Hurricane Milton: Rescue operations continue – Death toll rises –

A weakened but powerful Hurricane Milton struck the west coast of Florida, spawning more than 12 tornadoes, destroying homes and killing at least 10 people, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced.

However, the storm did not cause the catastrophic flooding that had been feared.

“There are still very dangerous conditions in the state,” he says, adding that he knows from past experience that sometimes more lives are lost after hurricanes pass than during the hurricane itself. “People have to wait until they get the go-ahead from their leaders before they go out.”

Biden also stressed that “there will be a need for significant amounts of money” to manage the fallout. “Several billions of dollars will be needed,” he said, stressing that there will be a long way to go for a comprehensive reconstruction.

In his statement, Biden said that it is too early to fully record the damage caused by the passage of “Milton”.

“Do not go to the affected areas”

Florida Department of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie is warning the public not to visit affected areas as it may hinder emergency crews.

Guthrie also reports that the government has more than 20 search and rescue teams ready to move into the area and conduct door-to-door searches.

“We’re going to have to get out there and go door to door and make sure everybody’s OK. So please, don’t go out on the streets,” he emphasizes.

Florida avoided the worst

Gov. Ron DeSandis said during a morning briefing that the state avoided the worst-case scenario, although he warned that the damage is significant. The Tampa Bay area appears to have escaped deadly flooding, for which authorities had issued a red alert.

Four of the nine deaths were recorded in St. Lucie, on Florida’s east coast, with at least two in the retirement community of Spanish Lakes, when tornadoes swept through the area yesterday afternoon, county spokesman Eric Gill said. He said it was unclear whether the other two deaths occurred in Spanish Lakes.

3 million homes and businesses without power

Meanwhile, more than 3 million Florida homes and businesses are still without power today.

In some of them, the electricity supply had been interrupted for days after the passage of Cyclone Elin two weeks ago. Cyclone Milton also tore off the roof at Tropicana Field, the stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, with no reports of injuries.

In the Tampa area, the tornado uprooted trees, scattered debris on roads and knocked down power poles, as shown in videos broadcast by local media. Some neighborhoods were flooded, but the extent of the damage won’t be known until crews gain access to affected areas and assess the damage, Castor said.

Emergency crews in the area responded to dozens of calls for help overnight, including one for a tree that fell on a home that had 15 people inside, including children, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercow said. All 15 rescued were taken to shelters, he added.

It was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane

Milton weakened further as it made landfall and was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 km/h by the time it reached the peninsula’s eastern coast, according to the US Hurricane Center.

Milton is forecast to develop into a strong post-tropical storm and then gradually weaken completely over the next few days, according to the US Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Milton is currently moving towards the Atlantic, however it will still produce strong winds and heavy rainfall over land.

Watch the hurricane’s path live

Several ports in the Gulf, including Panama City, St. Joe and Key West in Florida have begun to reopen for shipping.

You can see here what came before in relation to Hurricane Milton