Death toll from Hurricane Ian nears 70

At least 68 people have been confirmed dead as officials take stock of Hurricane Ian’s impact, with most of the casualties reported in Florida. 

Sixty-one of those deaths have been reported in Florida, and four in North Carolina. Three people died in Cuba. 

Other counts put that number closer to 80, but much is unknown as authorities meet with ongoing obstacles to assessing the storm’s damage and reaching survivors. 

The Florida Medical Examiners Commission in an update Sunday attributed 58 confirmed deaths to Hurricane Ian in the state. Most of the medical examiners’ confirmed causalities were reported in Lee County, on Florida’s southwestern coast.

As the death toll climbs, Florida and the other affected states are also attempting to take measure of those still missing from flood-drenched and wind-wracked areas.

Around 10,000 people are still unaccounted for in South Florida alone, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Saturday that more than 1,100 rescues had already been made in the state as response teams waded through the wreckage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.