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At least 10 people have been killed due to the hurricane. At least five of those people were killed in tornadoes spawned by the storm in St Lucie County.
Damage due to Hurricane Milton.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 11, 2024 04:40 IST
Hurricane Milton, now recognized as the fifth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane on record, made landfall on Florida's western coast Wednesday evening. However, the storm's most devastating impacts were felt more than 100 miles away along the eastern shore, particularly in St. Lucie County.
As of Wednesday, the Weather Service reported 19 confirmed tornadoes in Florida, with a total of 45 tornadoes reported throughout the day. The sheer force of the storm left over 3.3 million homes and businesses without power, with the west-central region bearing the brunt of the outages.
Initial estimates suggest that property damage from Hurricane Milton could result in insured losses ranging from $30 billion to $50 billion, marking the highest total from a storm in two years. Recovery efforts are expected to be extensive as communities begin to assess the damage and rebuild.
At least 10 people have been killed due to the hurricane, authorities said, adding that over 4,300 people have been rescued so far.
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Authorities have said there have been 10 deaths due to Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night. According to reports, at least five of those people were killed in tornadoes spawned by the storm in St Lucie County.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said some 4,300 people have been rescued so far. He added that while the storm has passed, there is still danger from fallen power lines, debris and nonpotable water.
Property damage from Hurricane Milton is likely to cause between $30bn and $50bn in insured losses, the highest total from a storm in two years.
The hurricane left over 3 million homes and businesses without power on Wednesday and Thursday. US President Joe Biden said more than 40 million power line workers have come from around the country, from Canada to Florida, to restore power across the state.
Joe Biden criticised former President Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about compensation, asking him to "get a life". "That $750 that you're talking about, Mr. Trump and all those other people know it's a lie to suggest that's all they're going to get. That's bizarre. It's bizarre," he said.
More western Florida airports are to reopen. At least nine airports in western Florida are closed due to the storm’s impact. Among them are two of the US’s busiest – Tampa Airport and Orlando Airport.
US gasoline prices have been up around 10% over the last few weeks, Reuters reported. Analysts say one of the reasons is that drivers have been filling up ahead of the storms.At the same time national gas prices fell to a 2-week low as Milton left its trail of damage.
US President Joe Biden said he believes Congress, whose members are currently in recess, should come back into session to address disaster relief funding needs following Hurricane Milton.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the storm had caused "significant" damage but was not the "worst-case scenario". He earlier said he hoped that the storm wouldn’t cause major damage in Tampa Bay, home to over 3 million people and once expected to be the storm's eye.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission warned of alligators and snakes in flooded areas. The organisation asked people to try to avoid going to flooded areas. It also asked people to give the reptiles space and be wary about their surroundings.
Published By:
Nakul Ahuja
Published On:
Oct 11, 2024
