Dozens dead as Hurricane Ian devastates parts of Florida and South Carolina

People embrace as they survey the wreckage of their businesses on the island of Fort Myers Beach, Florida (South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Rescuers are searching for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes while authorities in South Carolina began assessing the damage as the remnants of Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the US, continue to push north.

The powerful storm terrorised millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, where it mustered enough strength for a final assault on South Carolina.