Hurricane Ian death toll rises

Floods have closed roads in Charleston, and winds are blowing at hurricane speed.

The impact of the storm has submerged much of the Florida peninsula, with water visible everywhere.

[{"selector":"#anim-b2f08172-85e7-40d1-8264-952761bbd0fc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-54.84283614396339%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3cdbfd80-1f14-4c7e-b0fb-49a6183219cb","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6a397b12-6769-40e7-9679-bbd6927f6af7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.68750%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credit: istock

Hurricane Ian is headed for landfall along the South Carolina coast between Charleston and Myrtle Beach early Friday afternoon.

[{"selector":"#anim-97ce49db-962f-437c-aa58-a3488e0b7a09 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(55.07569864688707%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-370258ce-d38e-4690-9666-9bac9eb45599","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5f5536d-dafd-495a-ba1e-7a3f178b41b0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credit: Google

The US National Hurricane Center said Ian's top winds reached 85 mph (137 kph)

[{"selector":"#anim-16e5642a-41c1-4586-b20c-356abcf69e77 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(62.293462534807944%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51537ab3-88bd-4dec-87bf-42b2cfd265ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-113.75%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46d0213a-7704-4b66-a08d-0560d8077827","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5d289133-5fd5-4b23-be7c-a22cea4c476b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Credit: istock

Given the speed of Hurricane Ian, it has become a Category 1 hurricane.

[{"selector":"#anim-054b0ee8-dfb0-4322-8d44-c2eabb96d1fc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-59.695954837065926%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d2d3901c-9ea8-4fb6-a65a-b96f2752832b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.68750%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f492328f-6887-4828-b6c0-b0fc7ff04a1d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-09477e79-87ae-4a28-b71a-76db67f894ee","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Credit: Google

President Joe Biden has issued a disaster declaration in South Carolina.

[{"selector":"#anim-9ad9d301-3c82-4dae-99e6-94b3660217d7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(48.231131761340215%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6fc9fec2-e1cc-43db-9ccf-c13984edc6f9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fe5372e9-497c-452b-9816-d0b58973e3c3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.3125%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credit: Google

Hurricane Ian could hit a wall of water 3 feet high across a large part of the state's coa

[{"selector":"#anim-de91df38-f3cc-464e-b21b-690281c01c6a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-40.65402284631291%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-87fe026a-f49d-4408-b91a-0913c31cc11f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.68750%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e174f934-f8b0-4e25-8040-7fcf99ac884a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-75968bda-65e7-408c-89ca-adeb6dd67fcd","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Credit: Google

Up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain is expected in some areas

[{"selector":"#anim-8f8aa07f-405f-4c8f-9f53-b2e8d21bc681 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-61.148648537949356%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-aa3454a3-85c6-4996-ae48-2291f2f3458c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d7fc4848-4f86-45ee-a171-20923e0bd3cd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.3125%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Credit: Google

As of now, at least seven people have been killed in the storm, including four from Florida and three from Cuba

[{"selector":"#anim-3a4cda41-a452-479c-9071-26f48d843e7a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3aab3364-7eed-4e48-bfd0-c3d20156e986","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.68750%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-746ada64-738b-4ff6-ab25-46b026684fcc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(50.53733001660452%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Credit: Google