Hurricane Milton wreaks havoc on Florida, killing 16 people
Milton became the 2nd storm to hit Florida in less than two weeks.
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, Florida, on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm, unleashing widespread destruction across the Sunshine State, spawning over 30 tornadoes, flooding roads, and destroying hundreds of homes. At least 16 fatalities have been reported, with the death toll potentially rising as search and rescue efforts continue. The storm's fury left over 3 million homes and businesses without power, crippling infrastructure across a large swath of the state.
“I have never seen multiple tornados before,” Rebecca Hamilton, a Clearwater, Florida resident, said. “It was a scary feeling to have watched parts of my home be destroyed and I could do nothing about it.”
Hurricane Milton’s once-in-a-century impact could cause damage of more than $50 billion or approximately $175 billion in a worst-case scenario, according to Wall Street analysts.
This unprecedented situation has strained FEMA's resources, with the agency expected to exhaust its yearly funding allocation in response to Milton and Hurricane Helene, which killed over 220 people. As a result, President Biden is urging Congress to approve additional relief funds to support long-term recovery efforts.
However, Congressional Republicans said they will not meet in an emergency secession to expand FEMA’s funding, until after Nov. 5 election, when Congress is set to return.