Deaths from Hurricane Ian increased over the weekend as the death toll rose to more than 75 people. The rescue is not over. 

Four more people died in North Carolina, according to a situation update given by the North Carolina Governor’s office.

Hurricane Ian hit Florida’s southwest coast on Wednesday afternoon as a category four storm, leaving behind catastrophic damage to people’s homes, businesses, bridges, and almost everything in its path. The storm’s fierce winds of 150 mph caused a once-in-a-lifetime storm surge, which pushed massive amounts of water onshore, flooding homes, ripping and carrying away bridges and roads, and cutting off access to some areas.

The fatalities from the hurricane were from different Florida counties, with information from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission showing 42 people dead in Lee County, 23 confirmed dead in Charlotte County, and five, three, and three in Volusia, Collier, and Sarasota counties. Two people died in Manatee, while Hillsborough, Hendry, and Lake counties reported one fatality each.

The death toll from Hurricane Ian is expected to rise as search and rescue missions continue throughout Florida.

Lee County was the most affected of all Florida counties, and authorities report that they have rescued more than 700 people from the devastation caused by the flooding. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno reported the appalling numbers in a Facebook video.

The county is home to Fort Myers, the once beautiful tourist town, which has now been smashed beyond recognition. Sanibel Island, Lee County, was decimated by the hurricane, destroying the causeway that connects the mainland and the island.

Most of the fatalities occurred between September 27 and 30 and were caused by drowning. On September 29, a strong wave swept a 68-year-old woman into the ocean, while a 72-year-old man from Deltona died after trying to drain his pool.

The 72-year-old man was among the first fatalities reported by authorities from Volusia County. Although the Sheriff’s office did not publicly say his name, they said the man had disappeared shortly after going outside. Authorities found him in a waterway behind his home and transported him to the hospital; unfortunately, he didn’t make it.

Hurricane Ian exited Florida and hit South Carolina on Friday as a category one storm. No fatalities were reported so far in South Carolina.

North Carolina, however, reported four fatalities due to the storm. Three of the victims, who were all in their early twenties, died in car accidents. The fourth was a 65-year-old man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The man left his generator running in his garage during a power outage.

Even though search and rescue efforts stood at a standstill on Wednesday when the storm hit Florida, the efforts continued Thursday.

Kathy Castor, a Florida congresswoman, said that the death toll was larger than expected and that Hurricane Ian had caused a major catastrophe in Florida.

Senator Rick Scott said that all relevant authorities had teams of people working hard to rescue people.

According to Lee County’s Sheriff, their emergency response team was getting overwhelmed as thousands of people continued to make 911 calls asking for help.