Enormous amounts of aid are being planned by the federal government as local leaders in the hardest-hit areas defend evacuation orders.

Qatari officials have sent their condolences to the United States after the destructive Hurricane Ian claimed the lives of more than 100 people across various states.

Condolences were sent by a number of officials from the Gulf state, including Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani .

Hurricane Ian’s toll

Hurricane Ian has caused at least 99 deaths in Florida alone, according to Abc News, which cited local officials.

In North Carolina, the storm was also responsible for the deaths of an additional four people.

The Category 4 storm made landfall on Florida’s southwest coast on Wednesday afternoon, wreaking havoc with record-breaking storm surges, fierce winds, and catastrophic damage.

According to officials, the main causes of the fatalities in Florida were drownings, along with two auto accidents and a roofing accident.

As crews raced to save those trapped by the storm, US officials vowed on Sunday to unleash a vast amount of federal disaster aid as Hurricane Ian’s death toll continued to rise. As of now, hundreds of thousands of people remain without power in Florida and the Carolinas.

Water levels continued to rise in some flooded areas, inundating homes and streets that were passable just a day or two earlier. This happened days after Ian tore through central Florida and left a deadly path of destruction in the Carolinas.

In Florida, fewer than 700,000 homes and businesses lacked energy as of Sunday, down from a peak of 2.6 million earlier.

As it moved north, the weakened storm caused havoc. Its remnants are now forming a nor’easter, which is forecast to bring rain to parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania.

Thousands have became isolated due to flooded roads, washed-out bridges to barrier islands, poor cellphone reception, and a lack of basic services like internet, electricity, and water.

Because the rain that fell has nowhere to go, officials issued a warning that the situation in many locations is not anticipated to improve for several days.