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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Ian moves closer to Florida’s west coast

Hurricane Ian was moving closer to Florida’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 a.m. ET update on the storm's position.

The eye of the Category 3 storm was about 95 miles southwest of Naples, Florida, and was moving north-northeast at about 10 mph, officials said.

“On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area this morning, and move onshore later today,” the update said.

Officials said the storm was expected to pass over central Florida on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, before emerging over the Atlantic Ocean late Thursday.

The hurricane was “expected to cause life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding in the Florida peninsula,” the update said.


Miami-Dade County suspends transit service

Officials in Miami-Dade County suspended transit services at 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday, as Hurricane Ian approached Florida.

Florida’s most populous county halted its Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover and Special Transportation Services until further notice, officials said in a news release.

-ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway


DeSantis tells Floridians time to evacuate is 'now'

Hurricane Ian is fast approaching Florida, and the time to leave is "now" if you're in an evacuation zone, Gov. Ron DeSantis said late Tuesday during a press conference.

"Your time to evacuate is coming to an end. You need to evacuate now. You're going to start feeling major impacts of this storm relatively soon," the governor said. "Now is the time to do it, and now is the time to act."

As of Tuesday night, about 8,000 people were without power in the southern part of Florida, officials said.

Conditions are expected to continue to deteriorate across central and south Florida, with landfall currently forecast sometime between Wednesday afternoon and early evening.

Elsewhere, a tropical storm warning is now in effect along the coast of Georgia and up to Charleston, S.C.

-ABC News' Darren Reynolds, Dan Peck


Biden spoke with DeSantis, White House press secretary says

President Joe Biden spoke Tuesday night with Gov. Ron DeSantis ahead of Hurricane Ian's arrival "to discuss the steps the federal government is taking to help Florida prepare," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted.

"The president and the governor committed to continued close coordination," Jean-Pierre wrote.

-ABC News' Mary Bruce


'We hear your calls': Sheriff

Lee County has received more than double the number of 911 calls it typically receives amid Hurricane Ian, according to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, as first responders have suspended their emergency response during the major storm.

"We hear your calls and are aware that Hurricane Ian was a powerful and devastating weather event," Marceno said in a social media post Wednesday evening. "We want to get to you. We want to save you. As soon as safely possible, our assets are ready to deploy to come to your aide."

Ben Abes, Lee County's public safety director, said current conditions, including flooding, make it "impossible" for first responders to go out. He said the county is tracking 911 calls and prioritizing them once first responders are able to act after the hurricane passes.

"We are aware of a number of calls of people who are stranded due to high water," he said during a press briefing Wednesday evening. "This is a scary situation. We urge you not to panic."

Lee County, which is home to hard-hit Fort Myers, Sanibel and Bonita Beach, issued a countywide curfew Wednesday evening due to the storm that is in effect until further notice.