Florida picking up the pieces after Milton: 14 dead, 3M without power

Hurricane Milton moved into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after causing widespread destruction across Florida, resulting in at least 14 deaths and leaving millions without power. Despite fears of a "worst-case scenario," the storm's impact was less severe than anticipated. Milton flooded neighborhoods, destroyed homes, tore the roof off a major sports venue, and toppled a crane onto an office building. Fatalities included two in St. Petersburg, four in Volusia County, one each in Polk and Citrus counties, and six in St. Lucie County due to tornadoes. Over 2.6 million homes and businesses were without power by late Thursday, according to poweroutage.us.

Governor Ron DeSantis noted that while the storm was significant, it weakened before landfall, reducing the expected storm surge compared to Hurricane Helene. Tampa experienced a reverse storm surge that pulled water away from the shore instead of flooding it. The Florida Division of Emergency Management cautioned residents against walking into receding waters due to life-threatening risks from returning surges.

Milton's impact came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida and affected multiple states. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds on Wednesday evening on Florida's west coast, accompanied by numerous tornadoes.

Key Developments:

- A dog abandoned near a highway as Milton approached was rescued by a state trooper and renamed "Trooper."

- By Thursday afternoon, Milton had moved over 200 miles east of Cape Canaveral into the Atlantic Ocean and was no longer a hurricane or threat.

- Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs announced they would reopen on Friday. 


'An apocalyptic feel': Martin County deputies help in recovery

Martin County deputies were deeply involved in recovery efforts after suspected tornadoes struck near Milton, devastating southern Martin County on Wednesday. The storms tore through roofs, toppled trees, and scattered debris across roads. Sheriff William Snyder reported that many deputies, including himself, were on-call throughout the night to clear roadways and neighborhoods. "We worked all over the county, clearing surface roads and streets with fallen trees," Snyder said. "Unfortunately, a couple of deputies were hospitalized; one suffered a broken foot when a tree trunk fell during cutting." The sheriff's office was prepared for tropical storm conditions like downed trees and power outages but not for the extensive damage to hundreds of homes caused by high winds. "At one point, we had over 500 storm-related service calls," Snyder explained. "We were overwhelmed, trying to reach everyone in need. Some people reported being trapped; one woman was even thrown from her house into her yard by the winds, breaking her leg. It felt apocalyptic."

At Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall, damage and frustration


On Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall, damage compounded frustrations. Authorities closed bridges to the island but allowed residents to walk across to check their homes. Many properties had already been damaged by Storm Helene two weeks prior, and some residents had just finished cleaning up when Milton hit. Maria Williams, 48, expressed her anxiety as she navigated mucky water on Midnight Pass Road: “I don’t even want to see what my house looks like.” She had initially planned to stay during Helene but evacuated when floodwaters entered her home and chose to leave again for Milton’s arrival. “I’m so traumatized; I just had to get out,” she said. Later, Williams found her house mostly intact despite fallen trees everywhere but felt frustrated by the back-to-back storms: "I almost wish the whole house would wash away," she lamented. 

Milton leaves a trail of deaths across the state


Milton has left a deadly path across the state. In Volusia County, northeast of Orlando, two women—a 79-year-old in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old in Port Orange—were killed by falling trees, according to sheriff's office spokesperson Andrew Gant. A third person died from a possible medical episode, though its connection to the storm is unclear. In central Florida's Polk County, one death was confirmed due to a traffic accident linked to Milton. Another fatality occurred in Citrus County, north of Tampa. St. Lucie County experienced five deaths due to tornadoes, including one that struck the Spanish Lakes community.

In St. Petersburg, two deaths related to Milton were reported. Police Chief Anthony Holloway mentioned one was medical-related and another involved a person found in a park; the cause is pending from the medical examiner. Authorities urged residents to avoid roads due to downed trees and non-functioning traffic lights.

Deaths confirmed in St. Lucie County


In St. Lucie County, four people died after suspected tornadoes hit areas like Spanish Lakes Country Club Village on Wednesday. The county medical examiner confirmed these fatalities Thursday morning, with a fifth death later verified. A sixth person was found dead Thursday afternoon as search-and-rescue efforts continued.

Doug Anderson from Lakewood Park witnessed a tornado crossing Kings Highway around 5 p.m. Wednesday while returning home. He described the devastation in Spanish Lakes as if "a weight had been dropped from the sky," flattening numerous houses and overturning vehicles like semis and trucks.

Biden condemns disinformation and advises Trump to 'get a life'.
President Joe Biden strongly denounced the dissemination of disinformation about storms Helene and Milton, saying Thursday that "outright lies" are preventing victims from accessing the assistance they require.

“Those who engage in such lies are undermining confidence in the rescue and recovery work that's opening and ongoing,” Biden said after receiving an update on the damage caused by Milton in Florida. 

Some workers involved in the rescue and recovery efforts have received death threats “as a result of reckless, irresponsible, relentless disinformation and outright lies,” Biden said.

Former President Donald Trump was among those who made misleading statements in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Biden ended his remarks by addressing Trump directly: "Former President Trump, get a life, man. Help these people," he said. 

Hurricane-tornado combo makes for a 'double disaster'

The outer bands of Milton unleashed tornadoes more than 100 miles from where the storm made landfall on Florida's west coast, significantly broadening the scope of its destruction. In his Thursday briefing, Biden claimed "38 tornadoes ripped through 13 counties."
 
Tornadoes are not unusual in the outer rain bands of a hurricane, but they are normally weaker and shorter in length than those that preceded Milton's arrival, according to Corene Matyas, a geography professor at the University of Florida.

Tornadoes have been implicated for five fatalities in St. Lucie County on the state's east coast, surprising those who were expected to deal with Milton. 

In Florida floodwaters, beware of alligators


Hurricane-affected communities frequently issue warnings to locals to stay away from floodwaters as they may contain debris, sewage, and downed power lines. Reptiles such as alligators pose a threat in Florida.

Following Hurricane Helene, a video of an alligator swimming in floodwaters by a road in Florida was captured, and following Milton, there may be more alligators seen near people.

The state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated on social media on Thursday that "alligators & snakes may be seen more frequently in areas with flooding." "Give them space & stay away from them." 

For single mom in St. Petersburg, 'by far the worst storm'

Hurricane Milton was "by far the worst storm" that Katie Williams, of St. Petersburg had ever encountered.

The single mother said she was obliged to take refuge in her second-floor flat with her 10-year-old daughter Kiley and her adopted cat Honey due to a severe eye disease, even though she had wished to go.
 
The gusts seemed like they were "shaking the house," according to 32-year-old Williams. She lighted candles so they wouldn't be in the dark once the electricity went off at approximately eight o'clock. Next, her mobile service stopped working and her water supply was cut off.
 
Williams went outdoors on Thursday to see how her neighbors were faring. She said that several electricity poles had toppled and that there were "trees down everywhere." 

In Palm Harbor, 'scary' wind but less damage than expected

Debbie Pace emerged from her Palm Harbor house on Thursday, wanting to see how much damage Milton had caused. She and her family had been holed down in their boarded-up house just north of Clearwater since lunchtime on Wednesday. The electricity went out, and for many hours, the wind howled so hard it "didn't let you breathe," according to Pace, 52.

"The wind was scary," she remarked. "I could see my kids were becoming nervous. They would instruct me to glance outside every now and then when we were playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders." 

Pace claimed the damage was not as severe as she had thought, despite losing a portion of her fence and having tree limbs all over the area. Now her biggest concern is that the electricity won't be back on before the food in her fridge goes bad.

"A few days ago, I ordered a generator, but it kept getting delayed," she said. "It states it will be delivered on Friday, but I don't think that will happen." 

This Sarasota home was unscathed

Ron Collins saw his wife use an electric saw to chop tree limbs in Sarasota's Grenada area on Thursday morning. Despite being in a mandated evacuation zone, the couple stayed in their home throughout the storm since Collins planned it for the worst-case situation.

Collins, a now-retired structural engineer who uses a power wheelchair, claimed Milton's inability to walk influenced their choice to stay. He had charged many additional batteries for his wheelchair in anticipation of losing power: "Battery management has become my life," said Collins, 68."We did have a conversation about whether to evacuate when it was Category 4 looking like maybe becoming a Category 5," Collins recapped. 

However, it's a human condition that while evacuation is simple, it's too soon to tell if it's truly necessary.
 
In 2012, the pair moved into the one-story concrete house. To stop branches from piercing through, the ceiling is covered in shielding that is an inch thick. Milton did not do any harm to the house.Collins remarked, "This house was built so we could shelter in place." "When we came here, it was always the plan.” 

DeSantis dismisses analyst estimates for Milton damage

According to DeSantis, scores of rescues were completed on Thursday, with more continuing. He predicted that bridges, petrol stations, and big-box businesses that had been forced to close would reopen fast. Although local officials claimed at least five deaths, DeSantis stated that no deaths could be confirmed at this time. He also ignored efforts by insurance specialists to estimate the harm.
 
"How the hell would a Wall Street analyst be able to know?" DeSantis remarked in answer to a query about analyst forecasts. "It has been dark all day. Give me a break with some of this. They are now doing damage assessments. 

Hunkering down in St. Petersburg hospital

As Hurricane Milton made landfall along the Gulf Coast and raged throughout the state, Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency physician in St. Petersburg, worked through the night. Martin said that there was proof of Milton's influence all around them while she was in the hospital with her kids.

Martin said that she periodically checked the cameras outside her house to see whether floodwater had leaked inside, as it had during Hurricane Helene. Martin, the owner of a well-liked TikTok account, claimed that despite the fierce wind, she and the majority of the St. Petersburg region were not affected by the storm surge.
 
"With the wind, rain, and projectiles flying by, I could hardly watch the trail cam," the woman remarked. "Seeing anything was simply not possible." 

Why was Tampa spared?

Storm surges for Tampa are often less severe when they make landfall south of the city. Milton's center of circulation was just about 20 miles south of the very susceptible Tampa Bay, therefore it barely avoided the most severe storm surge. Measurements throughout the bay fell as Milton made landfall on Wednesday, as water shot higher at tide gauges along the coast south of Siesta Key and Sarasota.

According to meteorologist Ernie Jillson of the meteorological service, storm surge can occur close to and to the right of the storm's landfall area, however negative water levels can happen to the left of the landfall site. 


For some, Milton is not as awful as Ian was two years ago.

At the Peace River Campground outside of Arcadia, roughly 50 miles north of Fort Myers, Paul Massey and his wife Cheryl dragged a chair that Milton's rains had wrecked to the campground road, cleaning up from bouts of heavy winds and rain in this remote location on Thursday.

But that was nothing compared to two years ago, when Hurricane Ian inundated 2,000 houses and at least 100 RVs in the Peace River area, according to officials. This time, Arcadia and the campsite were mostly unharmed. They remained focused on the river, which was just behind a tangle of trees draped with Spanish moss. 

Paul Massey was skeptical that the river would inundate them following the storm, but it had begun to slowly rise. Just as he was finishing up his inspection of the river levels, a friend in a vehicle showed up.
 
Are all of you returning? Massey queried. "Not yet," the friend said, adding that he would postpone since he was unable to obtain flood insurance for his recreational vehicle. We wouldn't be able to return, but we would if we could receive complete coverage. 

In Punta Gorda, storm tosses boats onto lawns


Residents of Punta Gorda, which is located 100 miles south of Tampa, awoke on Thursday to discover that the strong winds and storm surge from Milton had caused huge yachts to be dumped on front lawns. Situated on the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, the city also had to deal with flooded areas and haphazard garbage mounds that were still parked at curbs following Hurricane Helene, which hit just two weeks earlier. The town's power was down, and several residences had broken water lines.

While walking his dog Einstein and riding his bike, Jeff Weiler reported that a piece of dock had damaged his house. The worst part, he claimed, was that his "life's ambition"—a newly acquired 60-foot motor boat—had been irreparably ruined. 

“I just cashed in my retirement to buy that boat,” he said, choking back tears. “It’s gone.” 


Biden, DeSantis discuss hurricane damage

The White House released a statement stating that Biden and DeSantis had a conversation on Thursday morning on Lake Milton's effects. Biden restated his commitment to give whatever assistance need to expedite the response and recovery, DeSantis informed the president, adding that officials are currently evaluating the damage around the state.
 
Following up on the conversation, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell scheduled a meeting with the governor to discuss the implications on Thursday.

Milton turns pond 'into an ocean'

Lloyd Anoa'i and his neighbors are stuck in their homes in New Port Richey, which is approximately an hour northwest of Tampa, hours after Hurricane Milton submerged driveways and roadways in several feet of water. The 53-year-old Anoa'i claimed that the pond beside his home was "turned into an ocean" by Milton's intense downpour. Anoa'i raced to his car as the worst rain was starting to fall and pushed it from his driveway to the top of his yard so that the water wouldn't get to the doors. "The water was about two and a half feet deep on my legs." It is absurd. Nobody can travel anyplace right now.
 
Through floor panels, some water crept into the bedroom in the back. Anoa'i and his family were conversing when they heard loud, sporadic thuds, which he thought were tree limbs falling onto the roof, but the wind from the storm kept them on edge. He remarked, "It was pretty rough." The house was trembling, you could feel it. 

Some areas hit with 16 inches of rain

A barrier island near Sarasota, roughly 50 miles south of Tampa, is where the storm's center made impact. Severe winds in downtown Tampa early on Thursday caused traffic signals to go out, signs to come loose from their posts, and construction barriers to skid over the damp pavement. Additionally, a section of the brick front of a downtown building crumbled, partially obstructing a road, and Milton's winds tore apart plywood intended to keep the storm out.

The hurricane center said that following over 16 inches of rain in certain areas of the region, a flash flood emergency was in place for Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater.  

The storm center stated in its morning report that further rainfall of two to four inches is anticipated throughout parts of the east-central to northeast Florida coast through Thursday morning.

"This rainfall will continue to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding," the latest advisory stated. 

15 people rescued from Tampa home damaged by fallen tree


A falling tree damaged a Tampa home on Wednesday night, forcing authorities to rescue fifteen people—among them many small children—from the wreckage. The family was relocated to a shelter at a nearby primary school, according to Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw, who made this announcement to media during a press conference on Thursday.
 
Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp reported that many people were hurt when a tree fell on another house in the Tampa region. Uncertainty surrounds the number of persons inside the house that firemen saved. Through the course of the night, Tripp's team responded to over 100 emergency calls, many of which reported minor medical problems, downed power lines, and fire alarms. 

Storm tears hole in airport roof

Milton's race throughout the state left Melbourne Orlando International Airport with a thirty-by-forty-foot hole in the ceiling and caused flash floods and severe rains in certain areas of the east coast. 

According to Greg Donovan, executive director of the airport located around one hour east of Orlando, a significant portion of the ceiling collapsed at around two in the morning. "We had a large section of our skylight, technically called a caul wall, come down in the center of the terminal," Donovan explained. He stated that there hasn't been any water infiltration because it has "been really dry since that initial wave." At the time, there were no reported casualties and the airport was closed. Donovan said that he was assembling workers to repair the roof and minimize water damage. 

Coastal community of Venice begins assessing damage





On Thursday, there were significant power disruptions and telephone service failures in several portions of Venice, which is located 70 miles south of Tampa. The city requested that people avoid particular routes for a little while longer, stating that assessment teams were beginning to look into floods and other storm damage.
 
Since a large number of senior citizens retire to Venice (the typical age in the city is 68, compared to 38 in the United States), municipal officials collaborated closely with their state colleagues to evacuate residents of assisted living facilities and other individuals who were unable to go on their own.

Crane collapsed into Tampa Bay Times' office building

In downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, authorities announced late on Wednesday that a crane had collapsed close to a construction site. In an office building that contains many businesses, including the newspaper, the crane left a huge hole, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Reports of injuries were not made right away.
 
Reminding people to keep off the road is currently the most important thing. As a 4-way stop, please regard our nearly entirely out traffic signals, according to Venice spokesperson Brianne Lorenz. The roads are not yet safe since there is a lot of debris and downed powerlines. 

In a statement, the mayor of St. Petersburg warned, "The public is urged to continue to shelter in place" but to stay away from the area. According to John Catsimatidis, CEO of Red Apple Group, the company building the tower, "we can confirm one crane cab in the upper section of the mast has fallen," as reported by the Times. "We are working with city officials and others to assess the situation."

MLB stadium Tropicana Field damaged

After touching down late on Wednesday, Milton pounded the Tampa Bay region with strong winds and torrential rain. The Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball play their home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and authorities there verified that damaging winds had damaged the roof. As thousands of emergency personnel prepared for Milton, the ballpark was converted into a base camp. Strong winds tore off a portion of the stadium's roof, as shown in images posted on social media and footage from nearby television stations.  

Although plans to replace the domed stadium by 2028 are in the works, the Tampa Bay Rays have called this home since the team's founding in 1998. Tropicana Field has a sloping roof that is angled, partly to protect it from storms, even though it is one of the smallest MLB stadiums in terms of seating capacity. 

First responders limited during height of Milton

First responders on Florida's Gulf Coast were prevented from attempting any rescues during Hurricane Milton because to the strong winds that caused tornadoes and blew off Hurricane Milton. Authorities in Florida had been telling residents that even while they could contact 911 for assistance over the phone, they would essentially be left on their own until Milton died away. At the height of Hurricane Helene, a number of calls that authorities were unable to respond led to the dispatch of the alert by 911 centers.

"No one wants to be able to do nothing but sit around," stated Nick Pachota, the mayor of Venice, Florida and a seasoned first responder. "But regrettably, no one will come to the rescuer's aid if one of us is injured." 

Where did Hurricane Milton make landfall?

According to the National storm Center, around 8:30 p.m., the center of Milton made landfall close to Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph. Five miles south of Sarasota or fifty miles south of Tampa, on Florida's west coast, sits the barrier island community of Siesta Key, home to 5,500 people. Southwest of Orlando, it is a little more than 100 miles away.  The storm exited the state Peninsula in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral, traveling northeast. 

Thursday, according to the projected track, Milton's core will travel north of the Bahamas and away from Florida. 

Tornadoes rip through southwest Florida


Reports of tornadoes tearing across Collier County and Lee County, as well as inflicting significant damage throughout Fort Myers and Cape Coral, were made on Wednesday in southwest Florida.
In the Pine Lakes subdivision of North Fort Myers, Scott Fincher and his family were waiting for Milton on the lanai of their house. The local news was covering the "tornado outbreak" while they waited, so they used their time well.

Reporters then declared that a tornado was approaching Lake Fairways, a sister development that borders Pine Lakes. Fincher realized at that point that they needed to conceal. Fincher moved his wife, sister-in-law, and dog into the house right away. Fincher stated, "That's when it came through, and when I heard the rumbling, that's when we were moving everyone in." Fincher stated, "It was a wall of black." It was as dark as it could get. I was afraid. The home, the ground, and everything all felt a little shaky.
 
Analysts: Hurricane Milton could cost insurers up to $100 billion

According to experts on Wednesday, Hurricane Milton may cost the insurance sector worldwide up to $100 billion in damages. This would lead to a spike in the cost of reinsurance in 2025, which would increase the value of some insurance firms' stock.
According to Governor Ron DeSantis, Milton, which made landfall on Florida's already storm-ravaged west coast on Wednesday night, produced at least 19 tornadoes, damaged several counties, and destroyed over 125 houses—the majority of which were mobile homes.

"After declaring the landfall, DeSantis stated that it is unsafe to evacuate at this time. Therefore, you should stay put and simply fortify yourself." If the hurricane makes direct impact in the heavily populated region of Tampa, morningstar DBRS experts estimated that insured losses from Milton would be between $60 billion and $100 billion. They said that a $100 billion loss would place Milton on level with Katrina in 2005 and that insured losses would probably be "substantial but not catastrophic."


















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