As Ian's death toll rises, questions swirl on why more Floridians didn't evacuate

Eastbound traffic crowds Interstate 275 as people evacuate before the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 27. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)

In Florida, at least 119 people died in Hurricane Ian. Most of those deaths came from drowning in a storm surge as high as 18 feet in some areas.

The largest number of fatalities was in Lee County, home to three islands that saw the greatest impact from the storm. But it was also a county that delayed ordering residents to evacuate for more than a day, despite warnings from meteorologists that it would see "life-threatening" flooding.