On Wednesday, October 9, Hurricane Milton slammed into the west coast of Florida, specifically in the Tampa Bay and Siesta Key areas. So far, the category 3 hurricane left 17 people dead.
Before the storm, Florida State Governor, Ron Desantis, issued an emergency evacuation order in 51 of 67 state counties. According to the Governor, the state should expect more casualties in the following days.
According to a CBS News report, Desantis urged citizens who had not been evacuated to seek shelter. One hundred forty-nine shelters were set up across Florida, holding up to 200,000 people. Desantis confirmed that more than 80,000 people used these shelters.
The Storm’s Damage to Florida
Over 3.3 million people experienced power outages, while 18 inches of rainfall poured overhead. Wind gusts reached speeds over 100 miles per hour; ripping the roof off Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays’ baseball stadium.
Florida was struck by Hurricane Helene one week before the arrival of Hurricane Milton. Helene killed at least 225 people, with hundreds more left missing. Two hurricanes in two weeks left parts of Florida underwater and severely damaged.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3 storm but shared the power of the week’s earlier category 5 storm. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm’s wind speeds reached up to 180 miles per hour with an expected storm surge of 10-15 feet. The storm was expected to be one of the most destructive in recent memory.
The State Recovers
The storm has since passed and headed out to sea, but not without leaving a devastating trail.
Yet according to Desantis,
“Tampa Bay did not get the surge that everyone feared.”
Due to mass amounts of rain and storm surge, Florida is still dealing with flooding.
Floridians are working to bounce back from damages caused by Hurricane Milton. CBS News reported that more than 2.8 million people had their power restored as of Friday, the eleventh. Fifty-three of 54 public schools are set to reopen on the fourteenth.
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