As Florida Recovers From Hurricane Milton, At Least 16 People Are Killed

Officials in Florida reported that at least 16 people have died as a result of Hurricane Milton on Friday, as locals started the arduous task of rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.

Some places in the path the giant storm cut through the Sunshine State from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean were still inundated, and almost 2.5 million homes and businesses were still without electricity.

Communities still in shock from Hurricane Helene, which struck the US southeast two weeks ago and killed 237 people, including in Florida, were devastated when Milton, a Category 3 storm, struck the Gulf Coast late Wednesday.

Although his home was mainly unaffected, Mark Horner, a resident who moved there six years ago, said the island “got hit really hard” and people were reevaluating the future. However, the 67-year-old gave AFP a hopeful message: “Our paradise will return. It’s a little startling to take in.
Many of the storm’s fatalities were caused by tornadoes rather than flooding.

Milton caused a tornado that killed four people in Fort Pierce, on the Atlantic coast of Florida. “They did find some people just outside dead, in a tree,” Susan Stepp, 70, told AFP’s reporter. “I wish they would have evacuated.”