The death toll from Hurricane Milton has climbed to at least 14, with a new fatality reported in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, according to CNN. A woman in her late 70s lost her life while working on post-hurricane cleanup efforts when a large tree branch fell on her. The tragic incident occurred just after 11:00 a.m. ET on Thursday, as per a city news release.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw expressed condolences, saying, “Although the storm has passed, its devastation has tragically taken the life of one of our community members. Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve their loved one.”
More than 2.9 million utility customers in Florida remain without power after the storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, down from its original Category 5 status, Al Jazeera reported. In St. Lucie County, Sheriff Keith Pearson informed CNN that 25 people had been rescued from a mobile home park where six individuals had died. Rescue crews are still searching through the debris for more survivors, though challenging conditions are hampering their efforts.
President Joe Biden urged people to remain safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. In a post on X, he advised, “To everyone impacted by Hurricane Milton: I urge you to stay inside and off the roads. Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions. Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it’s safe to go out.” He also praised the courage of first responders and communities coming together in the face of both Hurricanes Milton and Helene, saying, “We’ve got your back.”
As of Wednesday morning, just over 23% of Florida’s gas stations were without fuel, with more than 59% of stations in the Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg areas affected, according to CBS News, citing GasBuddy. These numbers had increased from Tuesday night. In addition to hurricane and storm surge warnings, tornado warnings were issued for various cities.
