A top Florida official warned that scammers and con artists often try to take advantage of desperate people following major natural disasters and called on residents to be vigilant in the wake of Hurricane Ian’s destruction.
After natural disasters like Ian, bad actors “show up in droves,” Patronis warned. If you are a “policyholder” and suffered damge, “call your agent, call your carrier, or call my office,” he added.
“This will be the best way to ensure that your claim is being handled properly, and my office, we love handling people’s claims, we do a great job at it,” he continued.
“Lee and Charlotte are basically off the grid at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a recent news conference, adding that power restoration will take some time. “Charlotte and Lee reconnects are really going to likely have to be rebuilding of that infrastructure.”
Damage
Video footage shows the storm leveled entire neighborhoods in coastal Lee County. Parts of Fort Meyers Beach are impassible, officials said.“Fort Myers Beach is impassable. We hear you. We understand you have loved ones on the island. Please understand it’s not safe to drive onto the island. Bicycles cannot even make it through clear pathways. We’ll keep you updated on when it’s safe to travel on the island,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said on Friday afternoon.
The storm flooded areas on both of Florida’s coasts, tore homes from their slabs, demolished beachfront businesses, and left more than 2 million people without power. At least 21 were reported dead in the state—a number that is almost certain to increase as officials confirm more deaths and search for people.
National Hurricane Center’s update at 11 a.m. Friday said that Hurricane Ian is about 60 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina. Hurricane warnings were issued for the entirety of South Carolina’s coast, parts of Georgia’s coast, and parts of North Carolina’s coast.
