A weariness is settling in Florida after three hurricanes have hit the state so far this year: Debby in August, Helene last month, and now Milton.
The Category 3 storm made landfall Wednesday night near Siesta Key with 120 mph winds and a storm surge that even larger cities couldn’t withstand.
Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday during his storm update that the state sustained significant damage, but says Hurricane Milton was “not the worst-case scenario.”
We toured damage in Sarasota County, including in Siesta Key where Hurricane Milton made landfall last night.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 10, 2024
With the full support of the state, and the pre-staging of over 50,000 linemen, utility companies and telecommunications providers are working hard to restore power and… pic.twitter.com/xMSi8gNveB
“Just by doing our tour with Siesta Key, our buildings that were built in the last 20-30 years, they did very well. They looked good," said DeSantis.
"He's a Trooper"
The Governor noted that at least 300 people and 50 pets have been rescued since Milton made landfall.
That figure includes "Trooper"—an abandoned dog that was found tied to a fence off Interstate 75 just hours before the storm made landfall.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers rescued the dog and he is now in the care of the Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee.
FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please… pic.twitter.com/8cZJOfkJL2
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) October 9, 2024
Milton's death toll climbs
Hurricane Milton and its associated tornados have also led to at least 16 deaths so far. As of Friday morning, 2.2 million customers in Florida remain without power, according to poweroutage.us.
Cell phone videos taken from Milton storm victims show large tornados sweeping across different parts of the state.
One video showed multiple tornados forming alongside I-75 in Broward County. Another video shows a massive tornado, approaching what appears to be a Fort Pierce subdivision.
Glades County post-tornado, video taken by @FHPSWFL. If you are in a county under a tornado watch or warning, take it seriously, heed the warnings, and stay indoors and off the roads.
— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 10, 2024
Remember to monitor state and local officials for the latest updates. Stay safe Florida. pic.twitter.com/ATTelAh0M1
On Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed Florida had 126 tornado warnings, shattering the state’s record for the most warnings in a single day and the second-most of any state in the U.S.
Hurricane evacuees returning home to a mess
Hundreds of Floridians fled their homes to get far away from Milton as possible.
Bill Short and his wife Elizabeth, live in Tampa. They evacuated Monday with their two young kids, and family dog to a Walmart parking lot in Tallahassee.
Short will be traveling back to Tampa from Tallahassee where they hope to find their house unscathed.
“Its discomforting, but you kinda get used to discomfort," Short said while standing outside of his RV.
“I don’t know if our house is going technically anywhere, but you don’t know. I grew up in the Midwest so I’m familiar with what tornados can do. That probably scares me more than the water."
Could we see more hurricanes?
Hurricane season doesn’t officially end until November 30, and the National Hurricane Center is watching the Gulf and the Caribbean with weary eyes.