At least 16 people have died in Florida as a result of Hurricane Milton’s devastating impact, according to officials who spoke to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. The powerful storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday evening, has left a trail of destruction across the state, with millions without power and extensive flooding in its wake.
St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast bore the brunt of the initial impact, with at least five fatalities reported. Local authorities confirmed that a dozen tornadoes touched down in the area before Milton’s arrival, contributing to the loss of life. The Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a senior mobile home community near Fort Pierce, was among the hardest-hit areas, with at least one death reported there.
Further fatalities were confirmed in other parts of the state. St. Petersburg in central Florida reported two deaths, while Volusia County, approximately 50 miles from Orlando, saw at least two people killed when trees fell on their homes. One of the victims in Volusia County was identified as a 79-year-old woman. In Citrus County, officials reported one death resulting from a vehicle crash into a fallen tree.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a Thursday morning briefing, warned that the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue and the full extent of the storm’s impact becomes clear. “We don’t have confirmed reports of other fatalities throughout the rest of the state, but we may as the day goes on,” DeSantis stated, adding that state forces had been involved in “definitely dozens of rescues” since the storm hit.
The hurricane brought torrential rains, with some areas receiving up to 18 inches (45 cm) of precipitation. Storm surges, while not reaching the feared 10-15 foot levels in Tampa Bay, still caused significant coastal flooding. In the Siesta Key area, where Milton made landfall, storm surges of 5-10 feet (1.5-3m) were reported.
The storm’s impact extends beyond the immediate loss of life. Approximately 3 million homes and businesses across Florida are without power, with additional outages reported in Georgia and North Carolina. In St. Petersburg, officials were forced to shut down the water supply system due to hurricane damage, leaving residents without water until repairs can be safely conducted.
As Milton moves eastward towards the Atlantic, north of the Bahamas, Florida begins the arduous task of recovery. Governor DeSantis warned that flooding remains a significant concern in the coming days, particularly as high tides could exacerbate river flooding across Hillsborough County and beyond.
The devastation wrought by Hurricane Milton compounds the challenges faced by the southeastern United States, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene’s impact just two weeks prior.
