September 29, 2022 Hurricane Ian updates

All the bridges to Pine Island, Florida, have failed, meaning the barrier island is inaccessible by car, Lee County manager Roger Desjarlais said during a briefing Thursday afternoon.

There were also five structural failures on the Sanibel causeway because of Hurricane Ian. 

The curfew in Lee County — which includes the cities of Cape Coral and Fort Myers — that began last night at 6 p.m. ET remains in effect, Desjarlais said.  

Desjarlais participated in a helicopter tour of damage Thursday morning and said the greatest damage the county suffered appears to have occurred on Fort Myers Beach after storm surge levels reached 10 feet. 

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the area looks like it was hit “by a very large tornado.” He said “there are no words to describe what we got to see,” during the helicopter tour. 

Marceno said his team has been involved in “dozens of rescues made in waist-high water” and he urged residents to stay home.  

“If you don’t have to be out, don’t be out,” Marceno said. 

Six fatalities have been confirmed in Charlotte County, Florida, County Commissioner Chris Constance told CNN Thursday afternoon. 

Constance did not have any more information to add regarding these people or regarding the number of people still unaccounted for. He did not have information on where in the county the fatalities were reported.

Constance said four shelters had to be evacuated due to structural damage sustained during Hurricane Ian and there is no running water in much of the county.

As the federal government pours resources into the emergency response in Florida, President Joe Biden said his administration has not forgotten the victims of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico.

"I am committed to you and the recovery of the island. We'll stand by you for however long it takes to get it done," he added.

Biden said the federal government is working around the clock to get people to safety and restore power, water and phone lines across the island.

The President also said, when asked, that it’s his “intention,” to visit Puerto Rico.

Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico as a Category 1 storm on Sept. 18, dropping record rainfall, unleashing landslides and mudslides, flooding neighborhoods and leaving most of the island without power or water.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday approved a federal waiver opening up the potential for additional diesel to be shipped to Puerto Rico.

CNN's Ray Sanchez, Jasmine Wright and Sam Fossum contributed to this report.

Sunday night's NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be played as scheduled in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the Buccaneers released a statement on Thursday confirming the game would not be moved out of Florida.

"We have informed the NFL, after consulting with local and state agencies, that we are ready to play Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium as originally scheduled

The game is slated to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET.

"We would like to thank all of the local government agencies and the thousands of emergency personnel who worked tirelessly over the past few days to ensure that our area would be ready to respond if needed. We would also like to acknowledge the Miami Dolphins organization for their assistance and hospitality in allowing us to use their practice facilities this week," the statement read.

The Bucs gave appreciation to those who have been helping the cause following Hurricane Ian.

"We also want to express our sincere appreciation to the first responders and emergency personnel who are already battling the elements, saving lives, and helping our neighbors in those most impacted areas to our south," they said.

On Wednesday, the NFL's executive vice president Jeff Miller said that if the game needed to be moved, US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis would host as the contingency site.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay has reopened, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

“The Skyway Bridge has been reopened to traffic in both directions as wind speeds have dropped to 30 MPH. Motorists may cross the span, but are asked to use caution due to debris along the highway shoulders," the patrol tweeted Thursday.

The bridge closed earlier this week ahead of Hurricane Ian, which slammed into southwest Florida.

At least 2,655,765 Florida energy customers are still without power, according to the tracker PowerOutage.us.

In the hardest-hit southwestern region, Hardee County, nearly 100% of customers remain without power. 

In Lee County, Charlotte County, and Desoto County, about 89% of all customers are in the dark.

Residents of Fort Myers are now seeing firsthand the destruction that Hurricane Ian left in its wake.

The powerful storm splintered homes and businesses, washed out parts of roads and spewed debris around the area.

View more photos in CNN's gallery here.

Fort Myers, Florida, Mayor Kevin Anderson told CNN that the destruction from Hurricane Ian to his city is devastating.

Anderson said there have been no reported deaths in Fort Myers so far.

The water has subsided, so a massive cleanup is underway.

He urged people to stay inside.

"I have never seen a storm that has caused so much damage in this area before," Anderson said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Thursday that he’s activated the department’s surge capacity workforce to deploy more personnel to respond to Hurricane Ian.

"This is not just a here today, gone tomorrow. We are here, as the President articulated, throughout the need for full recovery,” Mayorkas added. 

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Hurricane Ian will continue to be life-threatening as it moves into Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

"America woke up this morning to images like Naples, Punta Gorda and Cape Coral submerged under water, homes across Fort Myers that have been torn from their foundations and boats that have bene fond blocks away from where they were moored, but hurricane Ian is still a very life-threatening storm," Criswell said.