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:
At least 30 rescues in Naples Wednesday
There were at least 30 rescues in Naples, Florida, on Wednesday amid ongoing rescue operations, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said.
"Our East Naples deputies did 30 rescue missions today. We are still collecting numbers from other areas. We are still rescuing people," the office wrote on Facebook.
"Water is everywhere. It will recede. There will be damage," it added. "Tomorrow we will have a better idea of the extent of damage. We will keep you updated."
More than 2 million customers without power in Florida
The number of customers without power in Florida has topped 2 million, as Hurricane Ian continues making its way across the state.
Most of the outages are in the southern Gulf side of the state, primarily in Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
The outages are moving east as the storm moves across the state.
-ABC News' Darren Reynolds
Jacksonville mayor announces closure of 3 major beaches
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced Wednesday evening that the city is closing Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville beaches ahead of Hurricane Ian’s impact on the area.
“We will reopen as soon as it’s safe for citizens,” Curry tweeted.
Ian downgraded to Category 2 hurricane
Hurricane Ian has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm as of a 9 p.m. ET update, with winds now at 105 mph.
-ABC News' Riley Winch
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