Hurricane Ian Death Toll: 54 Confirmed Dead, Floridians Panicking Over Food and Water Supply

As rescue teams raced to save those still trapped by floodwaters, US officials vowed Sunday to unleash a record amount of government disaster help as the death toll from Hurricane Ian rose and hundreds of thousands of people lost power in Florida and the Carolinas.

Water levels continued to increase in some flooded regions days after Ian tore through central Florida, leaving a fatal path of destruction into the Carolinas, flooding houses and roadways that were navigable only a few days earlier.

Hurricane Ian Death Toll in Florida Climbs to 54

The grounds of Fort Hillary's Episcopal Church were covered in branches. Myers, the Rev. Charles Cannon acknowledged the great loss in his sermon on Sunday but also expressed gratitude for what was still there. That includes the stained-glass windows and statues in the church.

Sunday saw a decrease in the number of households and companies without electricity, from 2.67 million to around 850,000. There have been at least 54 verified fatalities in Florida, four in North Carolina, and three in Cuba. The National Hurricane Center issued a flash flood warning as the weakening storm moved north on Sunday and was anticipated to pour rain on portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania.

Four-star general and commander of the National Guard Daniel Hokanson told The Associated Press that more than 1,000 people have been evacuated from flooded areas along Florida's southwest coast alone. The White House announced on Saturday night that President Joe Biden will travel to Florida on Wednesday to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

On Monday, the president will first travel to Puerto Rico to see the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona two weeks ago. The precise locations Biden will visit in Florida and the people he will meet with during his travel were not disclosed by the White House.

This week, the president gave his approval for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to declare a disaster in the storm-affected areas. This disaster declaration includes expanded individual support for residents in 13 counties.

FEMA declared that it had already provided 1.6 million liters of water to Florida and that it will be sending another 6.6 million in the next several days. More than 400 ambulances, four aircraft, and 5.5 million meals are also being provided to remove individuals from nursing homes and other facilities. Also from the agency:

Florida Still Recovering From Damages Caused by Hurrican Ian

Florida continues to get its power back. Less than 800,000 power outages still exist, and about 70% of peak power outages have been repaired. Lee County received 4,000 liters of diesel from the state of Florida to run emergency generators that would provide water to adjacent hospitals.

For hospitals without water, the state is also shipping 1.2 million gallons of water from Lakeland to Fort Myers. In excess of 550 US Personnel from the Army Corps of Engineers are installing generators, performing safety checks, and determining power requirements.

On CBS' Face the Nation on Sunday morning, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell complimented power companies for their efforts thus far but noted that it will take time to restore energy in the worst-hit areas, according to Miami Herald. In addition, Hurricane Ian, which wreaked havoc on towns from the state's western coast to inland areas like Orlando, may be the costliest storm in Florida's history.

Florida has more flood insurance policies than any other state, but only 13% of residences there have flood insurance, and only 18% of people who live in the counties where evacuation orders were in effect before to Ian. This is according to a study by the actuarial firm Milliman.

FEMA's director declared on Sunday that Americans don't need to reside in a flood plain to take advantage of flood insurance. The number one weapon you have to safeguard your family and your house during a storm is flood insurance, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. She added, "think that everyone who lives near water should definitely get flood insurance."

She said FEMA is actively updating its maps of flood zones. Criswell asserts that although we do so in some areas, everyone has the option to purchase flood insurance, CNN reported.