Florida is assessing the damage from Milton. Here’s what to know
Milton, now a post-tropical cyclone, moved offshore after hitting Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm, later weakening to Category 1. The storm has resulted in nine deaths across St. Lucie, Citrus County, Ormond Beach, and St. Petersburg.
Cleanup: Tornado damage in Fort Myers; a crane collapse in St. Petersburg has left streets littered with debris.
St. Lucie Tornadoes: Over 100 homes damaged, some completely destroyed.
Power Outages: 3.2 million still without power, though 700,000 customers have had service restored.
Gas Shortages: 26% of gas stations are empty, with patrol escorts aiding fuel deliveries.
Boil Water Notice: St. Petersburg and nearby areas advised to boil water due to main breaks.
Rescues: Flooding in Hillsborough County led to 135 rescues; Pinellas County received up to 17 inches of rain, causing severe damage.
We have a boat on our tennis courts,” Punta Gorda official says
Boats have been scattered across Punta Gorda, a Gulf Coast city in southwest Florida, due to storm surge and flooding from Hurricane Milton, a city official reported Thursday.
“It’s absolutely surreal. We have a boat on our tennis courts, in our parks, and even across the street,” said Punta Gorda Assistant City Manager Melissa Reichert in an interview with CNN’s Boris Sanchez.
While there were no casualties in Punta Gorda, Milton’s massive storm surge brought back memories of Hurricane Helene’s impact just two weeks prior, Reichert noted.
“Residents and business owners had only begun their recovery,” she said. “They’d barely scratched the surface, and now another hurricane has left the community devastated.”
