At least 17 people have died after Hurricane Milton devastated portions of Florida, as the extent of damage caused becomes clear in the wake of the storm.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, spawning dozens of tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.
President Biden is expected to survey the damage to the Tampa Bay region on Sunday and receive a briefing on the state of the disaster response from officials on the ground.
The National Weather Service has warned major flooding is still forcast north of Tampa.
Six people in St Lucie County retirement village were killed by tornadoes brought on by the hurricane after a dozen twisters spawned in the region within 20 minutes.
About 1m homes and businesses in Florida were still without power on Saturday evening, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted.
Damages from the storm are estimated to cost Florida upwards of $160 billion over the long term.
The storm also impacted fuel delivery, prompting Florida to offer free gasoline at state fuel depots as long lines formed at the pump across the state.
Key points
- Hurricane Milton warnings discontinued – but ‘hazards remain’
- ‘Significant river flooding' expected to continue for the coming days to weeks
- Death toll climbs to 17 including six killed by tornadoes in St Lucie County
- Trump branded a ‘selfish child’ for politicizing Hurricane Milton
- Phosphate mine spill in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton
‘Net zero’ neighborhood avoided blackouts during Milton
04:37
Josh Marcus
While parts of Florida were flattened and flooded by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one South Florida development weathered the storms with few issues.
Hunters Point, near Bradenton Beach, is billed as the country’s first “net-zero” single-family housing development.
The development in Cortez, Florida, generates more energy than it uses via solar panels, and homes are built with hurricane-proofing technologies like concrete constructions, hurricane-proof fixtures, foam-reinforced walls, streets designed to divert flood waters, and buried power and interent lines.
As CNN reports, those inside the development were able to keep their electricity when millions lost it, even though Milton made landfall nearby.
“Everybody around us was completely dark at like five in the morning, and you see the lights on in our houses,” Marshall Gobuty, the founder and president of the development, told CNN. “So, it really was a test of why we did this.”
President Biden to visit Tampa area on Sunday
04:07
Josh Marcus
President Joe Biden will visit Florida on Sunday to survey the damage from Hurricane Milton, WTSP reports.
The president is set to arrive at Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base, then conduct an aerial tour of storm damage in the surrounding area.
He’ll then head to St. Petersburg and get a briefing on the state of the disaster response.
Biden will then depart for Philadelphia.
Viral fame brings concern for a family after hurricanes
03:44
Josh Marcus
A woman who says she’s the daughter of Joseph Malinowski, 54 — a Tampa, Florida man who went viral and was dubbed “Lieutenant Dan” for his decision to ride out the approaching hurricanes Helene and Milton on his boat — is worried that his sudden fame and donations from wellwishers will put her father at risk.
Ashley Anny Malinowski voiced her concern in a series of TikToks on Friday.
“Lieutenant Dan was doing just fine without all that money,” she told viewers in one video.
“Y’all TikTok f***ing famous people, y’all blowing him up and he’s gonna be dead before he can f***ing enjoy that boat and stuff. Because Look at him, after y’all got a hold of him and now he’s high as f*** on all these videos.”
More details in our full story.
The new threat of conspiratorial disaster relief
02:36
Josh Marcus
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, partisan politics have encouraged the frightening spread of conspiracies about disaster relief.
Last week, Kelly Rissman had this look about the new phenomenon.
Photos capture devastation of Hurricane Milton
01:30
Josh Marcus
White House announces Florida disaster declaration
01:10
Josh Marcus
Florida is officially a major disaster area, according to the Biden adminsitration.
The White House declared the state a major disaster area yesterday, it announced on Saturday, freeing up federal funding for impacted counties.
It’s a move that’s at odds with the recent apparent political conflict between vice president Kamala Harris and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Pinellas County schools closed through Monday
Sunday 13 October 2024 00:54
Josh Marcus
Schools in Pinellas County, a peninsula containing the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, will remain closed on Monday, education officials announced, as the hard hit Tampa Bay region continues to recover from Hurricane Milton.
“No decision has been made about Tuesday, October 15,” the school system wrote on its website. “The district will communicate this decision by noon on Monday, October 14, and will be based on the closure of shelters and the stability of the power grid.”
DeSantis announces free gas as Florida faces fuel crunch
Sunday 13 October 2024 00:39
Josh Marcus
In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, residents of Florida are facing long lines to get fuel from gas stations with disrupted supply lines.
On Saturday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced residents would be able to get up to 10 gallons of free fuel from three state-run fuel depots spread across Plant City, Bradenton, and St. Petersburg.
The governor added three more such fuel depots were in the works.
Nearly a third of Florida gas stations lack fuel: tracker
Sunday 13 October 2024 00:19
Josh Marcus
The storm may be passed, but now Florida is contending with other challenges in Milton’s wake, like a severe fuel shortage.
According to gas tracking website GasBuddy, just under 30 percent of Florida gas stations were without fuel as of its most recent count yesterday.
How much is Hurricane Milton going to cost Florida?
Sunday 13 October 2024 00:16
Josh Marcus
Hurricane Milton was the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, and it could end up costing Florida billions in dollars of damages.
Insurers alone are expected to offer between $30 billion and $60 billion in payouts, according to Reuters.
Taking in the wider impact on property damage, lost economic activity, and long-term healthcare costs, the storm could end up causing $160 billion in total losses, according to an estimate from AccuWeather.
That’s on top Hurricane Helene’s estimated $225 - 250 billion impact.
How Milton could jack up the Florida insurance market
Saturday 12 October 2024 22:00
Josh Marcus
Residents of Florida pay the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the U.S., and Hurricane Milton could make things even worse.
The storm has prompted more than 12,000 claims with the state’s insurer of last restort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., and caused more than $586m in damage to insured properties.
That kind of financial exposure could lead the insurer to impose new surcharges on customers, according to Florida Politics.
American contends with multiple storm clean-ups at once
Saturday 12 October 2024 21:38
Josh Marcus
Hurricane Milton may have been the most recent threat, but Americans are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which tore through the southeast throughout late September and earlier this month.
Rescue efforts are still underway, as this video from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division shows, with soldiers assisting FEMA in hard-hit North Carolina.
Your Screaming Eagles have been going door to door in western North Carolina assisting FEMA, the North Carolina National Guard, XVIII Airborne Corps and other organizations deliver supplies and support to areas affected by Hurricane Helene. #airassault #Helene pic.twitter.com/sZDjg9MQx3
— 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) October 12, 2024
Hurricane Milton reveals how city planning lags behind climate reality
Saturday 12 October 2024 21:23
Josh Marcus
In cities around Florida’s Tampa Bay region, even residents in areas not considered flood risks zones saw their homes inundated with water, sewage, and debris.
That’s because federal “flood-risk zone” maps don’t quite capture the complex realities on the ground anymore, where continued development has eroded the protections provided by Florida’s natural wetlands, and extreme weather grows more common from climate change.
As the Tampa Bay Times notes in a recent piece, areas in St. Petersburg, Lutz, New Tampa, and across Pasco County experienced major flooding days after Miton moved on, even in areas not historically considered flood zones.
“Everyone in Florida is at risk from hurricane flooding,” Trevor Burgess, CEO of Florida insurer Neptune Flood, told the paper. “It just comes down to whether or not you’re required by law to buy insurance.”
How Hurricane Milton compares to other historic storms
Saturday 12 October 2024 21:08
Josh Marcus
Residents of Florida have been left reeling by Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm which has led to at least 14 deaths, 3.4 million power outages and significant damage which is yet to be determined.
Hundreds of people were rescued Thursday in the aftermath of the storm, which brought historic rainfall in Tampa, flung debris and trees around streets, and left the Tampa Bay Rays’ St Petersburg field in shambles.
Amid evacuation alerts for millions, experts had warned that this could be one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in recent years, just as residents started to pick up the pieces from last month’s Hurricane Helene.
With the toll of its destruction still in limbo, how does Milton compare to the most fatal hurricanes in the 21st century?
Alicja Hagopian and Julia Musto report.
Governor joins relief effort as Walmart provides household necessities
Saturday 12 October 2024 20:52
Josh Marcus
Florida governor Ron DeSantis pitched in on Saturday with the Hurricane Milton relief efforts, handing out supply packs to families at the Pioner Park Point of Distruction in Hardee County.
Retailer Walmart also joined the action, supplying household necessities to Florida residents.
Floridians can find their nearest aid distribution center at the Florida Devision of Emergency Management website.
Met with residents at the Pioneer Park Point of Distribution in Hardee County, who received supplies and meals to help meet their immediate needs after Hurricane Milton.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 12, 2024
Dozens of PODs are now operating in storm-affected areas across Florida. They offer shelf-stable meals and… pic.twitter.com/5nmub1Kmj0
How tornadoes devastated communities far from Milton’s landfall
Saturday 12 October 2024 20:30
Rachel Sharp
Tony Brazzale, a diving boat captain who has lived for 10 years in his Wellington home in southeastern Florida, wasn’t worried about Hurricane Milton. The storm’s center was forecast to make landfall on the opposite side of the peninsula and then cross the state well to the north of his family.
But on Wednesday afternoon as the hurricane began to pummel the state, he stood outside his house and watched as a tornado loomed in the sky. He took video on his phone. The pressure dropped, and his wife said her ears were popping. It was time to go inside.
The twister shattered windows in the home, tore off roof shingles, ripped a tree from the ground and left branches and other debris scattered in the yard. Two days later Brazzale was wearing safety goggles and using a chainsaw as he cleaned up the damage.
“The hurricane was a nonevent for us,” he said. “Had it not been for an F-3 tornado, the entire thing would have been a nonevent for us.”
It was one of dozens of tornadoes spawned by Milton that hit South Florida far from where the storm made landfall near Sarasota. One of them killed at least six people in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village near Fort Pierce, about an hour’s drive north from Wellington.
Meteorologists believe there may have been at least 38 tornadoes associated with Milton. The National Weather Service is still reviewing preliminary reports, which could take weeks, but it issued 126 tornado warnings in the state the day the hurricane hit.
When the review is complete, the storm could crack the all-time top-10 list for most tornadoes caused by a hurricane.
The highest number of confirmed tornadoes from a hurricane were the 118 unleashed by Ivan in 2004, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane Beryl, which hit in July of this year and is still under review, generated at least 65 confirmed tornadoes and currently ranks fifth.
By comparison, Florida overall typically sees about 50 tornadoes a year on average, according to Matthew Elliot, a warning coordination meteorologist for the Storm Prediction Center.
In Wellington, 210 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Tampa near West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Coast, sheriff’s deputies spent Friday morning and afternoon helping residents clean up debris and move large trees that were obstructing roads.
Brazzale toiled to fix roof tiles and replace his shattered windows. Throughout his neighborhood, Pine Trace at Binks Forest, others were doing the same thing — cleaning up debris, putting tarps on damaged roofs and chain sawing fallen trees and branches.
The most important thing is that nobody died here, Brazzale said.
“It’s a significant pressure drop when one of those things goes over,” he said of the tornado. “You heard it. It was a freight train.”
The Associated Press
Pictured: Aftermath of Hurricane Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 20:00
Rachel Sharp
Watch: DeSantis denies climate change is making hurricanes more powerful
Saturday 12 October 2024 19:30
Rachel Sharp
Florida couple reveal Hurricane Milton unearthed long-lost wedding ring
Saturday 12 October 2024 19:00
Rachel Sharp
A Florida couple has revealed that Hurricane Milton unearthed a long-lost wedding ring which had been missing for almost a decade.
Laura and Basil Yorio told Fox35 that the ring vanished without a trace nine years ago while they were going through a construction project on their home in Palm Bay, Florida.
It had not been seen since.
On Wednesday, Hurricane Milton tore through their neighborhood.
When they returned home, Laura said she spotted something shiny in their yard.
“I looked down and saw a silver ring and thought it was like a key ring,” she said.
They then realized what it was.
“We’re very mindful that a lot of people are going through terrible things, and I feel almost a little guilty feeling happy about all of this, but it was something good.”
Floridians return to homes shattered by Hurricane Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 18:30
Rachel Sharp
Lieutenant Dan became an overnight sensation riding out Hurricane Milton. Then his long criminal past came to light
Saturday 12 October 2024 18:00
Rachel Sharp
Joseph Malinkowski became a ‘cult hero’ overnight for his defiant stand in the face of Hurricane Milton. Mike Bedigan and Kelly Rissman delve into his sprawling criminal history that rocked the boat and social media:
‘Selfish child’: Chris Christie slams Trump for politicizing Hurricane Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 17:30
Rachel Sharp
Chris Christie has slammed Donald Trump for politicizing Hurricane Milton as Florida begins recovery efforts from the “once in a lifetime” storm.
“He is a selfish child,” Christie told The New York Times opinion journalist Frank Bruni.
“And he doesn’t care that these people in North Carolina are suffering the way they are, if caring costs him one bit of perceived political advantage.”
Trump has been peddling conspiracies about the federal government’s response to both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including a debunked claim that money from FEMA is being diverted away from hurricane survivors towards illegal migrants.
Fake photos of Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton spread online by Russian news agency
Saturday 12 October 2024 17:00
Rachel Sharp
Images spread online supposedly showing Disney World in Florida underwater as a result of Hurricane Milton appear to be fake and have been generated using artificial intelligence.
Disney World, located in Orlando, Florida, announced they would close their theme parks amid rare measures ahead of the dangerous Hurricane Milton directly hitting the area, bringing with it strong winds, heavy rainfall and hazardous storm surge.
As Milton made landfall on Wednesday, all three Orlando-based parks, including Universal Orlando and SeaWorld alongside Disney, ground to a halt and shut down operations that would have usually welcomed tens of thousands of tourists.
Read more:
1.6 million still without power in Florida
Saturday 12 October 2024 16:30
Rachel Sharp
Three days after Milton smashed into Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, 1.6 million homes are still in the dark.
As of around 11am ET Saturday morning, 1.58 million customers were without power in the Sunshine State, according to Poweroutage.us.
In hard-hit Pinellas County, more than half were still in the midst of a power outage (373,000 out of 567,000 customers).
Hernando County sees historic flooding
Saturday 12 October 2024 16:00
Stuti Mishra
If you reside near the Withlacoochee River, please LEAVE NOW because water is rising quickly. Navigate around closed roads. Do NOT drive through floodwaters. If you are in danger, call 911. If you are in need of a shelter, the Enrichment Center is open and available. pic.twitter.com/LYnzRV87E6
— Hernando Co. Govt. (@HernandoCoGov) October 11, 2024
Brit recalls ‘holiday from hell’ with seven children as Hurricane Milton devastates Florida
Saturday 12 October 2024 15:30
Stuti Mishra
A British holidaymaker has described his “holiday from hell” after he was stuck in Florida with his brother and seven young children as Hurricane Milton made landfall in the US.
Jordan Sly was due to fly back to London on Wednesday with his three children, his brother Zak, and Zak’s four children. But as Hurricane Milton approached and Florida braced for its second devastating storm in as many weeks, their flight home was cancelled.
The seven children, aged between four months and 11 years old, were put to bed by Mr Sly and his brother in their Davenport holiday home. But when the storm hit in the early hours of the morning, chaos followed.
The Independent’s Alex Croft has more:
Photos show Treasure Island devastation
Saturday 12 October 2024 15:00
Stuti Mishra
Heartbreaking scenes are everywhere on Treasure Island. The damage is severe—power lines dangle in front of homes, trees have been uprooted, and several buildings have lost their roofs, leaving some barely standing. The sheer force of these storms was overwhelming.
— Treasure Island, FL (@TresIslandFL) October 11, 2024
(1/4) pic.twitter.com/1vKrZFTJAa
How to protect yourself from wild animals after Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 14:30
Stuti Mishra
Wildlife and Hurricane Milton
— MyFWC (@MyFWC) October 11, 2024
Some wildlife, such as alligators, snakes, and bears are more likely to be seen after a storm. Be aware, keep your distance, and give all wild animals space.
Find more information on wildlife and storms: https://t.co/oEpEqTm952 #Milton pic.twitter.com/ygRiihsCki
Emergency Shoulder Use no longer in effect
Saturday 12 October 2024 14:15
Stuti Mishra
Florida Transportation Department says Emergency Shoulder Use is no longer in effect.
⚠️Please be advised that the Emergency Shoulder Use is no longer in effect.⚠️ https://t.co/zZKpSeHpp7
— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 11, 2024
NASA targeting no earlier than Sunday after noon for Europa Clipper mission launch
Saturday 12 October 2024 14:00
Stuti Mishra
Regarding the @EuropaClipper mission, NASA and SpaceX are currently targeting launch no earlier than 12:12 p.m. EDT, Sunday, Oct. 13.
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) October 11, 2024
NASA: "Teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida continue to assess readiness for launch after Hurricane Milton."
Boaters warned to use caution in Milton’s aftermath
Saturday 12 October 2024 13:30
Stuti Mishra
Attention boaters: Please use caution while boating in the aftermath of Hurricane #Milton: https://t.co/3Kt5dkjzNO pic.twitter.com/demwE284cl
— MyFWC (@MyFWC) October 11, 2024
Milton pushes Alafia to highest-recorded flooding in Lithia since 1933
Saturday 12 October 2024 13:00
Julia Musto
Lithia’s Alafia River rose to 23 feet during Hurricane Milton — 4 feet higher than what’s designated as major flooding, and the highest recorded mark since 1933, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
See it: FEMA is on the ground in Florida
Saturday 12 October 2024 12:30
Julia Musto
We've been on the ground in Florida to respond to #Milton, support #Helene efforts in North Carolina, & several other states. Search & rescue teams, disaster units, and resources are being deployed as fast as possible, and we will not leave until the work is done. pic.twitter.com/BdMpyzBceG
— FEMA (@fema) October 11, 2024
How Hurricane Helene's 'wake up call' helped Florida residents prepare for Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 12:00
Stuti Mishra
Florida residents who fled hundreds of miles to escape Hurricane Milton made slow trips home on crowded highways, weary from their long journeys and the clean up work awaiting them but also grateful to be coming back alive.
"I love my house, but I'm not dying in it," Fred Neuman said on Friday while walking his dog outside a rest stop off Interstate 75 north of Tampa.
Mr Neuman and his wife live in Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall on Wednesday night as a powerful, Category 3 hurricane.
Heeding local evacuation orders ahead of the storm, they drove nearly 500 miles (800 kilometres) to Destin on the Florida Panhandle. Neighbours told the couple the hurricane destroyed their carport and inflicted other damage, but Mr Neuman shrugged, saying their insurance should cover it.
Nearby, Lee and Pamela Essenburm made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at a picnic table as cars pulling off the slow-moving interstate waited for parking spaces outside the crowded rest stop.
Their home in Palmetto, on the south end of Tampa Bay, had a tree fall in the backyard. They evacuated fearing the damage would be more severe, worrying Milton might hit as a catastrophic Category 4 or 5 storm.
"I wasn't going to take a chance on it," Lee Essenbaum said. "It's not worth it."
Milton killed at least 10 people when it tore across central Florida, flooding barrier islands, ripping the roof off the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium and spawning deadly tornadoes.
Officials say the toll could have been worse if not for the widespread evacuations. The still-fresh devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier probably helped compel many people to flee.
"Helene likely provided a stark reminder of how vulnerable certain areas are to storms, particularly coastal regions," said Craig Fugate, who served as administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under president Barack Obama.
"When people see first hand what can happen, especially in neighbouring areas, it can drive behaviour change in future storms."
The Associated Press.
FHP troopers team up with FWC for search and rescue efforts
Saturday 12 October 2024 11:30
Julia Musto
#FYP FHP Troopers teaming with Florida Fish & Wildlife Officers for search, rescue and recovery efforts across #TampaBay in the wake of #HurricaneMilton at Silver Oaks in #Zephyrhills @FLHSMV @MyFWC pic.twitter.com/iW7o0r3HZn
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) October 11, 2024
Flamingos return to Disney habitat after Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 11:00
Julia Musto
Disney shared a video of the flamingos being released back into their habitat at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge after Hurricane Milton. Listen to how happy they were! pic.twitter.com/yfcx4pEegA
— Drew Smith (@DrewDisneyDude) October 11, 2024
Florida pig, named Millie, rescued from Hurricane Milton floodwaters
Saturday 12 October 2024 10:30
Julia Musto
Rescue efforts continue in the state of Florida as fears of Hurricane Milton lingers over residents.
Hundreds of people and dozens of animals have been pulled out of floodwaters including a pig named Millie.
The Independent’s Noopur Jambhekar has more: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/hurricane-milton-florida-pig-rescue-b2628117.html
Tampa family keeps found cat safe after Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 10:00
Julia Musto
An update on the kitty who I nicknamed #Milton, after finding it in the rubble here in Tampa. The family who owns this business behind me that was decimated by the storm is keeping Milton safe inside and just fed her. She’s super sweet. They’re keeping her safe! pic.twitter.com/I3sFAgKZTr
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 11, 2024
Hurricane Milton: Watch US Coast Guard rescue man clinging to ice box
Saturday 12 October 2024 09:30
Stuti Mishra
Polk County officers helped woman who went into labor during Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 09:00
Julia Musto
Climate crisis increased rainfall from Hurricane Milton, study finds
Saturday 12 October 2024 08:30
Stuti Mishra
Rainfall from Hurricane Milton was increased by 20 to 30 per cent because of the climate crisis, according to a new rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution.
Storms like Milton are now about twice as likely as they would have been without human-caused warming, the group found.
The climate crisis also made wind speeds from the hurricane approximately 10 per cent stronger.
World Weather Attribution said their findings for Milton are similar to those following Hurricane Helene.
Hotter ocean temperatures are known to supercharge hurricanes, helping them intensify. In recent years more hurricanes have been rapidly intensifying, reaching Category 5, the highest on the scale. Milton is the quickest storm on record to rapidly intensify up to Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Aerial photos show destroyed houses in Florida after Hurricane Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 08:05
Stuti Mishra
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue have saved 104 pets so far
Saturday 12 October 2024 07:30
Stuti Mishra
‘Significant river flooding' expected to continue for the coming days to weeks
Saturday 12 October 2024 06:52
Stuti Mishra
Hurricane Milton has exited Florida but the risk of flooding from overflowing rivers is expected to continue for days to weeks, the National Weather Service has warned.
"Widespread moderate and major flooding is occurring in Central Florida and St Johns River Basin, with record flooding occurring or forecast to occur at four locations," the
Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC) of NWS said.
"River flooding is expected to last for days to weeks."
While little to no rain is expected in the Southeast for the next several days, river levels are expected to continue rising at many locations due to routed flows from rain that already fell.
There’s no immediate tropical threat to Florida after Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 06:30
Stuti Mishra
Social media rumors about another storm hitting Florida are untrue, FOX 13 Tampa meteorologists stressed Friday.
“Let’s put it this way: could something develop in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and end up over us in ten days? It’s not a zero percent chance,” Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said. “But of all the things that could happen, I would say it’s less than 5 or 10 percent.”
Dellegatto emphasized that nothing is currently brewing in the Caribbean Sea, adding that “there’s not even a cloud there.”
Sailboat owner says ‘all hell broke loose’ while riding out Milton with cat
Saturday 12 October 2024 06:00
Julia Musto
Longtime Floridian Lenny Lopez told CNN Friday that he feared losing his sailboat after riding out Hurricane Milton at a marina in Ruskin near Tampa Bay.
He was with his cat, Roscoe.
Lopez said Milton’s winds shifted late Wednesday, and “all hell broke loose.”
“This storm was blowing so hard that the water was flat, but the wind just shook you like a rag doll,” said Lopez.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport sustains loss of entire roof over concourse B
Saturday 12 October 2024 05:30
Julia Musto
SRQ has suffered the loss of its entire roof over concourse B that covers the screening checkpoint, and all 13 aircraft loading gates⛈️
— SRQ Airport (@SRQAirport) October 11, 2024
SRQ will remain closed until October 16th, at 9 am.
The SRQ team is hard at work, we thank you for your understanding pic.twitter.com/7tlg0jEsWB
Florida Senator Rick Scott promises state will recover: ‘We will rebuild even stronger'
Saturday 12 October 2024 05:00
Julia Musto
Just visited Lithia to receive a briefing from @HCSOSheriff @ChadChronister, Hillsborough County officials & local emergency management leaders regarding response & recovery efforts.
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 11, 2024
Our first responders & emergency management leaders here are 100% focused on saving lives, and… pic.twitter.com/hhVGjvZ9vO
Phosphate mine spill in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton
Saturday 12 October 2024 04:39
Stuti Mishra
The owner of a major phosphate mine disclosed that pollution spilled into Tampa Bay during the hurricane.
The Mosaic Company said in a statement that heavy rains from the storm overwhelmed a collection system at its Riverview site, pushing excess water