Hurricane Ian recently made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, only the 15th to have ever been rated this high since 1851. The devastation still has a costly impact across Southwest Florida due to the hurricane’s sheer force after hitting the coastline.
Ian caused mass destruction across the state of Florida, with death tolls surpassing 100. Buildings are destroyed, and many are displaced with nowhere to go. Over 100 water-boil advisories are still in place and 560,000 people are left without power caused by Hurricane Ian.
Many relief efforts are in effect to assist those who lost everything from this devastating storm. The Florida Disaster Fund raised over $20 million within the first 48 hours after Hurricane Ian struck the state of Florida. According to their website, “The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster.” Many evacuated after Hurricane Ian and need donations as well as basic living supplies. The Red Cross also started relief efforts to aid the aftermath. The Red Cross is taking monetary donations for helping those in need. This organization not only accepts monetary donations, but they also need volunteers and offer training to those who want to help.
“Train now and be on standby to travel to support the evolving needs of this major relief effort. Volunteers are needed for day-to-day shelter activities such as reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, and information,” the Red Cross writes on its website.
Search and rescue teams have also been deployed across Florida to look for those missing. “We pre-positioned the largest amount of search-and-rescue assets that I think we’ve ever put in place before,” the FEMA administrator said.
Many still are unable to return to their homes after this storm and forced to stay in their evacuation zones. Hurricane Ian is a storm that will not be forgotten as it wreaked havoc across Puerto Rico, Florida and the Carolinas.
“In some areas of southwest Florida, Hurricane Ian left barely a trace of what once stood before. Homes along the coast were reduced to splinters, with only faint hints of their foundations visible,” The New York Times reports.
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