At least 65 dead as deadly Storm Ian finally blows out

Hurricane Ian finally slowed yesterday to a post-tropical cyclone bringing heavy rains and winds to Virginia. Florida's death toll jumped to 65 people from the devastating storm as search and rescue efforts continued. So far, hundreds of stranded people have been rescued.

- GRAIG GRAZIOSI

The storm made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday close to the city of Fort Myers. It was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved across the state but regained strength over the Atlantic Ocean, reaching Category 1 hurricane status again. The storm then made landfall again in South Carolina, north of Charleston.

Up to 12ft of storm surge submerged portions of Florida's west coast collapsing homes and offices, and causing untold amounts of property damage. Law enforcement officials in Florida said more deaths will likely be reported as rescue crews continue to work through the post-storm wreckage.

One man died in Deltona while he was trying to drain his pool. He slipped down an embankment and was washed into a canal. Two men reportedly died while helping their wives climb out of a window to reach a tree from the home where the couples were sheltering.

“These guys pushed their wives out the windows to where a tree was,” a friend, Kevin Behen, told CNN. “They just looked at their wives and they said, ‘We can’t hold on anymore, we love you. Bye,’ and that was it.”