After slamming Florida, Hurricane Ian barrels into South Carolina

By Elizabeth Wolfe, Travis Caldwell, Christina Walker, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt, Elise Hammond and Seán Federico O'Murchú, CNN

Updated 10:02 p.m. ET, September 30, 2022
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11:47 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

A man drowned in his flooding Volusia County home before rescue crews reach him, officials say 

From CNN’s Hannah Sarisohn 

A 67-year-old man waiting to be rescued by high-water crews died Thursday night in his New Smyrna Beach home after falling and not being able to get up before the water level rose over him, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.  

The home was in an area inaccessible by standard patrol vehicles as the streets were flooded with waist-high water levels, according to the sheriff’s office. 

The man and his wife were on a list to be rescued, the sheriff’s office said. 

“Rescuers performed life-saving measures but were unable to revive the victim. He was pronounced deceased on scene. His wife and 2 dogs in the house were taken to a storm shelter,” the release said. “A deputy also recovered a third dog from the home and transported it to an animal shelter.” 

This is the second storm-related death in Volusia Sheriff’s Office jurisdiction, the release said. A 72-year-old man died Thursday in Deltona after falling in a canal behind his home, according to the release. 

The Florida governor’s office previously reported 21 deaths thought to be related to Hurricane Ian. CNN’s tally of storm-related deaths now stands at 23. 

10:53 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

Charleston airport closes ahead of Hurricane Ian

From CNN’s Stephanie Gallman

Charleston International Airport airfield has closed due to high winds from Hurricane Ian, according to a post on its website

The current plan is to reopen on Saturday at 6 a.m. ET, it added.

10:57 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

Barges will run heavy equipment onto Sanibel Island due to causeway damage

From CNN’s Rebekah Riess

A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Thursday.
A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Thursday. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)

The Florida Division of Emergency Management will begin running barges to Lee County's Sanibel Island to be able to bring more heavy equipment onto the island and help with cleanup efforts, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday, after Hurricane Ian washed the sandbar out from underneath the Sanibel Causeway.

The barges will allow responders to bring heavier equipment in, as first responders that have been arriving largely by air and were “traveling lighter” to be able to get to people as quickly as possible, the governor said.

“Fortunately, they're not finding like desperate people waving,” DeSantis said. “There’s some people that are brought off the island, they're thankful, but many of these people on Sanibel, some are saying ‘We're fine, thanks for coming by and doing that.’ So obviously there's going to be more that happens in the next few days, but I do think the response was very, very quick. I think it absolutely has made a huge difference.”

The Florida Division of Emergency Management so far has made 3,000 touch points with people in the field and rescued 700 individuals, Director Kevin Guthrie said.

Damage to the Sanibel Causeway is seen on Thursday.
Damage to the Sanibel Causeway is seen on Thursday. (Steve Helber/AP)

10:44 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

President Biden spoke with Gov. DeSantis again today

From CNN's Betsy Klein

President Joe Biden spoke by phone on Friday with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for a third time this week as the state is dealing with catastrophic devastation from Hurricane Ian.

“.@POTUS just spoke on the phone with Governor DeSantis and FEMA Administrator Criswell, who is on the ground in Florida. The President received an update on response efforts in the state and made clear the Federal government will continue to be there for the people of Florida,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a tweet.

Biden said Thursday that he plans to visit Florida “when the conditions allow” and that he would meet with DeSantis during his trip “if he wants to meet.” 

10:37 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

Major flooding remains a possibility near Jacksonville, National Weather Service says 

From CNN’s Hannah Sarisohn 

Storm surge warnings remain in effect Friday along the intercoastal waterway and St. Johns River south of downtown Jacksonville, Florida, according to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville

The Intercoastal Water Way could flood between 2 and 4 feet with up to 2 feet of flooding along the Atlantic coast, according to the weather service. 

The weather service said “trapped tides will exacerbate flooding” in the St. Johns River possibly into next week. 

Ian will make landfall in the Carolinas Friday afternoon and evening, according to the weather service. 

“We hope everyone is doing ok as Ian thankfully makes its way north. There is still the possibility of storm surge and flooding today,” according to a city of Jacksonville Facebook post.

“Please continue to take caution if you have to be on the roadways.  If you encounter flooded roads, turn around — don’t drown," the post continued.

10:22 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

Most Floridians without power should get a restoration timeline by later Friday, utility spokesperson says

Florida Power & Light spokesperson Peter Robbins said most Floridians without power should have a timeline of restoration from the company by later this evening.

"Later today, we're going to be able to provide our customers — in most areas — a more detailed timeline of restoration. We're still doing damage assessments in the hardest-hit areas where it's just been difficult to access those locations because of floodwaters and because of debris. So those hardest-hit areas will take more time and getting that timeline will take us a little longer but we should have an estimate for most of our customers later this evening," Robbins told CNN's Jim Sciutto.

He encouraged residents of the hardest-hit locations to continue to stay in place if they are in a secure location.

"Sit tight. ... Even if you manage to make your way back to your home, you're probably going to be without power for a little bit," he said, adding that people should check with emergency officials and their local sheriff's office before heading out.

Currently, about 1.9 million Floridians still do not have power, according to PowerOutage.us.

9:54 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

How Charleston residents can prepare for Hurricane Ian's impact

As South Carolina braces for Hurricane Ian, which is expected to make landfall today as a Category 1 storm, here's what Joe Coates, director of emergency management division in Charleston County, South Carolina, hopes residents would do.

  • Stay off the road
  • Stay home
  • Do not drive around floodwaters
  • Do not remove barriers

"Eventually, the storm winds are going to get up so high where our first responders are going to be recalled back to the stations. And we really don't need to try to have to rescue people that are out and about when these high winds come," he told CNN Friday.

One key factor for Coates has been the settlement of new residents in the area who may not be experienced in hurricane preparation.

"So we've done our best to try to educate everyone and make sure that they know what the effects are from these storms. And we've just tried to make sure that people heed the advice of first responders and our public officials to stay home and stay off the roads," he said.

 

9:45 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

Emergency responders line up to enter Bonita Springs

From CNN’s Caroll Alvarado

Bonita Springs, Florida, resident Brett Wheatley captured video of a lengthy stretch of first-responder vehicles in line along a highway while driving back to his home.

Bonita Springs is north of Naples and south of Fort Myers.

9:23 a.m. ET, September 30, 2022

How to stay safe while using a portable generator

Nearly 2 million people across Florida are still without power Friday morning, and officials continue to warn people to take precautions when firing up portable generators.

Generators can be immensely helpful for storm victims without power — but they can also be deadly when used incorrectly.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after storms in areas dealing with power outages,” the National Weather Service said. There is also a risk of electrocution or the generator starting a fire, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Here are some other tips to keep in mind, according to the National Hurricane Center:

  • Never use a generator inside an enclosed space, such as a house or garage. Keep the generator outside, at least 20 feet away from any doors or windows, the NWS said.
  • It’s also a good idea to have a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector, as carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless.
  • If you feel sick or dizzy, find fresh air and get medical attention, the NHC said.
  • Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. "Gasoline or other flammable liquids spilled on hot engine parts could ignite," according to FEMA.