A major disaster has been declared in Florida after the state was ravaged by Hurricane Ian.
More than 2.5 million people across Florida were without power Thursday morning after Hurricane Ian, now a tropical storm, slammed into the state as one of the most powerful storms in US history, causing widespread devastation and flooding that trapped residents in their homes.
Some houses were destroyed, streets consumed by water, cars submerged, and buildings shredded. A local TV station in Fort Myers was forced off the air after water submerged their newsroom.
Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm after slamming into Florida's southwest coast as a major Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, bringing 150 miles per hour winds and life-threatening storm surge.
Maximum sustained winds dropped to near 65 miles per hour with higher gusts early Thursday, but the storm has continued to cause destruction as it moves northeast.
Ian's centre is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida later on Thursday before approaching the coast of South Carolina on Friday.
President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Florida over the devastation caused by Ian.
The White House said the president ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the storm starting on September 23 and onwards.
Flights cancelled
Airlines in the US cancelled more than 3,800 domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday — including more than 3,200 at Florida airports due to the passage of Hurricane Ian.
The bulk of the cancellations were at Orlando International Airport, which closed Wednesday morning, and Tampa International Airport, which closed Tuesday until further notice.
Airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale stayed open Wednesday but saw more than 600 cancellations by the afternoon.