Search and rescue efforts underway in Florida after 'catastrophic' hurricane

Search and rescue efforts are underway successful Florida aft a devastating Category 4 hurricane made landfall Wednesday.

At slightest 77 radical person been confirmed dormant and much than 860,000 radical are inactive without power, according to NBC News. There is "significant damage" on Florida's westbound seashore and galore homes successful cardinal parts of the authorities are inactive underwater, FEMA manager Deanne Criswell told ABC's "This Week" Sunday.

She said the roadworthy to betterment is going to beryllium long.

"We're inactive actively successful the hunt and rescue phase, trying to marque definite that we are accounting for everybody that was successful the storm's path, and that we spell done each location to marque definite that we don't permission anybody behind," she said.

Criswell said Hurricane Ian was "catastrophic," and officials knew it would person a large interaction connected Florida residents. A ample fig of national and authorities hunt and rescue resources were staged and acceptable to spell retired "immediately" aft the storm, she said.

"They were retired earlier daybreak connected Thursday," Criswell said. "They are inactive determination today."

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida echoed that sentiment portion addressing concerns implicit rebuilding mobile location parks successful Florida and the request for perchance stricter gathering codes. He said those decisions should beryllium decided by each county.

"You don't ever privation these things to hap again," helium said during an interrogation with NBC's "Meet the Press" connected Sunday. "I deliberation each region is going to person to look astatine that and say, 'Does that marque consciousness to their county."'

Commenting connected wide betterment efforts, Scott addressed concerns successful the spot security market, noting that security fraud is hurting immoderate companies successful Florida oregon discouraging others from conducting concern successful the state.

"You person to person stricter gathering codes," helium said. "You person to marque definite that you larn from each tempest and connected apical of that you person to marque definite there's nary fraud."

President Joe Biden volition sojourn Florida connected Wednesday to conscionable with officials and measure tempest damage, the White House announced Saturday.

He volition besides sojourn Puerto Rico arsenic it works to retrieve from Hurricane Fiona, which deed the land arsenic a Category 1 tempest successful September.

"We'll bash everything we tin to get these communities backmost connected their feet," Biden said connected Twitter.