At least 11 dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton

At least eleven people died after Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to the latest assessment given by local authorities on the night of Thursday October 10 to Friday October 11. CFive victims were recorded in Saint Lucie County, three in Volusia County, two in the city of Saint Petersburg and one new victim in Tampa. Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters that all were killed by tornadoes.

“The storm was considerable, but fortunately the worst-case scenario did not occur”Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday morning. The hurricane “weakened before making landfall, and the marine submersion, from what we know for the moment, was not as significant as that observed for Hurricane Helene”which struck several states in the southeastern United States at the end of September. More than 3.1 million homes were without power across Florida on Thursday, according to the governor.

Milton reached the west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening – it went from the strongest category to the weakest in a matter of hours – and maintained strong winds as it made its way inland, before reaching the Atlantic Thursday morning. Joe Biden, however, called on the population to “stay indoors” pat the moment, in particular to avoid “downed power lines, debris, and washed out roads.”

Although it has left the peninsula, the hurricane continues to produce powerful winds and “heavy rains” over central and eastern Florida, according to the US Hurricane Center (NHC).