Hurricane Ian slams Carolina coast; Florida assesses damage in storm's aftermath

The death toll from Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest hurricanes by wind speed to ever hit the U.S., grew to nearly three dozen, with deaths reported from Cuba, Florida and North Carolina. The storm weakened Saturday as it rolled into the mid-Atlantic, but not before it washed out bridges and piers, hurdled massive boats into buildings onshore and sheared roofs off homes, leaving hundreds of thousands without power. At least 35 people were confirmed dead, including 28 people in Florida mostly from drowning but others from Hurricane Ian's tragic aftereffects. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines shut off when they lost power, authorities said. As of Saturday, more than 1,000 people had been rescued from flooded areas along Florida's southwestern coast alone, Daniel Hokanson, a four-star general and head of the National Guard, told The Associated Press while airborne to Florida. Read more: https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/nat... -- At 3News, we’re not here to tell you the news, we’re here to share the stories that you say matter most to you. Share your ideas, thoughts, concerns and engage in conversations about the communities in which we all call home. Follow 3News on Social: Facebook:   / wkyc.channel3   Twitter:   / wkyc   Instagram:   / wkyc3   Visit our site: https://www.wkyc.com/ And be sure to download our app here: https://wkyc.com/app