CNN
—
On a dark night, a violent storm dealt a sharp blow to Florida’s head. Less than two weeks later, something else pierced his heart.
After strong winds, heavy rain and a wall of water killed 20 people along its south-to-north path in Helen County, Milton claimed at least 17 more lives, bringing the fury of the sea with several feet of storm surge. Brought to shore, equivalent to 3 months. Rain fell in some areas within three hours, and a deadly tornado formed, circling from west to east.
The trail of destruction is vast, from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Ocean. Hundreds of roads are flooded, blocked by fallen trees, or otherwise damaged and impassable. Exhausted emergency workers rescued more than 1,000 people. And an already weakened power grid buckled for millions of people.
Even in a state accustomed to severe weather, including food and gas shortages, tangled insurance documents and fresh debris from previous hurricanes, Floridians now have to recover from a “once-in-a-lifetime” series of disasters. . storm.
The latest ones are:
• Flooding remains a threat along swollen rivers: Milton’s deluge continues across central and northern Florida, following a pattern seen during other tropical storms and hurricanes that have approached the state in recent years. , leaving some rivers swollen and slow to retreat. Several rescue efforts continued Saturday as flooding lingered in Florida’s flatlands as high water slowly drained away. CNN meteorologists said areas near Tampa on the lower Hillsborough River, which was still in major flood stage early Saturday, could face further flooding in the coming days. The hard-hit Alafia River in Lisusa, east of Tampa, exceeded major flood stage on Thursday and topped more than 24 feet on Friday. The Anclote River north of Clearwater and the St. Johns River between Orlando and Daytona Beach are both near record highs and major flooding conditions are expected to continue into the weekend. More than 1,200 people have been rescued since the Milton Island landing, including several trapped in flooded homes.
• Millions still without power: Florida customer counts remain down by more than 1 million from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon, a sign of progress for energy companies working to restore power across the state. Just under 2 million people remain without power. early Saturday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. By Friday, Sanibel, Florida’s sewage system had failed due to a power outage, and city managers asked residents not to use restrooms or showers.
• Gas shortages continue across the state: In the Tampa Bay region, continued fuel shortages left more than three out of four gas stations in the area without supply by Friday afternoon, according to a gas price tracking platform. Gasoline became difficult to obtain. Gas buddy. Across the state of Florida, nearly 30% of stations are low on fuel, with 77.5% reported at the Tampa-St. Paul station. St. Petersburg region. Gov. Ron DeSantis said state officials are working to distribute fuel “as soon as humanely possible,” adding Friday that the state still had 1 million gallons of gasoline in stock.
• Airports, ports and theme parks reopen: Tampa International Airport reopens after three days of service suspension, while Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport reopens at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday as crews work to respond to storm damage. will be closed until. The Coast Guard has reopened some ports in Florida and some ports in Georgia and South Carolina, but many ports in Florida were still closed as of Friday. Meanwhile, Walt Disney World, Aquatica Orlando, Discovery Cove, and SeaWorld Orlando theme parks have reopened to visitors. However, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Adventure Island will remain closed on Saturday.
See in photos: Hurricane Milton rages on
Restoration takes time and money
DeSantis said Friday that cleanup crews working weekends to remove debris across Milton-ravaged Florida are working on a “24/7 operation” and the state is trying to speed up the work. said. “Typically in major hurricanes, it can take up to a year for debris to be recovered,” DeSantis said. “I don’t think it makes sense. I don’t think it’s good for recovery.”
Crews had to contend with thousands of fallen trees, some of which were tangled in power lines. Duke Energy, Florida’s largest power company, warned against people trying to remove the debris themselves, saying collapsed power lines could be hidden under the rubble.
“We’re encouraging them to stay away from any debris that may have overhead lines of any kind,” Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy’s Florida state president, told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on Friday. spoke. “They don’t necessarily spark. They don’t necessarily hiss. But to people who aren’t trained to handle them, they’re silent, deadly killers.”
Meanwhile, Florida officials are reminding people to be wary of financial predators when using Milton-related repair services.
“Many areas of the county sustained significant property damage as a result of the sequential impacts of Hurricane Helen and Hurricane Milton,” the Pinellas County Consumer Protection Department said in a public advisory Thursday.
“Beware of ‘fly-by-night’ contractors who take earnest money and do little or no work,” the advisory states. “Avoid doing business with people who go door to door soliciting jobs. Take this opportunity to check first.”
Florida’s consumer protection team advises people who wish to donate funds toward recovery efforts to “make sure you know how much of your donation will be used for activities and how much will be used for administrative costs and fundraising. “Request a copy of the charity’s financial reports to ensure that they have the best possible results.”
Government agencies and nonprofits are working to help
The White House announced Friday that President Joe Biden will visit parts of Florida affected by Milton on Sunday.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the agency has enough funding to “support the immediate needs” of people reeling from the effects of both Herren and Milton, but more money is needed soon. said it would be.
“We’re evaluating every day how much it’s costing us, so we can continue to work with leaders and Congress on when replenishment is needed,” Criswell said at a press conference Friday. I can do it.” “We’re going to need it. It’s just a matter of when.”
He encouraged survivors to apply for assistance to help with temporary housing and long-term recovery costs, adding that FEMA will work with communities affected by debris removal from both hurricanes.
The American Red Cross said its teams were searching for people who went missing after Milton denounced the state of Florida. Continued power outages and limited internet connectivity have left some people unable to contact loved ones.
People who are having trouble contacting family or friends can submit a request through the Red Cross website, the organization said. On Saturday, the team continued searching for people missing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Florida.
The Red Cross said Thursday it was assisting 83,000 people in evacuation centers in Florida.
“As the situation improves, dozens of emergency response vehicles will begin driving through the affected areas, delivering meals and relief supplies,” the nonprofit said in a news release.
CNN’s Andy Rose and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report.
