Hurricane Ian hit historic St. Augustine in Florida

Police in historic St. Augustine, Florida, say water is rising in many areas of the city and are advising residents to stay inside until after Hurricane Ian passes.The storm's center moved off the coast earlier Thursday, but the old city continued to see rain and wind. High tide was at 11:30 a.m., around the height of the storm. Police in the tourist city, noted for its Spanish-style architecture and stone fortress, made their warnings in a Facebook post that included images of flooded roads.

Ian is nearing hurricane strength again over the Atlantic Ocean. The coast of South Carolina is now under a hurricane warning.Its top sustained winds grew to nearly 70 mph (110 kph) at midday Thursday, just shy of hurricane force, with higher gusts. Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through flooded streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped after Hurricane Ian destroyed homes and businesses and left millions in the dark.

The devastation began to come into focus a day after Ian made landfall in Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. The storm flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. At least one man was confirmed dead.