Biden declares ‘major disaster’ in Florida as hundreds feared dead

The president has ordered federal aid to help recovery efforts

President Joe Biden has declared a “major disaster” in Florida after Hurricane Ian left a trail of destruction in its wake.

His declaration comes as hundreds of people are believed to have been killed and thousands are waiting to be rescued in Fort Myers and the surrounding Lee Country area.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told American broadcaster ABC: “I definitely know that fatalities are in the hundreds, there are thousands of people waiting, that are waiting to be rescued, but again we can’t get a true assessment until we’re on [the] scene.”

One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States, Hurricane Ian has flooded homes, torn off part of a hospital roof and knocked out power to millions of people after making landfall on Wednesday. The storm, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm status, is now headed toward northeast Florida.

Early Thursday morning local time, President Biden ordered federal aid to help recovery efforts in affected areas, which can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property loss.

Federal funding is also available to local government and some not-for-profit groups to fund debris removal, and mitigate against further hazards, he said.

The president’s declaration comes as concerns mount for 23 missing migrants after their boat sank off the coast of Florida in the midst of the hurricane. Elsewhere, people have taken to social media to plea for help after they were trapped in their homes.

Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday, roaring into southwest Florida as a strong Category 4 Hurricane with winds of up to 155 mph. Its winds extended outward hundreds of miles, and rain poured over much of the state.

A view of Fort Myers, Florida, after Hurricane Ian passed through (Getty Images)

It came ashore some 100 miles south of Tampa, missing the densely populated Tamp Bay area for a direct hit.

The National Hurricane Center downgraded Ian to a tropical storm status on Thursday morning, with wind speeds around 76 miles per hour but the storm is still above land and is only expected to pass over the Atlantic Ocean later Thursday.

Attractions in parts of Florida including Walt Disney World Resort Florida and Universal Orlando Resort closed as the storm moved across the state, and a Florida bird park posted a photo of flamingos hunkering down in a bathroom at the park.