Florida: Floridians awoke to scenes of devastation in a number of counties. It will take days for the damage to be assessed. The death toll from Hurricane Milton climbed to at least 10.
Among the fatalities, five were reported in a senior community in St. Lucie County, where a tornado, generated by Milton’s outer bands, struck before the hurricane made landfall near Sarasota.
The category 3 hurricane caused significant property destruction and left over 3.5 million homes and businesses without power.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security Secretary, from the White House said in a briefing that, “Our hearts break for the Floridians who have lost so much.”
Florida governor, Ron DeSantis said that, Tornadoes that accompanied the approach of the storm may prove as damaging as the hurricane itself; at least 116 tornado warnings were issued across Florida. Rescue operations were still under way, and authorities had already rescued at least 340 people and 49 pets, including a 14-year-old boy found floating in floodwaters on a piece of fence.
The US Coast Guard crew rescued a man who was clinging to an ice chest in the Gulf of Mexico, about 30 miles (50km) off the coast, after his boat broke down before Milton made landfall.
In Tampa, emergency responders rescued 135 individuals from an assisted living facility. The city’s police department also shared footage of officers saving several children from a house that had been partially damaged by a fallen tree.
Joe Biden addressed the disaster from Washington DC, telling reporters he had spoken to DeSantis and local officials and promised his administration would ensure “they have everything they need” to respond to the disaster.
US president said that, “This is a whole of government effort,” naming multiple departments and promising that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would open disaster recovery centres in impacted areas “right away.”
Biden commended the actions of U.S. Coast Guard personnel, urban search and rescue teams, and local officials, highlighting how their timely evacuation orders enabled hundreds of thousands to flee the storm’s path and allowed many others to safely shelter in emergency accommodations.
Biden also added that, “It’s too early to know the full account of the damage, but we know lifesaving measures did make a difference. More than 80,000 people followed orders to safely shelter last night.”
Before the storm hit, Florida implemented mandatory evacuation orders for 15 counties, affecting approximately 7.2 million residents. Those who chose to stay were warned they would need to manage on their own during the hurricane. Among those remaining were 12 zookeepers in Tampa, ensuring the animals, like orangutans and manatees, were cared for. In Orlando, major theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, announced plans to reopen soon.
Florida is now dealing with a significant cleanup effort, with 9,000 National Guard members and 50,000 utility workers deployed.
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