Tropical Storm Ian: Global Affairs Canada says 2,000+ Canadians currently in Florida

Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moves across Florida today but it’s expected to strengthen into a hurricane again before it hits the Carolina coast on Friday.

Millions are without power in Florida and the Caribbean, and at least 15 people have died. Global Affairs Canada says there are more than 2,000 Canadians in Florida right now.

The city of Bonita Springs was slammed by Hurricane Ian as it blasted ashore as a category 4 storm yesterday, bringing winds of more than 240 kilometres per hour, throwing around boats like toys, and devastating the community.

The devastation was on display in nearby Fort Myers where a city council member says most of the homes are gone.

At least 500 people have been rescued in Lee and Charlotte counties just today, rescue workers and residents are searching for the missing and picking through the pieces of wrecked homes.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis says the damage is extreme on Sanibel Island, just off the southwest coast, “it got hit with really biblical storm surge and it washed away roads, it washed away structures that were not new and could withstand that.”

U.S. President Joe Biden visited FEMA headquarters today, pledging federal support and warning the death toll could be high.

“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. The numbers still are still unclear but we’re hearing early reports of what may be a substantial loss of life,” Biden said.

The storm plowed across central Florida and Orlando before heading out into the Atlantic, where it is gaining strength before it is expected to make landfall in the Carolinas tomorrow.

Evan Rachkovsky of the Canadian Snowbird Association says while they are getting hundreds of calls a day from members concerned about properties, the association doesn’t know of any Canadians who were caught in the storm.

Global Affairs says it knows of about 2,400 Canadians currently in Florida, but it has only received a small number of inquiries from Canadians looking for assistance.

In an email to CHCH News, Global Affairs says just five requests for help have been received so far, up from four earlier this week.

Officials in Florida say the cleanup will take weeks if not months to complete.

Governor DeSantis is calling this a once-in-500-year flooding event. Ian is one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the United States.