Many Hurricane Ian Deaths Were Preventable, NBC Report Says

FLORIDA — Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida's southwest coast in September, bringing catastrophic storm surge and flooding to many coastal communities. When Ian was finished, 148 people were dead.

Two months later, a new report by NBC News claims most of those deaths could have been prevented.

In a review of public records, an NBC News analysis found that 119 deaths were specifically attributed to the flooding, winds and other storm conditions. The deaths included 64 drownings, 19 deaths because of delayed medical care, nine falls, eight deaths due to oxygen machines failing, infections, car crashes and accidents.

The analysis also found the locations of 86 of the 119 deaths, or about two-thirds, were in areas officials deemed a high risk for storm surge. Half were in places at risk of 9-foot storm surges or more.

While local and state officials work diligently to prepare Florida residents for hurricanes, the NBC News analysis claims the number of deaths exposes gaps and shortcomings in those efforts, including how government officials communicate risk, when they decide to order evacuations and how they help Florida's most vulnerable residents.

Read the full report via NBC News.