People trapped, 2.7M without power as Ian drenches Florida

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Ian destroyed a cross-section of Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, forcing patients from nursing homes and hospitals, cutting off a popular barrier island and destroying a historic waterfront pier.

Nearly 2.7 million people lost power as the rain kept falling. Floodwaters rose waist-high hundreds of miles from the coasts. Just one death has been confirmed so far but thousands remain to be rescued after Ian became one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S.

The storm is moving over the Atlantic coast and is expected to regain strength before hitting South Carolina on Friday.

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