Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., was accused by several media outlets of politicizing voter access after he eased restrictions in the counties most heavily affected by Hurricane Ian on Thursday.
01.10.2022 - 02:33 / deadline.com
A Fort Myers TV station continued to provide reports on social media and other platforms about the extent of damage from Hurricane Ian — which made landfall as a Cat. 4 storm on a nearby barrier island — even after Ian’s destruction forced it off the air.
WINK-TV, a CBS affiliate owned by Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, was able to broadcast from its studios on Wednesday after power failure and after its studios flooded.
“The station that you rely on is doing all that they can to get back to full power,” news anchor Lois Thome said in a message posted on Facebook on Thursday.
The night before, the station lost power just before 5 PM, as the hurricane was still making its way across the southwest areas of the state. Thome, Chris Cifatte and Matt Devitt, its chief meteorologist, continued to newscast on Facebook for a time.
But Thome said on Facebook that the station’s offices were “not a place we can work right now.”
Devitt posted pictures of WINK’s flooded first floor.
Storm surge got into our WINK studios in Fort Myers, flooded the entire first floor. Lost power and was unable to continue broadcasting on tv/radio. No timetable on return to air. #Ian was the strongest hurricane in Southwest Florida history. Widespread destruction heading home. pic.twitter.com/w6is0EXcpD
Reporter Michael Hudak posted video of flood waters entering the facility’s garage and submerging cars there. The staff was evacuated to the second floor shortly thereafter.
Some really wild moments were unfolding while we were on TV. I just got to better cell phone signal. Wanted to show you what we documented from south of Fort Myers Beach. @winknews #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/h99hDzbzR0
Meteorologist Dylan Federico said on Twitter that
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., was accused by several media outlets of politicizing voter access after he eased restrictions in the counties most heavily affected by Hurricane Ian on Thursday.
A sweet pup, transferred in the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Ian, is now in the market for a brand new home. Nolan, a two-year-old German shepherd-retriever mix, is currently available for adoption at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey.
A cute pup is looking for a new home after she escaped the wrath of Hurricane Ian. Myla, a labrador-retriever mix, is currently available for adoption at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey.
Hurricane Ian's onslaught put many Floridians — including their beloved pets — in helpless and even tragic situations. While some cats and dogs were swept out of their homes during the major storm that hit southwest Florida on Sept. 28, all kinds of furry friends had to be left behind when their owners were forced to evacuate. Several organizations leaped into action once Ian touched down, in the hope of delivering as many lost or stranded animals to safety as possible.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is warning people to be on high alert for fraud as recovery efforts continue in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The DOJ’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) issued a notice reminder on Friday that "as with any major disaster, there are unscrupulous thieves who seek to take advantage of the environment to line their own pockets." Cots cover the floor of Hertz Arena, an ice hockey venue that has been transformed into a massive relief shelter, in Estero, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022.
Florida police arrested six looters in Fort Meyers on Saturday for allegedly stealing high-end sneakers and other items from an outlet mall. According to Lee County's Sheriff's Office, Carlos Reyes Carmenates, 33, Mirna Abstengo Quesada, 33, Roberto Didier Enamorado Reyes, 30, Daymase Varona Reyes, 35, Alain Banzo Dieguez, 19, and a Hispanic teenager who is 14 years old traveled from Broadway Avenue to the outlets. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno referenced the incident Saturday during a briefing on Hurricane Ian recovery efforts alongside Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
During an interview on "Fox & Friends," Friday, Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd weighed in on the influx of looters who are taking advantage of Hurricane Ian's devastation, urging armed Florida homeowners to take action. Well, I can tell you that I was down there with my colleague, Sheriff Marceno, this weekend.
Homeowners in southwest Florida who are continuing to grapple with the devastation or loss of their homes have been appealing in growing numbers for help from Samaritan's Purse, Fox News Digital is told by the organization. Samaritan’s Purse, as of late Friday night, received more than 2,270 requests for help in just seven days, the organization shared with Fox News Digital. The North Carolina-based international Christian relief and evangelism organization had already mobilized 1,100 volunteers from 26 states. "And we have another 2,900 volunteers on the way," the organization told Fox News Digital via email late Friday night.
At least 132 people have died due to Hurricane Ian, according to local officials, as the death toll continues to climb more than a week after the powerful storm tore across Cuba and the eastern United States. Search and rescue operations continue in Florida after Hurricane Ian devastated large portions of the state as a powerful Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 150 mph. Hurricane Ian is now the second-deadliest storm in the continental United States in the 21st Century since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.The deadliest hurricane ever to hit the U.S.
A devoted son and former Chicago police officer heroically spent 11 hours rescuing his disabled mother from Hurricane Ian as floodwaters filled her home. Johnny Lauder joined "Fox & Friends First" Thursday to discuss the rescue and how he was able to get his wheelchair-bound mother and another hurricane victim to safety in Naples, Florida. "Once the storm water started coming in, and it was about three and a half, four feet of water on the side of my son's house, that's when I knew that time was of the essence, and I made sure they were safe and dry," Lauder told co-host Carley Shimkus. "They went up in an attic crawl space with a way to get out of the roof if need be, and I jumped out the window and started making my trek to help mom." Lauder said his mother, who is 84 years old, refused to evacuate, but luckily he was down the street at his son's home when storm conditions began to escalate. University of Central Florida students use an inflatable mattress as they evacuate an apartment complex near the campus that was totally flooded by rain from Hurricane Ian, Friday, Sept.
In news shared first with Fox News Digital, Rev. Franklin Graham, the CEO of Samaritan's Purse, said that he is personally traveling down to Florida on Thursday, Oct. 6, to help and encourage the victims of Hurricane Ian — many of whom have lost everything.
President Biden met with Gov. Ron DeSantis Wednesday in Florida as the political rivals came together to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ian. Biden, with first lady Jill Biden, is visiting hard-hit Fort Myers to "reaffirm his commitment to supporting the people of Florida as they recover and rebuild from the devastating storm," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
Tom Brady showed it was business as usual Sunday while taking the field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the team played at home in Florida against the Kansas City Chiefs just days after Hurricane Ian forced evacuations throughout the community and surrounding areas. But absent from Raymond James Stadium once again was his wife of 13 years, Gisele Bündchen, who has yet to attend one of her husband's games this season.Their three children were reportedly not spotted in the crowded arena either.
Florida continued the grim task of digging out from Hurricane Ian today, as authorities surveyed the damage and death totals from the devastating storm.
Ian Somerhalder is sharing his thoughts on Hurricane Ian, which has been devastating the people of Florida this week.
Production on HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones and Searchlight’s Suncoast, which have been filming in Charleston, have shut down as Hurricane Ian nears the South Carolina coast after devastating a large swath of Gulf Coast Florida.
The Glazer family, owners of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said Thursday that it will be donating $1 million the disaster relief efforts in Florida following Hurricane Ian.