Super Typhoon 'Ian' Devastates US... "78 Dead"

Heading north through Carolina... Rain up to Virginia
812,000 households blackout in Florida alone
Recovery costs expected to exceed hundreds of billions of dollars

Due to the impact of Ian, 74 people died in Florida alone, and 4 deaths occurred in North Carolina as well. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Juri] The ultra-powerful hurricane 'Ian' has struck the southeastern United States, with at least 78 people reported dead so far.

According to CNN on the 2nd (local time), Ian's impact caused 74 deaths in Florida alone, and 4 deaths in North Carolina.

The Associated Press reported that at least 54 people have died: 47 in Florida, 4 in North Carolina, and 3 in Cuba.

Ian, which has weakened to a tropical storm, is currently moving northward through the Carolinas and bringing rain as far as Virginia.

Power outages continue as well.

According to AP and other foreign media, as of the afternoon of the same day, 812,000 households in Florida remain without power, and about 20,000 households in North Carolina are also without electricity.

In Virginia, about 8,000 households are experiencing power outages.

Florida, hit directly by the fifth strongest hurricane in U.S. history, has seen significant destruction of homes and bridges, and full recovery is expected to take a considerable amount of time.

The restoration costs are estimated to reach at least several tens of billions of dollars.

Deanne Criswell, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), expressed concern in an interview with CNN, saying, "It will be a long journey before Florida's damage is fully restored."

She added, "Many homes on Florida's west coast have been completely destroyed," and "Ian caused flooding as it passed through Florida, and many households in central Florida are still submerged."

Republican Senator Marco Rubio, whose district includes Florida, appeared on ABC and said, "The level of damage is incomparable to anything before," adding, "Fort Myers Beach no longer exists and must be rebuilt. Severe damage has occurred along Florida's west coast."