The death toll from Hurricane Milton continues to rise. Here’s what you should know
The death toll from Hurricane Milton and tornadoes associated with the storm continues to rise, with officials reporting at least 17 deaths.
While Florida grieves, any new deaths from the storm’s aftermath could probably be prevented if residents heed warnings, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
Here are other headlines you should know:
Cleanup and recovery efforts:
- Florida’s largest power company Duke Energy called on people to be careful picking up debris from the storm, since live power lines could be hidden underneath the rubble.
- While visiting Hillsborough County to see the damage from Milton, Sen. Rick Scott also urged residents to take precautions amid cleanup. He reminded residents not to drive through standing water, touch downed power lines or operate generators inside their homes.
- The crane that came crashing down into a large St. Petersburg office building during Hurricane Milton is not a sign construction companies should face more regulations to prevent such damage, DeSantis said Friday.
Post-storm assessments:
- Milton produced an exceptionally strong tornado from a tropical cyclone in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, according to a storm damage survey conducted Thursday by the National Weather Service in Miami. The tornado was the strongest one from a tropical system in the state in more than a half-century, according to a CNN review of NOAA data. The preliminary EF3 rating could increase based on additional damage found in what’s likely to be a “multi-day survey,” according to the weather service.
- Milton also drove feet of storm surge onto Florida’s Gulf Coast, causing water levels there to rise at least 5 to 10 feet above ground level, according to preliminary estimates from the National Hurricane Center.
Evacuations and recommendations:
- The sheriff of Florida’s Hillsborough County urged residents who live near rivers and creeks to leave Friday morning, warning river flooding was expected to only worsen as the day progressed. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is helping residents in Valrico, Florida, evacuate flooded areas, the sheriff’s office told CNN’s Isabel Rosales.
- Milton obliterated homes and killed at least 16 people when it plowed through the entire width of Florida. But officials say the devastation could have been far worse had residents not heeded urgent warnings to evacuate.
- Power blackouts and gas shortages are some of the main concerns facing Tampa residents in the aftermath of Milton, says Mayor Jane Castor. “If you don’t have to go anywhere, don’t,” she urged residents.
- Tampa authorities are also urging drivers to be careful as the city contends with dark traffic lights and flooded roadways.
- City manager Dana Souza of Sanibel, located on a barrier island off the coast of Florida, warns residents to not use their toilets or showers “because there is the risk that sewer can back up into your home, which we don’t want you to experience at all.”
Resources:
- More than three in four gas stations in the Tampa Bay area have no fuel as of Friday afternoon, according to gas price-tracking platform GasBuddy. The outages are a problem across the state in the aftermath of Milton. As of 1:32 p.m. ET, 29.9% of Florida’s gas stations had no fuel, according to GasBuddy. That’s up slightly from Friday morning and amounts to more than 2,100 gas stations without fuel.
- DeSantis assured residents, “we do have a lot of fuel in the state of Florida” as areas continue to face gas shortages.
Federal response:
- FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said while her agency has enough money to “support the immediate needs” of disaster survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, it will need more funding passed soon.
- People affected by Hurricane Helene are still able to apply for financial relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- President Joe Biden on Sunday will visit areas of Florida hit by Milton, the White House announced Friday.
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