"Like a War Zone," Survivors Described Situation After Hurricane Ian Ravaged Areas in Florida

After Hurricane Ian, the crisis gets worse and is described as "a battle zone." As thousands of people continued to be without power, the death toll in the US reached 100 on Monday. Images from a barrier island close to where Ian crashed ashore, in the meantime, create a fresh picture of the storm's ferocity.

US-WEATHER-HURRICANE-IAN — Debris is seen in Fort Myers, Florida, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on October 1, 2022. - Shocked Florida communities counted their dead Saturday as the full scale of the devastation came into focus, two days after Hurricane Ian tore into the coastline as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States. Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

Rising Death Toll

The death toll from Hurricane Ian is still rising, and residents of Florida are still struggling to come to terms with the devastation the enormous storm wreaked. On Monday, hundreds of people still had no access to electricity, houses and highways were still under water, and barrier islands were cut off from the rest of the country.

Photos and images recently released from Hurricane Ian's landfall epicenter demonstrate the storm's incredible force. On Captiva Island, a barrier island in Lee County, close to where Ian made its first landfall in the United States as a Category 4 hurricane, houses are hardly recognizable.

Storm chaser Brandon Clement's video shows the island covered with debris, downed trees, and power lines. Watermark marks inside homes reveal horrifying details about how high the storm surge surged. The floors are coated with a sand and muck combination, and furniture is strewn about.

Also Read: Northeast Beaches May Experience Drizzles As Leftover Energy from Ian Looms Over

Still Reeling from the Calamity

Hurricane Ian Slams Into West Coast Of Florida — Brenda Brennan sits next to a boat that pushed against her apartment when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. Mrs. Brennan said the boat floated in around 7pm. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Although Hurricane Ian hit Florida over a week ago, bringing with it devastating storm surge and copious rains, river levels continued to climb on Monday, and many houses and streets were still under water.

According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, "the sandy soil in Florida can absorb low to moderate quantities of rain relatively fast, but when you have rains of 1-2 feet, even that may be overwhelmed." "That can drain off, but it can take a while."

Officials caution that the floodwaters will create a perilous situation while rescue and recovery attempts go on.

According to Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, "We see so many more injuries and sometimes more fatalities following the storm," The Associated Press said. Standing water poses various risks since it contains trash and maybe even electricity cables.

As of Monday, at least 101 American fatalities associated with Ian have been verified, according to CNN Newsource. According to the governor of Florida, at least 99 of the fatalities happened there and four in North Carolina. With 54 fatalities reported, Lee County in Florida was the area with the most casualties. Three deaths were also recorded by the Associated Press in Cuba, the country that Ian impacted before the United States.

During her interview on Fox News Sunday, Criswell said, "We pre-positioned the highest number of search-and-rescue assets that I think we've ever put in place before."

Visit from the POTUS

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Florida communities devastated by Ian on Wednesday. The island nation of Puerto Rico, severely damaged by Hurricane Fiona two weeks ago, was visited by Biden on Monday.