Tropical Storm Ian brings historic flooding to Florida

Although Ian has been downgraded to a tropical storm, the threat of historic flooding in Central Florida remains a catastrophic issue.
The death toll was rising and thousand of residents desperately sought rescue Thursday as historically powerful Hurricane Ian, now a tropical storm, hammered Florida with heavy rain and strong winds, one of the strongest systems in U.S. history.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described the storm as "500-year flooding event" and said Coast Guard helicopters were plucking trapped residents from the roofs of homes. Communities across the state were or will be swamped by the overwhelming waters, he said.