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:
Hurricane Ian now Category 1 storm
Ian continues to gradually weaken as it moves across the Florida Peninsula, now a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds down to 90 mph. The storm is moving to the north-northeast at 8 mph, and the center is currently about 70 miles south of Orlando.
While Ian is weakening, it's still bringing widespread dangerous weather impacts across the state.
-ABC News' Dan Peck
Flash flood emergency issued in west-central Florida
A Flash Flood Emergency has been issued for parts of Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto, Hardee and Highlands counties in west-central Florida, with other areas experiencing life-threatening flash flooding.
Between 12 to 19 inches of rain has already fallen in the area.
-ABC News' Daniel Peck
Lee County sheriff: Reports of buildings compromised and vehicles floating
As Hurricane Ian makes its way across Florida, counties are assessing the devastation left by the storm.
In a Wednesday night press conference, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said that Ian hit the county extremely hard.
Marceno said he'd gotten reports of compromised homes and businesses and of vehicles floating into the ocean.
Officials said part of Fort Myers, which is in Lee County, was "decimated" by Hurricane Ian.
Marceno said residents are in need, and the county will respond to emergency calls once it's safe.
-ABC News' William Gretsky
Ian continues to gradually weaken, winds at 100 mph
Hurricane Ian continues to gradually weaken as of 10 p.m. ET, with maximum sustained winds now down to 100 mph. The storm is moving to the north-northeast at 8 mph, and its center is currently about 80 miles south of Orlando.
The Florida Peninsula continues to experience dangerous weather impacts, including strong wind gusts, torrential rain and persistent storm surge in some areas.
Areas of relentless heavy rain will continue to bring the threat of dangerous flash flooding in some areas. This threat becomes even more dangerous during overnight hours.
-ABC News' Dan Peck
‘It’s a different Sanibel,’ mayor says
Sanibel, Florida Mayor Holly Smith said that her city will not be the same following Hurricane Ian's catastrophic impact.
Smith said she was on the island for four hours Friday and witnessed the devastation firsthand.
"Unless you're on the ground, you really can't take in the gravity of what we experienced. It's a different Sanibel," Smith told ABC News Live Prime.
Smith said that she was checking in on 300 residents and that it was very important to make contact.
"As far as we know at this point, the number of fatalities recorded are four,'' Smith said.
"This is going to be a very long recovery process," Smith added of the efforts to get everybody off the island and to safety. "It's not habitable."