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Hurricane Ian: Fast Facts

Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage and flooding in Florida, the Carolinas, and Cuba, and casualties are rising. Learn more about the storm and how you can help Hurricane Ian survivors through community-led relief efforts.


 

1. Hurricane Ian was one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida just short of a Category 5 storm—the strongest classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. By wind speed, Hurricane Ian was the fifth most powerful storm to ever hit the country.
Source: The New York Times + MSNBC

2. The death toll from the storm is rising.

At least 119 deaths have been reported in connection with Hurricane Ian in Florida, making it the state’s deadliest hurricane since 1935.

Four other people died in storm-related incidents in North Carolina. Before the storm made landfall in the US, it killed at least two people in Cuba and left extensive damage.
Source: The Washington Post + NPR

3. More than 202,000 customers in Florida are still without power.

When Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida last week, more than 2.2 million customers were in the dark. Most of the homes and businesses in 12 counties lost electricity, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the power grids in Lee and Charlotte counties would likely have to be rebuilt.
Source: USA Today + Reuters

[Support community-led recovery with a donation to GlobalGiving’s Hurricane Ian Relief Fund.]

4. The entire island of Cuba lost power after Hurricane Ian hit.

Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout after the storm brought intense winds and flooding and the aging power grid collapsed.

The country was already suffering from a dire economic crisis with regular power outages and shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Those challenges will likely make it more difficult for residents to recover from Hurricane Ian.
Source: Reuters + CNN

5. The climate crisis is causing storms to intensify more rapidly.

After hitting western Cuba as a Category 3 storm last Tuesday, Hurricane Ian continued to intensify as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida’s west coast. Ian was upgraded to Category 4 the following morning and was just shy of a Category 5 hurricane by the afternoon.

According to scientists, this rapid intensification of hurricanes is becoming more frequent and is linked to human-caused climate change.
Source: CBS News

6. GlobalGiving partners are already on the ground helping survivors access food, shelter, and other emergency services.

GlobalGiving’s Disaster Response Team is working with responding partners to meet the immediate needs of Hurricane Ian survivors and first responders. Once urgent needs are met, the GlobalGiving Hurricane Ian Relief Fund will transition to support community-led, long-term recovery efforts as needed.
Source: GlobalGiving Hurricane Ian Relief Fund

7. Cash is the best way to help people in need during a natural disaster like Hurricane Ian.

Why? Survivors’ needs vary greatly throughout the life cycle of recovery. Some will require financial support, medical care, and psychological assistance years down the road. You can learn more about the importance of cash donations in this infographic.
Source: GlobalGiving + USAID Center for International Disaster Information

Help communities hit hardest by Hurricane Ian through GlobalGiving and fuel community-led recovery.

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Featured Photo: A dog is walked through floodwater as the tide rises, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Key West, Fla. by Rob O'Neal/The Key West Citizen via AP

Note: This article was originally published on Sept. 28, 2022 at 2:12 p.m. and updated on Oct. 11, 2022 at 9:43 a.m.

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