The death toll in Florida from Hurricane Milton has risen to 21, following the Category 3 storm that left a path of devastation across the state. With wind speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour and a near-record storm surge, the hurricane caused widespread damage and power outages affecting millions of residents. The hurricane made landfall on Wednesday, and by Saturday, approximately 1.5 million people were still without power.
Many of the fatalities resulted from tornadoes that swept through the state before Hurricane Milton’s landfall. Additionally, several deaths were attributed to falling trees and accidents involving downed power lines. Despite efforts by tens of thousands of linemen working to restore power, the Tampa Bay-Sarasota area remains particularly hard-hit, with around 1 million residents still facing power outages. The outages have also disrupted fuel distribution, leaving about 75% of gas stations closed or without fuel in some regions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has responded by setting up fuel depots in the worst-hit areas, offering 10 gallons of free fuel per person to alleviate the crisis. The state continues to assess the damage as recovery efforts proceed.
