ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — At least one person has died as a direct result of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, according to Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie.
The state is working to confirm if the storm was responsible for the deaths of 20 other people, he added. Medical examiners would need to make those confirmations.
In Charlotte County, there are 12 unconfirmed fatalities, Guthrie said; eight deaths are unconfirmed in Collier County, and one death is confirmed in Polk County.
According to Gov. Ron DeSantis, 10,000 people who filled out a statewide notice of sheltering in place are currently unaccounted for. About 20,000 homes registered a shelter-in-place notice before Hurricane Ian hit the state.
About 700 people have been rescued, Guthrie said. DeSantis said first responders have made contact with about 3,000 homes to do a welfare check. Most of those people were doing alright, DeSantis said.
Family members can provide information about their missing loved ones by filling out a form at missing.fl.gov. Find more information about the form here.
What the full the governor's full update here: