Tallahassee: Florida is in the process of clearing fallen trees and power lines while addressing flooded neighborhoods in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which has resulted in at least 16 fatalities. Although Milton did not cause the catastrophic seawater surge that was initially feared, the cleanup operation is expected to take weeks or even months for many residents.
“It opens your eyes to what Mother Nature can do,” said Chase Pierce, 25, of West St. Petersburg. He witnessed transformers explode, sparks fly, and a power line collapse in his backyard alongside his girlfriend.
Ranked as the fifth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane on record, Milton could impose costs of up to $100 billion on insurers alone, according to analysts. The White House has promised government support as the full extent of the damage continues to be assessed.
In the political arena, former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to the storm, particularly targeting efforts in North Carolina, which was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier. Trump’s comments come as he trails Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in recent Reuters/Ipsos polling ahead of the November 5 presidential election. “The federal government … has not done what you are supposed to be doing, in particular, with respect to North Carolina,” he stated on Thursday.
Harris, without naming Trump, defended the administration during a town hall event on Univision, condemning the politicization of disaster recovery efforts. “Sadly, we have seen over the last two weeks, since Hurricane Helene, and now in the immediate aftermath of Milton, where people are playing political games,” she remarked.
The specter of Hurricane Katrina looms over politicians from both parties, as President George W. Bush’s approval ratings plummeted following the 2005 disaster due to perceptions of an inadequate response.
The Biden administration has indicated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will require additional funding from Congress. With Republicans controlling the House and Democrats holding the Senate, lawmakers, currently on recess, are being urged to take action.
Dual Disaster
Floridians are grappling with a dual disaster. While Milton made landfall on the western coast on Wednesday evening, its most destructive effects were felt more than 100 miles (160 km) away on the eastern shore. According to CBS News, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has confirmed at least 16 hurricane-related deaths. In St. Lucie County, an early onslaught of tornadoes claimed several lives, including at least two fatalities in the senior-living Spanish Lakes communities.
A preliminary analysis by the National Hurricane Center indicated that peak water levels reached between 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 m) above ground level between Siesta Key and Fort Myers Beach. Overall, approximately 2.75 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power late Thursday, as reported by PowerOutage.us. Some residents have been without power for days following Hurricane Helene’s impact.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned on Thursday that while the state had avoided the “worst-case scenario,” the damage inflicted by Hurricane Milton remains significant.
