Hurricane Ian moving up East Coast
A downgraded Hurricane Ian has brought heavy rain, flash floods and high winds to the Carolinas even as flooding is expected to continue in central Florida.
The National Hurricane Centre said gusty winds are expected to continue today over portions of North and South Carolina.
While the storm was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone earlier on Friday, the agency warned river flooding will continue through next week across central Florida.
Meanwhile, president Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for South Carolina.
The storm hit Florida as one of the most powerful hurricanes in the state’s history, with wind speeds nearly reaching Category 5.
Nearly 2 million people in Florida remain without power – and economic losses could amount to $120bn, according to an estimate.
The state’s death toll also continues to rise as officials survey damage.
On Friday morning, Kevin Guthrie, director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management said there were reports of at least 21 deaths, adding that some of those remained unconfirmed.
Some 10,000 people were unaccounted for, he said, but many of them were likely in shelters or without power.
