Hurricane Milton’s Death Toll Rises to 16 People in the United States
Destruction caused by Hurricane Milton’s in Grove City, Florida, U.S., Oct. 11, 2024. X/ @WeatherRadar_US
October 11, 2024 Hour: 8:16 am
Claims for material damages could have an impact on insurers of up to US$60 billion.
On Friday, the death toll caused by Milton rose to 16 people. As it passed through Florida, this hurricane generated tornadoes and floods that caused an estimated US$60 billion in damages.
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Florida: Milton Left Millions of Customers Without Electricity
On Wednesday night, Milton hit central Florida with torrential rains and strong winds after making landfall on the state’s west coast as a category 3 hurricane, with winds of up to 127 miles per hour.
Six of the deaths occurred in St. Lucie County, on the Treasure Coast, as a result of tornadoes related to Milton, which prompted 116 tornado warnings. Milton exited Florida after crossing the state from west to east, although experts warn that the east coast could still experience heavy rainfall and storm surges.
On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden said the measures implemented to save lives “made a difference,” but warned that it was still too early to assess the total damage caused by the hurricane. He also urged Republican candidate Donald Trump to stop spreading misinformation about the government’s response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. “Get a life, man. Help these people,” Biden said, addressing Trump.
The National Weather Service had to declare a flash flood emergency for Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, due to intense rains, with accumulated rainfall exceeding 17 inches and powerful winds that uprooted trees and ripped off roofs. The floods forced rescue teams to use boats and special vehicles to save about 500 residents trapped in an apartment complex in Pinellas County.
Nearly 7.3 million Floridians living in fifteen counties had been given mandatory evacuation orders, with an evacuation message reinforced as a “matter of life or death,” as Biden conveyed on Wednesday.
The claims for damages after Milton’s passage along Florida’s Gulf Coast could have an impact on insurers of up to US$60 billion. Insurance Business magazine pointed out that cost will have repercussions on the global insurance industry.
While over 3 million homes and buildings remain without power, authorities announced fines of up to US$25,000 for price gougers and created a special hotline for complaints. This decision comes in response to reports of price manipulation and hoarding of essential goods that began before the hurricane’s arrival.
Authorities are also working swiftly to restore power to millions of users and replenish fuel supplies. “Fortunately, we prepared 50,000 electrical line installers across the state. The key thing is that we must continue to bring in fuel,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday.
Most gas stations in Tampa Bay and other areas hardest hit by Milton are experiencing fuel shortages or are entirely out of gas, as hundreds of thousands of people filled their tanks to evacuate by road.
Milton leaves behind a devastated state with severe flooding from rains, destruction, deaths, and hundreds of thousands of evacuees, as it still tries to recover from the damage caused by Helene, which made landfall on September 26 in Florida as a category 4 hurricane. Helene left 230 dead and dozens missing, making it the deadliest hurricane in the U.S. since Katrina in 2005.
On Thursday, while Florida counts the damage caused by Milton, the hurricane transformed into an extratropical phenomenon in the Atlantic waters, 200 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral.
teleSUR/ JF Sources: EFE – 14 y Medio
