Hurricane Ian may turn out to be the "deadliest" storm to ever hit Florida, President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
"This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida's history," Biden said at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, DC, adding, "The numbers are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life."
Ian wreacked havoc in the Sunshine State after it made landfall over southwestern Florida as a ferocious Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday afternoon. It packed winds of 150 miles-per-hour and brought dangerous storm surges and flooding.
The hurricane, which left more than 2.5 million people without power, left a path of destruction across Florida as it trapped locals inside their flooded homes.
Biden said that "in the face of serious danger" search-and-rescue operations got underway before dawn on Thursday "for people stranded and who are in desperate shape."
The president said he has been in touch with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as local mayors and commissioners.
"They are worried, but every one of them are telling me what an incredible job is being done to save their cities, their towns, their counties their ports, their bridges, etcetera," Biden said.
Earlier Thursday, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno estimated fatalities to be in the "hundreds" during an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," though the official number of deaths is not yet known.
