Among the victims who died later Hurricane Jan got into the state last week.
Nichelle Harris-Miles, a mother of four from Dayton, Ohio, was in Florida with her friends and family to celebrate her 40th birthday when the hurricane made landfall, reports Ohio News.
Harris-Miles’ mother, Michelle Harris, said the group of friends had been staying at a rental property and had been unable to find anyone to pick them up as the horrific storm swept through the southwest. Florida before making landfall near Fort Myers last Wednesday, in an extreme Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds and a deadly storm surge.
“A lot of us at home were telling her not to go because there was a hurricane coming,” Harris told CNN. “They assumed they were safe.”
During heavy rains, the rental premises were filled with water. The water pushed the group of friends up to the ceiling as they screamed for help and then the ceiling collapsed on them. During the incident, Harris-Miles’ body was pierced with a nail.
Harris said a neighbor heard the screams, rescued the group and took them to a makeshift shelter. Harris said her daughter stopped breathing, and when the structure began to crack hours later, the group abandoned her body.
The rest of the traumatized group returned to Dayton a few days after the storm. Dozens of people showed their support for Harris Miles on Saturday by releasing balloons at the victim’s home.
Harris-Miles leaves behind two daughters and two sons, her mother said.
The unofficial death toll from Hurricane Ian continues to grow as bodies continue to be found in the wreckage, with more than 100 deaths reported unofficially.
Officials say they expect fees to continue to rise. The hurricane also hit South Carolina for the second time with fatalities – howled throughout Cuba and caused an island-wide power outage.
Joe Biden will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Fort Myers on Wednesday afternoon, and will tour the southwest state to see the damage firsthand.
