Florida cities under water and 2.25 million without power

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View online September 29, 2022 1/ Hurricane Ian – live: Orlando theme parks remain shuttered as millions without power and cities flooded Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the US, roared ashore in southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers as it knocked out power to 2.25 million people.   Destructive waves slammed into the southwest coast from Englewood to Bonita Beach including Charlotte Harbor, near the town of Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers. As Ian drifts across Florida in the next 24 hours, it is expected to drop 12-18 inches of rain on top of coastal surges.   A coastal sheriff's office reported receiving calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Several took to social media, sharing videos of debris-covered water sloshing towards their homes as they pleaded for rescue.   The storm surge flooded a lower-level emergency room in Port Charlotte, while part of the roof on a fourth-floor intensive care unit was torn down by fierce winds, according to a doctor working there.   Florida governor Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to hunker down, noting that it would be a "nasty" couple of days. 2/ Rapper Coolio dies aged 59, manager says A cause of death has not yet been confirmed 3/ Brother of lawmaker Biden forgot was dead defends him saying he's 'doing the best he can' President appeared to forget that Jackie Walorski died in a car crash during a speech on Wednesday 4/ Fourth Russian gas pipeline leak reported EU promises 'robust' defence of energy infrastructure 5/ Kamala Harris arrives in Seoul day after North Korea tests missiles Pyongyang fired two short-range ballistic rockets on Wednesday The Big Question What do leaks, hurricanes and fires mean for Nasa's Artemis I moon mission? As if launching a gigantic moon rocket for the first time isn't hard enough on its own, Nasa has faced multiple fuel leaks, engine troubles and now a building fire and category 4 hurricane, thwarting its attempt to get the Artemis I mission launched before the end of the year.   As Nasa's Space Launch System (SLS) moon rocket and Orion spacecraft wait out Hurricane Ian inside the Vehicle Assembly Building — essentially a giant hangar — at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a launch attempt that had been scheduled for Tuesday could now slip into the middle of October or even into early November.   So what do the delays mean for the space agency's first test flight of the SLS rocket, designed to send the solar-powered Orion craft on a more than one month-long journey to, around and back from the moon? Read the full story > Watch/ Joe Biden appears to forget death of congresswoman as he calls on her at event NUMBER OF THE DAY 23   – The number of Cuban migrants missing in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida after Hurricane Ian capsized their boat, according to US Border Patrol. QUOTE OF THE DAY "Muslims are 25 per cent of the population, but only one per cent of characters in popular TV series." – Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai calls out Hollywood for its lack of Muslim and Asian representation during her speech at Variety's Power of Women event. Other stories you might like Trump nearly fired Ivanka and Jared Kushner via tweet, new book claims Romance novel model accused of dragging police officer in Jan 6 attack pleads guilty Meta removes Pornhub's Instagram account permanently Articles available exclusively to subscribers David Harding, The Independent - Finland closes motorway so fighter jets can practice landings Other newsletters you might like Morning Headlines Weekdays, 8am (UK time) Written by Joe Sommerlad Sign up The Race Report Every Tuesday, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White Sign up If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's US Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's US Morning Headlines newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.