Florida death toll reaches 121 statewide, Sarasota County reporting 5 deaths

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The death toll in Florida from Hurricane Ian has now hit 121 deaths statewide, ABC News reports.

Lee County has the most deaths at 59, reporting four new deaths since the last report, and recovery efforts are still underway particularly in areas around Fort Myers where the 7-foot storm surge caused devastation to homes and businesses. With five deaths reported in North Carolina, the nationwide death toll from the storm is 126 nationwide.

Here is a county-by-county breakdown of the numbers.

ABC got to this tally in Florida through a number of sources, including the state Medical Examiners Commission (MEC), and direct contact with the sheriff’s departments in certain counties.

A full break down of the numbers and the source for them is below. In order to avoid double counting, ABC only uses Sheriff’s Office numbers when they are higher than the MEC numbers for that county.

Florida: 121

Lee County 59 (updated via Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

Charlotte County 24 (via Sheriff’s Office)

Volusia County 5 (via MEC)

Collier County 5 (MEC)

Sarasota County 5 (MEC)

Manatee County 3 (MEC)

Polk County 2 (MEC)

Hardee County 1 (MEC)

Hillsborough County 1 (MEC)

Lake County 1 (FHP/MEC)

Hendry County 4 (MEC)