3 people still missing in hard-hit Florida county in wake of Hurricane Ian, sheriff says
Three people are still missing from a Florida county weeks after Hurricane Ian slammed into the state as a Category 4 storm, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
According to Sheriff Carmine Marceno on Tuesday, Fort Myers Beach residents James Hurst and Ivonka Knes, and North Fort Myers resident Gary Luke are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of Ian.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office has responded to 4,866 well-being checks as of Sept. 27, officials wrote on Facebook.
On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida's west coast, destroying homes with merciless winds topping 150 mph.
At least 127 people in Florida have died due to Hurricane Ian, according to local officials.
Additionally, Hurricane Ian caused 61 deaths in Lee County, the sheriff's office said.
According to the governor's office, five more people were also reported dead due to the storm in North Carolina.
The sheriff's office further confirmed that 34 people were also arrested for looting.
Hurricane Ian demolished homes and businesses, damaged infrastructures like roads and bridges, and harmed citrus fruit trees that make up a key industry in the state.
The economic damage created by the hurricane could reach up to $75 billion, according to a projection by data firm Enki Research, which studies the financial impact of storms.
ABC News' Meredith Deliso, Mary Kekatos and Max Zahn contributed to this report.
