make preparations," DeSantis said during a news conference on Sunday. "The last thing we want to see you see it start to really bear east quickly and then have folks who are not prepared."
DeSantis, who has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, will be requesting assistance from FEMA, he said.
About 2,500 Florida Nationals Guardsman have been activated to respond to the storm.
-ABC News' Miles Cohen