Hurricane Milton updates: At least 12 dead after monster storm
The death toll from the monster storm that wreaked havoc on Florida has risen as the true magnitude of the hurricane’s impact is laid bare.
The devastation from Hurricane Milton has seen communities wiped out, families fighting to survive and the roof blown off a sports stadium.
At least 12 people have died after the monster storm swept through Florida.
Six of the deaths occured in St. Lucie County, the St. Lucie County Communications Division Director confrimed.
Three million people have also been left without power.
“It’s not over,” warned Tampa mayor Jane Castor on Thursday morning (US time) as the devastation left by the storm started to emerge.
Locals have spoken of how even major buildings, such as a sports stadium, have been “ruined” by the pummelling.
Rescue missions are currently underway to save stranded residents while alligators have been spotted roaming the streets of some suburbs.
Hurricane Milton hit Siesta Key, around halfway between the cities of Tampa and Fort Myers, at around 8.30pm on Wednesday (11.30am Thursday AEST).
It was a category 3 storm as it made landfall. It then weakened to a category 1 storm.
It then swept through the state, skirting Orlando, and exiting into the Atlantic Ocean around Cape Canaveral.
The disaster has quickly turned political, with President Joe Biden has slamming Donald Trump and telling him to “get a life” after the Republican was accused of spreading misinformation about the deadly hurricane and the government’s response to it.
‘Like a bomb went off’
As the devastation from the storm continues to be revealed, one man said the roof of his neighbour’s house was torn off after a tornado ripped though Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. “It’s like a bomb went off,” Mike Johnson told ABC News.
“Aluminium everywhere, belongings, vacuum cleaners, everything.”
Meanwhile, flooding has hit multiple areas of the state including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Fort Myers, with officials urging residents to stay inside where there is major flooding.
“Roadways are flooded, and the potential for hazardous conditions with them still exists. Please do not walk or drive through them,” Kevin Guthrie, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director warned residents.
One eerie video shared on X shows the streets of Tampa underwater as multiple cars lay completely abandoned.
“Restoration efforts will continue as our officers and crews work to return to normal as soon as possible,” Tampa Police Department wrote alongside the footage.
Man rescued after clinging to a cooler
As recovery efforts continue, a man has been rescued off Florida’s Gulf Coast while clinging to a cooler.
The US Coast Guard said an Air Station Miami 65 helicopter crew rescued the man who was approximately 30 miles (48km) off Longboat Key, a town along Florida’s central-west coast, on Thursday.
“He was found clinging to a cooler wearing a life jacket at approximately 1.30pm,” officials said in a statement.
The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical care.
Alligator attacks car tyre in floodwater
Terrifying footage has captured the moment an alligator emerged from floodwater and attacked a van’s tyre in North Fort Myers on Florida’s west coast.
The van’s driver, an operator of a sanitation company, was travelling down a flooded street when the creature popped out of the water and bit the tyre.
“That was a big alligator that just bit our tyre,” Dave Rieser, who was riding in the van told the driver.
“It was no little gator, either,” he added.
12 deaths from hurricane
At least 12 people are reportedly dead after Hurricane Milton roared through Florida, the US’ NBC News has reported.
Six of the deaths occured in St. Lucie County, on the east coast of Florida, the St. Lucie County Communications Division Director confrimed.
St. Lucie is north of West Palm Beach and greater Miami. While the area was on the opposing side of the state to Milton's landfall, tornadoes associated with the storm occurred ahead of its arrival and travelled across Florida.
The National Weather Service said the county was hit by three tornadoes in just 25 minutes.
Hundreds of homes were “completely totalled,” county officials told CNN.
Five deaths occurred in Volusia County, which is also on the opposing coast to Milton’s landfall. Volusia County includes the tourist destination of Daytona Beach. One death was caused by a falling tree.
Two other deaths happened in St Petersburg, close to where the hurricane made landfall, and where there was widespread damage.
‘Get a life’ Biden tells Trump
Joe Biden has laid into Donald Trump after he was asked if he had called the Republican presidential candidate in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
The US President has accused Mr Trump of repeatedly spreading falsehoods about the hurricane and the government’s response too it.
“Are you kidding me?” he told a reporter after the suggestion he should contact his one-time rival.
He then addressed Mr Trump directly.
“Former President Trump — get a life, man. Help these people.”
Conspiracy theories that Hurricane Milton has been somehow nefariously created are spreading on social media.
The bonkers idea is that Democrats have manipulated the hurricane, or even formed it out of thin air, to bolster the party’s chances in the upcoming election.
The nonsensical theories have pointed to cloud seeding as proof. Cloud seeding involves encouraging already formed clouds to shed their rain. It cannot produce or steer hurricanes which are some of the most powerful phenomena on Earth.
One of those pushing the bizarre claims is Republican politician Marjorie Taylor Green who had a coveted speaking spot at the Republican National Convention to endorse Mr Trump.
The comments reveal a deep misunderstanding of hurricanes, and climate in general.
Hurricanes in the Americas, like cyclones in Australia, form in warm, tropical waters. These waters are abundant in The Gulf of Mexico close to states that happen to – generally – vote Republican.
Another accusation is that disaster money has been given to immigrants instead.
Earlier, Mr Biden had said that the “reckless, irresponsible, and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies that are disturbing people”.
“Former President Trump has led the onslaught of lies,” he said.
“Assertions have been made that property is being confiscated. That’s simply not true.
“They’re saying the money needed for this crisis is being diverted to migrants. What a ridiculous thing to say, it’s not true,” said Mr Biden.
More than 3 million without power
Around 3.25 million energy customers across Florida woke up without power in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, according to website PowerOutage.us.
The storm raged across the state as a Category 1 hurricane and forecasters warned that disruption to power networks could potentially take weeks to fix.
‘It’s not over’
The mayor of Tampa, close to where Milton made landfall, has said the city should count its “blessings” that it did not see the predicted storm surge which could have reached four metres high.
“That was what we were really worried about was the storm surge and so, fortunately it, we didn’t see the peak of it,” Jane Castor said.
“But it’s not over,” she added.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said emergency services were working to rescue those stranded by the storm.
“What we can say is the storm was significant, but thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario,” he said on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden and Mr DeSantis held aa call on Thursday. The White House said the President told the Governor that he would “provide any support the state needs to speed response and recovery”.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also briefed Mr Biden.
Stadium roof ripped off
Arresting images have emerged from St Petersburg, just north of Tampa, where the city’s baseball stadium has been heavily damaged by Milton.
The city, known as St Pete, saw 41cm of rain overnight, has lost power and has no mains water.
At around 10.30pm on Wednesday, Tropicana Field’s roof tore almost completely off with the remnants flapping in the wind.
Home to the Tampa Bay Rays, it was US baseball’s only year round venue due to its retractable dome.
Its roof was supposed to withstand winds of around 185km/h but appears to have been ripped to shreds by gusts of around 165 km/h.
It had been sent up as a shelter for residents but those plans were changed prior to Milton’s arrival.
“It just makes me sad seeing the stadium of the team I love ruined,” local Bill Johnson told The New York Times.
Boy stuck on plank rescued
Footage has emerged of a boy, clinging to a wooden board in deep water, being rescued from a wooden plank.
Filmed by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, which covers Tampa, the unidentified shirtless boy is seen in strife as a police boat arrives.
The 14-year-old then swims over towards the police in what appears to be water at least as high as him. Officers then hoist him into the boat.
14 year-old boy found floating on a piece of fence and rescued by teamHCSO. pic.twitter.com/m0FalN5DjZ
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) October 10, 2024
The boy is apparently silent in the footage and it is not known if he had family or friends with him or what may have happened to them.
“Oh my goodness this breaks my heart into a million pieces,” said one on social media.
“Where are his parents? He must be absolutely terrified”.
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