70% of Pinellas County is still without power, official says
As of Thursday afternoon, approximately 70% of Pinellas County remains without power following Hurricane Milton, Duke Energy’s Jeff Baker said at a news conference. He warned that the restoration process will be lengthy, with some residents potentially facing outages for a week or more. Pop
St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch reported that water service has been restored to city residents after the hurricane caused 30 water line breaks. However, a boil water notice remains in effect. He advised residents to continue boiling tap water before drinking it or using it for brushing their teeth, though it is safe for showering.
FEMA administrator says Floridians will need to request separate relief for each storm
Floridians will need to apply separately for hurricane relief for each storm they were affected by—even if they experienced damage from both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced on Thursday.
Given that multiple storms have consecutively hit the state, Criswell emphasized the importance of residents specifying the dates and types of damage they experienced.
“If someone was impacted by both Helene and Milton, they’ll need to submit applications for each incident separately,” Criswell said during a news conference with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “This way, they can qualify for different funding and additional support due to experiencing damage from both storms.”
She advised residents to be precise when detailing the damage caused by each storm.
“My caution to residents is to ensure that when they apply for one storm, they clearly list the dates associated with it,” Criswell explained. “If someone applies for Milton but includes damage from Helene, we’ll need to follow up to clarify.”
Criswell also mentioned that FEMA personnel are on the ground to assist residents with the application process.
