Princess Madeleine of Sweden has appealed for contributions to Florida hurricane relief efforts after Hurricane Ian devastated part of the state.
The Princess, who resides outside Miami, posted on Instagram after the Category 4 storm hit southwest Florida on 28 September.
On Instagram, she said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to those whose lives were so devastatingly affected by Hurricane Ian. Please help me and contribute in any way you can, through any of the many charities helping those in need. I also thank the huge number of volunteers and army reservists which [sic] has already begun the rebuilding process.”
Miami was spared from the brunt of the storm, but the Royal Court said that Madeleine and her family were closely monitoring the situation ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall.
The Information Manager at the Royal Court, Margareta Thorgen, told Svenskdam, “Princess Madeleine and her family are keeping up to date with the course of events via local media.”
Princess Madeleine, her husband, Chris O’Neill and their three children, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Princess Adrienne, have lived outside Miami, Florida, since 2018.
Hurricane Ian has killed at least 14 people and caused mass destruction on the Gulf Coast in southwest Florida. It made landfall south of the city of Tampa with 155mph winds and caused around 2.4 million people to lose power. The 480mm of rain caused what the Governor called a “500-year flooding event.” Residents are being rescued by the Coast Guard on the roofs of their homes after choosing to remain at home instead of evacuating.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency, and President Biden has said the storm might be the deadliest in Florida’s history. It has caused an estimated $25 and $40 billion in damage, according to the Fitch Ratings credit agency.
The hurricane went across the Florida Peninsula and is now in the Atlantic Ocean. It is expected to hit South Carolina around historical Charleston as at least a Category 1 on 30 September.
