Hurricane Milton, a 'double disaster' devastates Florida

Tornadoes, spun from Milton's outer bands, struck more than 100 miles away from the storm's landfall, dramatically widening the scope of destruction. During a press conference on the day the storm hit, President Biden confirmed that 38 tornadoes had touched down across 13 counties.

The combination of hurricane-force winds and tornadoes created a "double disaster" for Florida, said Corene Matyas, a geographer at the University of Florida. Five of the six deaths reported in St. Lucie County were due to tornadoes, which have caused unprecedented destruction there. Locals likened the tornadoes to massive objects falling from the sky, obliterating homes with terrifying force.

CNN reports that the death toll from Hurricane Milton has now risen to at least 15, following a newly reported fatality. The victim, Bruce Kinsler, 68, was a worker who tragically died in a traffic accident while clearing a fallen tree blocking the road.

In Clearwater, more than 500 people were rescued and brought to temporary shelters. "These are people who’ve lost everything, from their cars to all their personal belongings, and they don’t have the means to find a new place to live," said Mayor Bruce Rector.

In St. Petersburg, residents face a severe clean water shortage after more than 30 water mains were damaged. Authorities have advised people to store water and use only boiled, cooled water.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg reported that FEMA personnel are actively assisting those affected by Hurricane Milton while also dealing with the lingering aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck the southeastern U.S. two weeks ago, claiming at least 237 lives.

“At FEMA headquarters today, I witnessed remarkable discipline, unity, and coordination. These public servants have been working tirelessly around the clock,” said Buttigieg, dismissing allegations that FEMA had been irresponsible or indifferent to the storm, including criticisms from former President Donald Trump.

The secretary also noted that efforts are underway to restore key infrastructure at airports, including radar systems, control towers, and beacons, with the aim of resuming normal operations as quickly as possible. More than 100 teams are currently inspecting roads, bridges, and interstate highways across Florida. He added that he expects the Port of Tampa Bay, a vital hub for fuel and cargo distribution, to be operational again soon.

So far, power has been restored to 700,000 people, but 2.6 million are still without electricity.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on the night of October 9 (local time) as a Category 3 storm, packing ferocious winds exceeding 200 km/h. After landfall, the storm weakened to a Category 1, with winds still gusting up to 145 km/h.