Remains of Florida Woman Missing Since Hurricane Ian Are Found

The remains of a Florida woman who had been missing since her home was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September were found this week, raising the toll from the state’s deadliest storm in nearly 90 years to 146.

The remains of the woman, Ilonka Knes, 82, of Fort Myers Beach, Fla., were found on Tuesday by a debris removal company in an area dense with mangroves and impassable by boat, less than two-tenths of a mile from her home, Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County said in a news conference on Thursday. The sheriff’s office and medical examiner’s office identified the remains using dental records.

“I hope this discovery can bring the family some closure,” Sheriff Marceno said, adding that one other person in Lee County is still missing after Hurricane Ian.

Ian, Florida’s deadliest hurricane since 1935, made landfall along the state’s southwest coast on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 storm, causing widespread flooding and pummeling beachfront towns with winds of more than 150 miles per hour.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/13/us/hurricane-ian-florida-victims.html