At least five deaths were confirmed in St. Lucie County during tornadoes and two others were killed in St. Petersburg during the storm, police said.
Three people died in Volusia County, according to the sheriff’s office, and one person died in Citrus County when a tree fell on their car, NBC News reports.
Search and rescue operations are underway for dozens of people who are still trapped.
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A citizen stuck by a tree in Florida during the hurricane
Source: AP Photo/Julio Cortez
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Marina wreck in Florida
Source: APE – EPA / EPA/HERRERA-ULASKEVICH CRISTOBAL
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Crews clean up the debris that littered the streets of Florida
Source: AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
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High water is seen near Hillsborough Street after Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) Name: AP Photo/Mike Stewart
It is still too early to make a comprehensive picture of the extent of the destruction, but entire houses have been destroyed, trees have swallowed roads, household furniture has “traveled” meters away, cars have been turned into scrap metal.
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Homes “uprooted” by Hurricane “Milton”
AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Milton is forecast to develop into a strong post-tropical storm later today and then gradually weaken completely over the next few days, according to the US Hurricane Center.
The terrible drone movie
Meanwhile, CNNi drone footage shows the tattered roof of Tropicana Stadium in the St. Petersburg area of Florida.
The scene of the destroyed stadium can be seen in the video from 1:50 to 3:25 minutes.
In the video, swings can be seen, damaged by the water leaking from the torn roof. The park was designated as an area for first responders and cleanup crews, but was ultimately not used as a shelter at the time of the disaster.
The water is not potable in St. Petersburg, Florida
At the same time, local authorities in St. Petersburg, Florida, issued a notice that the water is not suitable for drinking after extensive water main breaks caused by the hurricane.
The alert covers areas in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, South Pasadena and Lillman.
The municipal authority said that only boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth. Water should be boiled for one minute and cooled before use.
See live image
How will the phenomenon move in the coming hours
The hurricane has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, according to the National Hurricane Center, but the risk remains high.
Strong storms and strong winds continue to affect the state.
According to CNNi meteorologist Mary Gilbert, the center of the phenomenon is about 50 miles (80.46 km) off the Florida coast, but rain and strong winds are affecting Florida’s east coast south from Daytona Beach to the Port Saint Lucie area. Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph (96 to 112 km/h) are still hitting parts of the Space Coast and nearby beaches.
Showers will ease later in the day, but linger into the afternoon on the east coast.
However, severe flooding and storms are underway along the Northeast coast and in coastal areas of Georgia. Wave heights have started to recede along the west coast.
Rough seas will continue into the weekend (12-13/10) along much of the southeast Atlantic coast.
The recent report
In more detail, according to an update from Governor Ron DeSandis on the hurricane, broadcast by the BBC:
- More than 80,000 people in Florida stayed in shelters overnight
- 3.1 million homes and businesses are without power
- Hospital evacuation
- The cause of the damage was ‘not worst case’
- Rescue efforts continue
More than 20 search and rescue teams are active in the area, carrying out door-to-door searches, with more than 135,000 police involved in the effort.
- This morning, 42 rescues were carried out, and at least 48 people were freed
- 635,000 electrification renovations have been completed
Alligators took to the streets
And while the citizens of Florida had to deal with the damage to their properties already, they were also called to deal with the terror that was being spread by alligators that emerged from the water in the streets.
A video that has been released shows the passengers of a vehicle opening its door and seeing an alligator in front of them.
Wildlife experts have warned that the storms could affect animals and drive them into residential areas, become disoriented and become more aggressive due to stress.
3.3 million households without electricity
At the same time, more than 3.3 million households are still without power, CNNi reported.
The biggest problem along Florida’s west coast is in places like Hardee County, where more than 9,000 households were without power, and 90 percent of Highlands County lost power.
Many airports in Florida were closed indefinitely
Meanwhile, at least three airports will remain closed to passengers as officials try to assess how much damage the hurricane may have caused.
Tampa International Airport said in a statement that “crews are inspecting the condition of the airport and facilities to determine when it can be safely reopened.”
“TPA officials will announce a reopening plan after a thorough inspection of the 3,300-acre site and its buildings.”
Accordingly, the international airport of St. Pete-Clearwater announced that all flights were canceled Thursday (10/10), as was Orlando International Airport.
“Emergency crews remained at the scene overnight and an assessment of the damage will now begin.”
“Avoid the worst case”
“What we know for sure is that we avoided the worst-case scenario,” said FEMA Director Diane Criswell.
“But the fact that we prepared for the worst ensured that we were able to respond to the effects of the phenomenon,” he noted.
However, this does not mean that the state will not need resources, she clarified.
The hurricane was downgraded to category 1
Cyclone Milton is moving through Florida, USA, and although it has been downgraded to Category 1 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, it is still very dangerous, causing tornadoes, floods, destroying homes and leaving 2.5 million families no power, but two. weeks after the devastating passage of Cyclone Elin.
Pinellas County, for its part, is lifting the evacuation order, but is urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
