Officials have reported that at least 11 people lost their lives as Hurricane Milton unleashed tornadoes across Florida, forcing the state to contend with flooding, power outages, and other challenges from a storm that turned out to be milder than anticipated, despite initial fears of catastrophic damage.
The hurricane swept through the state late Wednesday before moving out into the Atlantic, leaving behind blocked roads due to fallen trees and power lines. Approximately three million homes and businesses were left without electricity.
Preliminary reports suggest that tornadoes, not floodwaters, were the primary cause of the storm-related fatalities.
“It was pretty scary,” commented Susan Stepp, a 70-year-old resident of Fort Pierce, a city on Florida’s east coast, where a tornado generated by Milton tragically claimed four lives in a senior living community on Wednesday.
“I wish they would have evacuated.”
The fatalities included five in St. Lucie County, three in Volusia County, two in St. Petersburg, and one in Tampa, according to local authorities. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reported that the deaths were linked to the tornadoes.
In Tampa, authorities discovered a woman in her early 70s trapped beneath a large tree branch; she was pronounced dead at the scene, with her death “believed to be connected to restoration efforts following Hurricane Milton.”
In Polk County, a road crew member was fatally struck by a colleague’s vehicle while he was clearing a fallen tree.
Ms. Stepp’s husband, Bill, recounted how a tornado “picked up my 22-ton motor home and tossed it across the yard.”
“It’s both scary and heartbreaking to witness so much destruction and see cherished belongings simply gone, but they are just things, and we are still here,” the 72-year-old added.
Despite the turmoil, Florida managed to sidestep the catastrophic devastation that officials had anticipated.
A car navigating a flooded street in Punta Gorda following Hurricane Milton
“The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated during a news conference.
Milton made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast as a strong Category 3 storm, with powerful winds wreaking havoc on communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which struck just two weeks prior and resulted in 237 fatalities across Florida and other southeastern states.
The National Weather Service issued a record 126 tornado warnings statewide on Wednesday, the highest number recorded for a single day in history, according to hurricane expert Michael Lowry.
In Sarasota Bay, Kristin Joyce, a 72-year-old interior designer who chose not to evacuate, captured images of branches snapped by the fierce winds.
“This definitely serves as a serious wake-up call regarding climate change,” she remarked while assessing the damage.
Scientists note that extreme rainfall and destructive storms are becoming more severe and frequent as global temperatures rise due to climate change, with warmer ocean surfaces releasing more water vapor that fuels storm formation.
Biden’s anger towards Trump
President Joe Biden, who mentioned he had spoken with Mr. DeSantis, urged residents to remain indoors after the storm due to hazardous conditions created by downed power lines and debris.
In a social media video, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that he and his wife Melania were praying for those affected by the storm and encouraged them to support his candidacy.
“Hopefully, on January 20, you will have someone in office that will truly assist you better than ever before,” the former president said, referencing the upcoming presidential inauguration date.
Hurricane Milton inflicted substantial damage
After Hurricane Helene struck Florida late last month, the consecutive storms have become a topic for political discourse as Mr. Trump alleges that Mr. Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris are neglecting storm victims.
Mr. Biden responded furiously on Wednesday, labeling Mr. Trump as “reckless and irresponsible.”
‘Fortunate’
In Cocoa Beach, Florida’s east coast, a tornado came ashore from the ocean, shattering almost all of the windows in a hair salon and tearing a section of the roof off a bank.
Katherine and Larry Hingle recounted how they were on their porch watching the rising water from a nearby river when the tornado struck Wednesday evening.
“It sounded like a train coming,” Ms. Hingle said while they walked their dog to assess the aftermath.
In Sarasota, resident Carrie Elizabeth echoed the sentiments of many, expressing that despite the tumultuous night, Milton was not as devastating as they had feared.
“I feel that we are very fortunate,” she said. “The cleanup will take a while, but it could have been far worse.”
