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Hurricane Milton leaves widespread destruction; rescue operations underway: Live updates

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Hurricane Milton leaves widespread destruction; rescue operations underway: Live updates

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As several major airports and tourist attractions in Florida reopened Friday, rescue crews continued to pull people from floodwaters and more than 2 million homes and businesses remained without power after deadly Hurricane Milton wrought widespread destruction across the peninsula.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds Wednesday night before carving a path of destruction across the state, drenching coastal and inland communities with rain and storm surge as its powerful winds caused blackouts and hurled large sailboats on to front yards.

Milton spawned a deadly tornado outbreak that killed at least six in St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast. Crews with the National Weather Service were expected to survey damage Friday and determine exactly how many tornadoes had formed. Across the state, the storm has been tied to at least 17 deaths.

The Tampa Bay area, which is vulnerable to storm surge, avoided a worst-case scenario as Milton shifted south and pulled water away from the shoreline. Still, the storm’s winds sent a crane crashing into a downtown office building and shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

On Friday, flooding and uprooted trees left roads across the state impassable as cresting rivers triggered evacuations and rescue missions.

“There’s damage, there’s a lot that’s going to need to be done,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Friday. “We did not get the worst-case scenario but we did get hit and we’re going to have to work to bounce back.”

Developments:

◾ As of Friday afternoon, nearly 2 million utility customers remained without power, according to USA TODAY’s outage tracker.

◾Across the state, 19 school districts reopened Friday and an additional seven districts are expected to reopen on Monday, DeSantis said. He added that more will likely reopen Monday as the damage in some areas was not as bad as anticipated.

◾ In northeast Florida, coastal parts of Duval, Brevard, St. Johns and Volusia counties remain under a coastal flood advisory, warning of large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet and life-threatening rip currents, according to the weather service.

Early estimates suggest the damage wreaked by Hurricane Milton could total $50 billion, President Joe Biden said Friday.

“I want everyone in the impacted areas to know we’re gonna do everything we can to … help you pick back up the pieces and get back to where you were,” Biden told reporters at the White House after receiving an update on the government’s response to the storm.

The hurricane knocked out power to more than 3 million people, Biden said. More than 50,000 power line workers from 43 states and Canada have been working to restore power. They have already restored power to 1 million people, he said.

– Michael Collins, USA TODAY

The worst damage from Milton came from the over 30 tornadoes that the hurricane spawned, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

“When people think about hurricanes, when they picture the damage hurricanes are going to cause they think about winds and they think about floods,” Criswell during a briefing Friday evening. “But Milton was a stark reminder of the threats tornadoes pose.”

Criswell spoke after visiting St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast where a tornado outbreak killed at least six. The FEMA administrator said dozens of homes in the area were completely destroyed.

“While the wind and storm surge were less than forecast, the tornados that hit the eastern part of the state show that this was a statewide disaster and it’s going to require the entire federal family to support Florida’s recovery,” she said.

Governor Ron DeSantis filed an emergency disaster declaration Friday morning that Criswell said she expected the federal government to approve Saturday morning at the latest. Residents will be able to apply for aid from FEMA online after approval, Criswell said.

Criswell said FEMA had enough funding to support immediate needs in the event of another hurricane before the year’s end but expressed some concern that FEMA will run out of funding for long-term recovery projects.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather are watching for the development of two systems that could potentially become the next named storms. One system is forming in the hot waters of the western Caribbean; the other is forming a few hundred miles of the coast of Africa.

A giant sinkhole that opened up in Hillsborough County was one of a few spotted across the state in Milton’s wake.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office advised the public to “stay alert” as a massive sinkhole opened at the intersection of Irish Moss Avenue and Pond Pine Drive.

The sinkhole, which can “expand without warning,” is blocking some residents from getting to their homes, the sheriff’s office said.

Another sinkhole reported in Polk County opened up at about 1 a.m. on Thursday, according to Fox 13 News reporter Jordan Bowen, who posted footage of the hole, which swallowed up a pickup truck and formed between two homes.

Florida is especially prone to sinkholes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

– Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY; Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network-Florida

‘Stay alert’: See large sinkhole that formed in Florida in wake of Hurricane Milton

Though Cindy Phillips’ home in Sarasota had only minor damage, it was enough to make her burst into tears.

Hurricane Milton had frayed Phillips’ nerves to the point she was sure her home had been destroyed. The drive to see the damage Wednesday morning did nothing to extinguish her fears as Phillips and her husband passed fallen trees and had to dodge the remnants of their neighbor’s white vinyl fence posts.

Several of her neighbors’ roofs had been ripped open, with pink insulation littering the neighborhood. Phillips’ home only had some minor damage, if you overlooked the awning that Hurricane Helene tore down last month. But the repeated blows from Helene and Milton did more than damage an awning and cause a mess. It pushed Phillips, 75, to decide to permanently leave Florida before the next hurricane season.

“I’ve already called the Realtor,” she said. “It’s the fear of the storm. Are we going to have a home after? What are we going to do if we don’t?”

“We’re getting too old to be in Florida. Three hurricanes is too much. I can’t do it anymore.”

Read the full story: Hurricane Milton damages more than property as some storm-rattled residents plan exit

– Derek Gilliam and Brittany Misencik, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

A dog that was left tied up alongside a Florida highway while millions evacuated ahead of Hurricane Milton made it through the storm and has landed a new (foster) home and a new name: Trooper. 

The heartbreaking video of the dog stuck in the rain went viral after Florida Highway Patrol posted it on X hours before Milton landed. In the footage, the dog growls at the trooper as it stands in a ditch. The water is already pooling up to its belly. “I don’t blame you,” the trooper says.

Now the dog has a temporary home and was given the new moniker “because of how much he’s been through and to honor those who saved him,” the Leon County Humane Society announced on Facebook.

The humane society posted pictures of Trooper sitting cozily on a blanket. But a safe place to rest is just the start of recovery. 

“Abandoning a dog like this doesn’t typically allow for an immediate bounce back to their happy selves,” the humane society said. “Most dogs when rescued take a few days to feel safe, a few weeks to come out of their shell, and a few months to become comfortable and fall into a routine.”

The residents of Punta Gorda were just getting a handle on wreckage from Hurricane Helene when Milton threw everything back into chaos.  

Mayor Lynne Matthews on Friday said city officials scrambled to pick up destroyed furniture and other debris from Helene as Milton approached. But despite their effort, Milton was able to turn some of the wreckage into projectiles. Some people who evacuated came home to find strangers’ cars and boats on their front yards.

Downtown, almost all businesses were closed Friday in the aftermath, Matthews said. Some of the restaurants worked hard after Helene to replace drywall and repair damage, and were just about ready to reopen and now “have to start over again,” she said.  

“Having two major hurricanes in the last three weeks has really decimated our downtown area,” Matthews said. “It’s been very traumatic for all of our residents.” 

– Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

For the second time in two weeks, President Joe Biden is heading to Florida to tour hurricane damage.

Biden will visit areas impacted by Hurricane Milton on Sunday, the White House announced. No other details were immediately available.

The president flew into Tallahassee on Oct. 3, before hopping over to Taylor County to tour damage and meet victims of Hurricane Helene, which whipped through the area on Sept. 26 before barreling into Georgia and the Carolinas, devastating large portions of the Southeast.

– Michael Collins and Gray Rohrer

Some of Florida’s largest theme parks, including Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, reopened Friday after temporarily shutting down for Hurricane Milton.

Walt Disney World, which has only closed 11 times in its storied history, including for Milton, announced its theme parks and Disney Springs entertainment complex opened Friday.

Universal Orlando said its theme parks, as well as Volcano Bay and Halloween Horror Nights, also will resume normal operations.

SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica and Discovery Cove welcomed guests on Friday, though the park’s kid-friendly Spooktacular event was canceled.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay remained closed, and its Howl-O-Scream events were called off. Park officials said to monitor its website for updates.

– Samantha Neely, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday said rescue efforts were still underway across the state as crews cleared roads and thousands of linemen worked to restore power.

As of Friday morning, over 1,600 people and 140 animals were rescued from floodwaters and other hazards since Milton’s ferocious rains and winds began pummeling the state, DeSantis said.

Dozens of rescue crews were still working to assist people trapped in floodwaters, especially in areas where rivers have crested. At least 31 rescue helicopters and 31 vehicles were being used in the various operations, the governor said.

Since the storm moved into the Atlantic on Thursday afternoon, power has been restored to more than 1.6 million homes and businesses. Meanwhile, authorities have cleared 12,000 miles of roads and inspected at least 2,000 bridges.

Two federal judges ruled voter registration deadlines in Florida and Georgia won’t be extended amid cleanup from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In Florida, the League of Women Voters of Florida filed a lawsuit after Gov. Ron DeSantis declined its request to extend the state’s Oct. 7 registration deadline by 10 days. The group said people impacted by the hurricanes and displaced by emergency evacuation measures weren’t able to register to vote on time. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee denied the group’s request.

In Georgia, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross on Thursday denied a similar request by groups including the state’s NAACP chapter, the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda and New Georgia Project. Those groups sought to extend the Oct. 7 deadline to Oct. 14. 

CNN reported that Ross, in a bench ruling, agreed with attorneys for the state that extending the deadline would be too disruptive to the election process. “We did not hear from anyone specifically who could not register to vote,” Ross said, according to CNN. 

Election day is Nov. 5. 

– Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

First responders in Hillsborough County conducted water rescues Friday morning as the Alafia River rose above its flood stage and houses were submerged in several feet of water.

In a statement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said it was assisting residents in evacuations and urged those in the path of the rising water to call 911. A video released by the sheriff’s office on X, formerly Twitter, showed suburban streets transformed into rivers, with vehicles, homes and street signs sticking out above from several feet of water.

At 2 a.m. Friday, the Alafia River, which runs through several communities southeast of Tampa, was measured at 23.7 feet – more than 10 feet above its flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.

The Alafia River was one of several waterways across Florida that flooded neighborhoods, prompting multiple warnings and advisories from the weather service.

Two of Florida’s major airports reopened Friday after they temporarily shut down operations ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall late Wednesday.

Tampa International Airport resumed flights beginning at 8 a.m. Friday following a three-day suspension. The airport sustained damage as Milton pummeled the bay area with powerful winds and dropped over 18 inches of rain.

Orlando International Airport, the largest airport in the state, said in a statement early Friday it is “open and operational for all commercial flights.”

Both major airports reported cancellations and delays early Friday morning. At Orlando International Airport, more than 170 flights were canceled and more than 50 flights were delayed as of 9:30 a.m. EDT, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website. In Tampa, more than 110 flights were canceled and at least 13 were delayed, FlightAware said.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, which sustained significant roof damage during the storm, remained closed on Friday, according to its website. Airport CEO and President Rick Piccolo told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the terminal will be repaired before the end of the week and he expects flights to resume on Saturday.

Tuesday is the deadline for those who asked for a six-month extension to file their income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service. However, the IRS has extended that deadline for many impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Deadlines vary depending on location and disaster. Details on all recent disaster relief can be found on the Around the nation page on IRS.gov. Taxpayers are urged to understand the extended deadline that applies to their area, as some deadlines can even vary within a given state.

In Florida, taxpayers in some areas now have until Nov. 1 and Feb. 3, 2025, to file their 2023 federal income tax return. Last week, the IRS announced a May 1, 2025, extension for Floridians living in 20 counties that were ravaged by Hurricane Helene.

Read the full story: IRS extends Oct. 15 tax deadline for several states

– Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press

Across west-central Florida, gasoline remained in short supply, in part, because so many Floridians evacuated from coastal areas and began returning Thursday.

Along the Interstate 4 corridor, gasoline appeared to be widely available on the outskirts of Orlando, about 50 miles east of Tampa where the storm came ashore.

In Tampa and St. Petersburg, many gasoline stations still didn’t have power, according to the crowdsourced fuel tracking app GasBuddy. Emergency workers based at Tropicana Field were topping off from a secure tanker.

– Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Across the state of Florida, at least 16 people died related to Hurricane Milton, authorities said.

In Tampa, a woman in her early 70s was found underneath a branch of a large tree branch collapsed, the city police department said in a statement. Based on the preliminary investigation, “post-hurricane restoration efforts were being done on the property when the limb fell,” police said, adding the death appeared accidental.

In Orange County, which encompasses the city of Orlando, a man was found dead in his yard. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement it “appears the man stepped on a downed power line while he was clearing debris from Hurricane Milton.”

Elsewhere, two deaths were confirmed in St. Petersburg, four in Volusia County, and one each in Polk and Citrus counties, as well as six in St. Lucie County following tornadoes there.

More: Hurricane Milton death toll at 16 Friday across Florida. Here’s where

National Weather Service teams are headed Friday and Saturday to assess the damages and strength of suspected tornados on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Throughout east central Florida, 42 warnings were issued and weather service officials have yet to determine the exact number of twisters that formed across the region.

Residents on Thursday assessed their neighborhoods following Hurricane Milton. Homes were destroyed, trees were downed, cars were flipped and at least six people died from a suspected tornado at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in northern St. Lucie County.

– Gianna Montesano and Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers

Contributing: Reuters

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