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
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.
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.