Hurricane Milton: Florida reeling from damage as death toll rises

The wind has subsided but Hurricane Milton is not done torturing Florida just yet. A man was killed by a fallen powerline and a new wave of life threatening storm surges are swamping the state.

At least 16 people were killed when Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida and left an immense trail of destruction, even as the storm’s worst-case scenario did not eventuate.

Hundreds of others were rescued the morning after the Category 3 hurricane made landfall, including 135 elderly people who were trapped when their aged care home was flooded and a fisherman who survived losing his boat 50km offshore by clinging to an Esky.

A resident takes the ruined contents of his home to the front lawn. Picture: AFP.

About 24 hours after the worst of the storm, 2.9 million households in Florida remained without power, although tens of thousands of workers had managed to restore electricity to half a million homes.

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man became the latest casualty when he tragically died after initially surviving the hurricane.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the man was killed after stepping on a fallen powerline while attempting to clear debris from his property.

Residents of Valrico in Florida, east of hardest hit Tampa, were forced to evacuate on Friday more than 36 hours after the hurricane passed.

#teamHCSO is out this morning, assisting residents with evacuations as the Alafia River near Rose Street has flooded. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911. pic.twitter.com/LluK06UlBD

— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) October 11, 2024

The Alafia River broke its banks with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office stepping in to rescue stricken residents from their homes.

The sheriff’s office told CNN the flooding was “widespread” and attributed it to a Hurricane Milton related storm surge.

The death toll included six people who were killed when a tornado spawned off from the hurricane and barrelled through a mobile home park for retirees in St Lucie County.

People clean up storm debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Debris litters a beach as clean up from hurricanes Helene and Milton continues along The Gulf Coast. Picture: Getty Images via AFP

Vehicles drive through flood waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Lake Maggiore, Florida, on October 10, 2024. Picture: AFP)