Death Toll from Hurricane Milton Rises to 16 as Florida Faces Recovery Challenges
The death toll from Hurricane Milton has risen to at least 16 in Florida, as residents begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives and homes. Nearly 2.5 million households and businesses remain without power, and some areas impacted by the storm are still flooded.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on the Gulf Coast late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, causing devastation in communities that were still recovering from Hurricane Helene just two weeks prior, which had claimed 237 lives across the southeastern U.S., including Florida.
On Siesta Key, a barrier island near Sarasota where Milton struck, the scene is grim. Many streets remain flooded, and debris including fallen trees and discarded furniture litter the roads. Resident Mark Horner, who reported his house was mostly unharmed, noted that the island “got hit really hard,” but expressed hope for recovery, saying, “Our paradise will come back. It’s just a little shocking to absorb it.”
Tornadoes triggered by the storm accounted for many of the fatalities. In Fort Pierce, four individuals died due to a tornado spawned by Milton. Resident Susan Stepp remarked on the tragic outcomes, suggesting that evacuations might have saved lives.
Fatalities were reported across multiple counties: six in St. Lucie, four in Volusia, two in Pinellas, and one each in Hillsborough, Polk, Orange, and Citrus counties. Although the storm caused significant damage downing power lines and damaging the roof of a baseball stadium Florida avoided the catastrophic outcomes that had been feared.
Governor Ron DeSantis described the situation: “The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario.”
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a record 126 tornado warnings statewide. Lidier Rodriguez, whose Tampa Bay apartment was flooded, reflected on the emotional toll of losing everything, stating, “It is not easy to think you have everything and suddenly you have nothing.”
Search and rescue operations continued, with the Coast Guard rescuing a boat captain who survived the storm by clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico. President Joe Biden urged residents to stay indoors until safety can be assured with downed power lines and debris cleared.
The dual impacts of Helene and Milton have entered the political arena, with Republican Donald Trump making claims that Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris are neglecting victims. Biden retorted, urging Trump to “get a life.”
Experts indicated that human-induced climate change exacerbated Hurricane Milton’s intensity. A report from the World Weather Attribution group stated that heavy rainfall events like Milton are now 20-30% more intense and about twice as likely due to climate change. This increase boosted Milton’s wind strength, transforming what could have been a Category 2 storm into a more destructive Category 3.
As recovery efforts continue, many Floridians face fatigue and frustration. Joe Meyer, returning home after staying in a hotel, recounted his experiences with both hurricanes, mentioning the extensive damage and hinting at a possible move to a less flood-prone area due to the cumulative stress of these disasters. “We’re just to the age now where moving everything up, moving everything down it’s just become too much for us,” he lamented.
