Hurricane Milton death toll expected to rise; storm downgraded to post-tropical cyclone – latest updates

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Drone footage taken on Thursday morning shows the damage caused by Hurricane Milton in the city of Venice, Florida:

Biden to Trump: 'Get a life man. Help these people'

Richard Luscombe

Joe Biden closed his address about Hurricane Milton with a dig at Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee who has spread lies and misinformation about federal disaster response.

Asked if he had spoken to Trump, who has falsely claimed storm victims received only $750 in federal aid, and that disaster relief funds were redirected to migrants, Biden replied: “Are you kidding me?”

Walking from the podium, Biden addressed the former president directly:

Mr President Trump, former President Trump, get a life man. Help these people.

During his remarks, Biden again addressed the “outright lies” spread by a number of Republicans:

Those who engage in such lies are undermining confidence in the rescue and recovery work. These lies are also harmful to those who most need help. Lives are on the line. People are in desperate situations. Have the decency to tell them the truth.

To all the people impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, despite the misinformation and lies, the truth is we’re providing the resources needed to rescue, recover and rebuild.

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Joe Biden said he was certain that early warnings about the size and strength of Hurricane Milton, and evacuation orders that covered millions of people along Florida’s heavily populated Gulf coast, had saved lives:

It’s too early to know the full account of the damage, but we know lifesaving measures did make a difference. More than 80,000 people followed orders to safely shelter last night, and we’ve had search and rescue teams at the ready for any calls for help this morning.

There’s still very dangerous conditions in the state. People should wait to be given all clear by their leaders before they go out. We know from previous hurricanes that it’s often the case the more lives are lost in the days following the storm than actually during the storm itself.

He said he and Kamala Harris were in near constant contact with Fema’s director, Deanne Criswell, as well as the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, who has “provided a range of capabilities” to Florida and other states affected by Hurricane Helene”:

I know recovery and rebuilding projects can take a long and difficult time, but long after the press and the cameras move on, I promise you, and you have to pick up the pieces still, I want you to know we’ll do everything in our power to help you to the pieces back together and get all that you need.

Joe Biden to ensure state and local officials 'have everything they need'

Richard Luscombe

Joe Biden has just been speaking at the White House about the federal response to Hurricane Milton in Florida, and says he’s told state and local officials his administration will ensure “they have everything they need”.

The president said he had spoken with Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, and about 15 mayors and other elected officials. Thousands of federal personnel, including hundreds from the US coast guard, have been sent to Florida, he says, and efforts continue in other states where Hurricane Helene struck less than two weeks ago:

We focused on what the American military can do like no one else can [to] provide emergency support for communities in need [as] required by the governors in the affected states.

This is a whole of government effort. It also includes the department of energy, department of transportation, department of health and human services, and the department of housing and urban development, which is providing mortgage relief for impacted homeowners.

He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) would open disaster recovery centers across the impacted areas “right away” for affected people to get support they needed.

Hurricane Milton downgraded to post-tropical cyclone

The Hurricane Center has downgraded Hurricane Milton to a post-tropical cyclone on Thursday.

In its 2pm ET public advisory, the NHC said:

“At 200 PM EDT (1800 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Milton was located near latitude 29.3 North, longitude 77.5 West. Milton is moving toward the east-northeast near 21 mph (33 km/h). A turn toward the east is expected later today, with that motion forecast to continue over the western Atlantic for the next few days. On the forecast track, the center of Milton will continue to move away from the east coast of Florida and pass north of the northwestern Bahamas this afternoon.”

The NHS warned that storm conditions and storm surges are still occurring over portions of the US’s southeastern coast.

Mayorkas condemns those spreading false claims as hurting those who need help the most

Alejandro Mayorkas was also asked about the impact hurricane misinformation and conspiracy theories have on people on the ground as well as first responders.

The homeland security secretary said: “The false info that is being spread deliberately does have a real-life impact on survivors and it is also demoralising for those heroic individuals who are risking their lives in the service of others.

“There is false information that federal employees who are there to help people will actually take their land and what we have seen is people reticent, reluctant, to access the relief to which they are entitled, that will help them because of the fear that that false information has instilled in them.”

Milton has became a hurricane-force extratropical low, the Hurricane Center said on Thursday.

“Tropical storm conditions and storm surge still occurring over portions of the south-eastern US coast,” the Miami-based forecaster said.

Hurricane Milton death toll rises to at least 10 people

Mayorkas also told the White House briefing that he understands that at least 10 people lost their lives as a result of tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton.

In St Lucie county on Florida’s east coast, a spate of tornados killed five people, including at least two in the senior-living Spanish Lakes Communities, county spokesperson Erick Gill said. Search-and-rescue teams there are combing through hard-hit areas, including a mobile-home park.

Two deaths were also confirmed earlier on Thursday in St Petersburg, with police chief Anthony Holloway saying one was a medical death and the other was “someone that was found in a park”.

In Volusia county, sheriff Michael J Chitwood confirmed that three people died. including one person who was killed after a tree fell on them, NBC reports.

Mayorkas says no resources will be diverted from Helene to help those impacted by Milton – stressing that enough resources are available for the aid and recovery efforts needed after both hurricanes.

But Mayorkas did urge Congress to fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency as needed. “We will need additional funds, and we implore Congress, when it returns to, in fact, fund Fema as is needed,” Mayorkas told reporters during a virtual briefing at the White House.

Mayorkas says 'we will not leave until work is done' to support areas hit by Milton and Helene

Mayorkas echoed Biden, saying:

“Every available resource is being deployed as fast as possible to impacted communities and we will not leave until the work is done.

“The same is true for communities impacted by Helene here in North Carolina. President Biden and VP Harris were here last week, as was I, and we will continue to support impacted communities and first responders on the ground.”

He added that more than 10,000 federal staff are on the ground supporting Helene and Milton response efforts.

Over 4,000 people have been rescued since Helene hit last week. Power and cell phone service have been restored across large swaths of impacted areas.

Millions of meals and millions of litres of clean water have been distributed, Mayorkas added.

Mayorkas praised first responders for doing “truly heroic work in extremely difficult circumstances”.

Mayorkas reiterated that Joe Biden had approved emergency declarations for Florida days before the storm made landfall.

He said officials had prepositioned supplies, including food and water, there were 20 helicopters, 60 DoD highwater vehicles with ladders, 1,300 US Coast Guard personnel and 1,400 urban search and rescue personnel helping with rescue efforts after the storm.

Hundreds of ambulances were at the ready to transport people injured in the storm to hospitals.

Homeland security briefs on Hurricane Milton

Alejandro Mayorkas is giving an update on the response to Hurricane Milton.

The homeland security secretary said “lives have been lost” and that the storm left significant water and wind damage, with at least 27 tornado touchdowns and millions still without power

Mayorkas told the White House briefing: “Our hearts break for the Floridians who have lost so much.”

He added: “Right now search and rescue is our highest priority. We’re praying for those unaccounted … praying for their safe return.”

He urged people in Florida to keep following instructions from local officials, saying downed power lines, contaminated drinking water and debris continued to pose danger to life.

Julius Constantine Motal

Hurricane Milton pummeled Florida overnight – ripping roofs off buildings, downing trees and causing widespread flooding.

Our picture editors have pulled together images of the devastating destruction and how people are beginning to deal with the aftermath of the horrific storm: