FLORIDA — NBC News reported Thursday night that the death toll in Florida has risen to 12 people in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
President Joe Biden said Hurricane Ian may be responsible for "substantial loss of life" and could end up being the deadliest storm in Florida history.
By Thursday night, the death toll had climbed to 12, although the state has refused to officially comment on deaths.
Nearly 2 million homes and businesses across Floridaremained without power after Ian walloped the state as one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S.
Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning after it slammed into Florida’s southwest coast as a major Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, bringing winds of 150 mph and life-threatening storm surge. It increased in power back to a hurricane by Thursday evening.
Its center is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida later Thursday before it approached the coast of South Carolina on Friday.
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