Hurricane Ian

Three coastal counties in South Carolina have been declared disaster areas from damage from this fall's Hurricane Ian, allowing people to get federal money for repairs and assistance. President Joe Biden approved the disaster declaration this week for Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties after a request from Gov. Henry McMaster.

Gov. Henry McMaster has asked President Joe Biden to authorize a disaster declaration to help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in South Carolina. McMaster's office said state and federal assessments found that 17 homes were destroyed, 232 homes had major damage and 82 had minor damage because of the storm which came ashore near Georgetown on Sept. 30. If the White House grants the request, the declaration would provide direct financial aid to residents in Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties. And, state and local government agencies and some non-profits in Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper and Williamsburg counties would qualify for reimbursement of some storm-related costs through the Public Assistance Program.

Hurricane Ian almost derailed plans for one couple to wed in South Carolina on Saturday. Two families traveled to the island from Texas and North Carolina and were staying in neighboring Pawleys Island homes when Ian barreled toward the coast. Everyone gathered for a rehearsal dinner on Friday off the island but then couldn't come back to retrieve bridesmaids dresses and other gear after the storm shut off access to the beach town. A Good Samaritan on Saturday was able to bring the dresses, tuxedos and some decor to the waiting families.

Rescuers continue to search for survivors in flooded homes in Florida after Hurricane Ian's passage earlier this week. Meanwhile, authorities in South Carolina began assessing damage on Saturday morning. Ian made another landfall Friday on South Carolina's coast and is now a post-tropical cyclone moving across parts of North Carolina, Virginia and New York. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week and officials say it's blamed for at least 27 deaths in Florida and three deaths in Cuba. But authorities say they expect the death toll to rise further.

A revived Hurricane Ian made landfall on coastal South Carolina on Friday. It's threatening the historic city of Charleston with severe flooding after the deadly storm caused catastrophic damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian's center came ashore near Georgetown on Friday afternoon, with much weaker winds than when it crossed Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday as one of the strongest storms to ever hit the U.S. Sheets of rain whipped trees and power lines and left many areas on Charleston's downtown peninsula under water.

A revived Hurricane Ian is bearing down on South Carolina's coast and the historic city of Charleston, with forecasters predicting a storm surge and floods. Earlier, the megastorm caused catastrophic damage in Florida, leaving people trapped in flooded homes and was blamed in growing reports of deaths in the state. With South Carolina's coast under a hurricane warning, shopkeepers sandbagged storefronts in flood-prone areas and a steady stream of vehicles left Charleston for higher ground.

Rescue crews are wading through water and using boats to rescue Florida residents stranded in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Flooding rains continued falling even after Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm. It's center finished crossing the Florida peninsula Thursday and emerged in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters predicted it would return to hurricane strength and turn north toward South Carolina.The National Hurricane Center warned storm surge of 6 feet (1.83 meters) or more was possible from Daytona Beach, Florida, to north of Charleston, South Carolina. Rainfall of up to 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) threatened flooding in the Carolinas and Virginia.

Hurricane Ian has left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2.5 million people. It's now aiming for the Atlantic Coast as a tropical storm. One person is confirmed dead and a Florida sheriff said he believes fatalities are in the hundreds. One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. is drenched the Florida peninsula overnight, threatening catastrophic flooding.

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida, flooding streets and buildings, knocking out power to 1.6 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland. A coastal sheriff's office reported that it was already getting a significant number of calls from people trapped in homes. The hurricane's center struck near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers.

Hurricane Ian has made landfall in southwestern Florida as a massive Category 4 storm. About 2.5 million people had been ordered to evacuate the area before the storm hit the coast on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph). The storm was heading inland, where it was expected to weaken, but residents in central Florida could still experience hurricane-force winds.