DeSantis announces free gas for residents as $160bn in damage expected

At least 17 people have died after Hurricane Milton devastated portions of Florida, as the extent of damage caused becomes clear in the wake of the storm.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, spawning dozens of tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.

President Biden is expected to survey the damage to the Tampa Bay region on Sunday and receive a briefing on the state of the disaster response from officials on the ground.

The National Weather Service has warned major flooding is still forcast north of Tampa.

Six people in St Lucie County retirement village were killed by tornadoes brought on by the hurricane after a dozen twisters spawned in the region within 20 minutes.

About 1m homes and businesses in Florida were still without power on Saturday evening, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted.

Damages from the storm are estimated to cost Florida upwards of $160 billion over the long term.

The storm also impacted fuel delivery, prompting Florida to offer free gasoline at state fuel depots as long lines formed at the pump across the state.

Key points

• Hurricane Milton warnings discontinued – but ‘hazards remain’

• ‘Significant river flooding’ expected to continue for the coming days to weeks

• Death toll climbs to 17 including six killed by tornadoes in St Lucie County

• Trump branded a ‘selfish child’ for politicizing Hurricane Milton

• Phosphate mine spill in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton

‘Net zero’ neighborhood avoided blackouts during Milton

04:37 , Josh Marcus

While parts of Florida were flattened and flooded by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, one South Florida development weathered the storms with few issues.

Hunters Point, near Bradenton Beach, is billed as the country’s first “net-zero” single-family housing development.

The development in Cortez, Florida, generates more energy than it uses via solar panels, and homes are built with hurricane-proofing technologies like concrete constructions, hurricane-proof fixtures, foam-reinforced walls, streets designed to divert flood waters, and buried power and interent lines.

As CNN reports, those inside the development were able to keep their electricity when millions lost it, even though Milton made landfall nearby.

“Everybody around us was completely dark at like five in the morning, and you see the lights on in our houses,” Marshall Gobuty, the founder and president of the development, told CNN. “So, it really was a test of why we did this.”

President Biden to visit Tampa area on Sunday

04:07 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden will visit Florida on Sunday to survey the damage from Hurricane Milton, WTSP reports.

The president is set to arrive at Tampa’s MacDill Air Force Base, then conduct an aerial tour of storm damage in the surrounding area.

He’ll then head to St. Petersburg and get a briefing on the state of the disaster response.

Biden will then depart for Philadelphia.

Viral fame brings concern for a family after hurricanes

03:44 , Josh Marcus

A woman who says she’s the daughter of Joseph Malinowski, 54 — a Tampa, Florida man who went viral and was dubbed “Lieutenant Dan” for his decision to ride out the approaching hurricanes Helene and Milton on his boat — is worried that his sudden fame and donations from wellwishers will put her father at risk.

Ashley Anny Malinowski voiced her concern in a series of TikToks on Friday.

“Lieutenant Dan was doing just fine without all that money,” she told viewers in one video.

“Y’all TikTok f***ing famous people, y’all blowing him up and he’s gonna be dead before he can f***ing enjoy that boat and stuff. Because Look at him, after y’all got a hold of him and now he’s high as f*** on all these videos.”

More details in our full story.

The new threat of conspiratorial disaster relief

02:36 , Josh Marcus

In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, partisan politics have encouraged the frightening spread of conspiracies about disaster relief.

Last week, Kelly Rissman had this look about the new phenomenon.

How Trump and his allies spread false claims about FEMA and Hurricane Helene relief

Photos capture devastation of Hurricane Milton

01:30 , Josh Marcus

White House announces Florida disaster declaration

01:10 , Josh Marcus

Florida is officially a major disaster area, according to the Biden adminsitration.

The White House declared the state a major disaster area yesterday, it announced on Saturday, freeing up federal funding for impacted counties.

It’s a move that’s at odds with the recent apparent political conflict between vice president Kamala Harris and Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

‘It’s not about you Kamala!’ DeSantis lashes out at Harris over Hurricane Milton

Pinellas County schools closed through Monday

Sunday 13 October 2024 00:54 , Josh Marcus

Schools in Pinellas County, a peninsula containing the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, will remain closed on Monday, education officials announced, as the hard hit Tampa Bay region continues to recover from Hurricane Milton.

“No decision has been made about Tuesday, October 15,” the school system wrote on its website. “The district will communicate this decision by noon on Monday, October 14, and will be based on the closure of shelters and the stability of the power grid.”

DeSantis announces free gas as Florida faces fuel crunch

Sunday 13 October 2024 00:39 , Josh Marcus

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, residents of Florida are facing long lines to get fuel from gas stations with disrupted supply lines.

On Saturday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced residents would be able to get up to 10 gallons of free fuel from three state-run fuel depots spread across Plant City, Bradenton, and St. Petersburg.

The governor added three more such fuel depots were in the works.

Nearly a third of Florida gas stations lack fuel: tracker

Sunday 13 October 2024 00:19 , Josh Marcus

The storm may be passed, but now Florida is contending with other challenges in Milton’s wake, like a severe fuel shortage.

According to gas tracking website GasBuddy, just under 30 percent of Florida gas stations were without fuel as of its most recent count yesterday.

How much is Hurricane Milton going to cost Florida?

Sunday 13 October 2024 00:16 , Josh Marcus

Hurricane Milton was the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, and it could end up costing Florida billions in dollars of damages.

Insurers alone are expected to offer between $30 billion and $60 billion in payouts, according to Reuters.

Taking in the wider impact on property damage, lost economic activity, and long-term healthcare costs, the storm could end up causing $160 billion in total losses, according to an estimate from AccuWeather.

That’s on top Hurricane Helene’s estimated $225 – 250 billion impact.

How Milton could jack up the Florida insurance market

Saturday 12 October 2024 22:00 , Josh Marcus

Residents of Florida pay the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the U.S., and Hurricane Milton could make things even worse.

The storm has prompted more than 12,000 claims with the state’s insurer of last restort, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., and caused more than $586m in damage to insured properties.

That kind of financial exposure could lead the insurer to impose new surcharges on customers, according to Florida Politics.

American contends with multiple storm clean-ups at once

Saturday 12 October 2024 21:38 , Josh Marcus

Hurricane Milton may have been the most recent threat, but Americans are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which tore through the southeast throughout late September and earlier this month.

Rescue efforts are still underway, as this video from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division shows, with soldiers assisting FEMA in hard-hit North Carolina.

Hurricane Milton reveals how city planning lags behind climate reality

Saturday 12 October 2024 21:23 , Josh Marcus

In cities around Florida’s Tampa Bay region, even residents in areas not considered flood risks zones saw their homes inundated with water, sewage, and debris.

That’s because federal “flood-risk zone” maps don’t quite capture the complex realities on the ground anymore, where continued development has eroded the protections provided by Florida’s natural wetlands, and extreme weather grows more common from climate change.

As the Tampa Bay Times notes in a recent piece, areas in St. Petersburg, Lutz, New Tampa, and across Pasco County experienced major flooding days after Miton moved on, even in areas not historically considered flood zones.

“Everyone in Florida is at risk from hurricane flooding,” Trevor Burgess, CEO of Florida insurer Neptune Flood, told the paper. “It just comes down to whether or not you’re required by law to buy insurance.”

How Hurricane Milton compares to other historic storms

Saturday 12 October 2024 21:08 , Josh Marcus

Residents of Florida have been left reeling by Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm which has led to at least 14 deaths, 3.4 million power outages and significant damage which is yet to be determined.

Hundreds of people were rescued Thursday in the aftermath of the storm, which brought historic rainfall in Tampa, flung debris and trees around streets, and left the Tampa Bay Rays’ St Petersburg field in shambles.

Amid evacuation alerts for millions, experts had warned that this could be one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in recent years, just as residents started to pick up the pieces from last month’s Hurricane Helene.

With the toll of its destruction still in limbo, how does Milton compare to the most fatal hurricanes in the 21st century?

Alicja Hagopian and Julia Musto report.

Hurricane Milton damage: ‘Storm of the century’ versus other hurricanes

Governor joins relief effort as Walmart provides household necessities

Saturday 12 October 2024 20:52 , Josh Marcus

Florida governor Ron DeSantis pitched in on Saturday with the Hurricane Milton relief efforts, handing out supply packs to families at the Pioner Park Point of Distruction in Hardee County.

Retailer Walmart also joined the action, supplying household necessities to Florida residents.

Floridians can find their nearest aid distribution center at the Florida Devision of Emergency Management website.

How tornadoes devastated communities far from Milton’s landfall

Saturday 12 October 2024 20:30 , Rachel Sharp

Tony Brazzale, a diving boat captain who has lived for 10 years in his Wellington home in southeastern Florida, wasn’t worried about Hurricane Milton. The storm’s center was forecast to make landfall on the opposite side of the peninsula and then cross the state well to the north of his family.

But on Wednesday afternoon as the hurricane began to pummel the state, he stood outside his house and watched as a tornado loomed in the sky. He took video on his phone. The pressure dropped, and his wife said her ears were popping. It was time to go inside.

The twister shattered windows in the home, tore off roof shingles, ripped a tree from the ground and left branches and other debris scattered in the yard. Two days later Brazzale was wearing safety goggles and using a chainsaw as he cleaned up the damage.

“The hurricane was a nonevent for us,” he said. “Had it not been for an F-3 tornado, the entire thing would have been a nonevent for us.”

It was one of dozens of tornadoes spawned by Milton that hit South Florida far from where the storm made landfall near Sarasota. One of them killed at least six people in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village near Fort Pierce, about an hour’s drive north from Wellington.

Meteorologists believe there may have been at least 38 tornadoes associated with Milton. The National Weather Service is still reviewing preliminary reports, which could take weeks, but it issued 126 tornado warnings in the state the day the hurricane hit.

When the review is complete, the storm could crack the all-time top-10 list for most tornadoes caused by a hurricane.

The highest number of confirmed tornadoes from a hurricane were the 118 unleashed by Ivan in 2004, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Hurricane Beryl, which hit in July of this year and is still under review, generated at least 65 confirmed tornadoes and currently ranks fifth.

By comparison, Florida overall typically sees about 50 tornadoes a year on average, according to Matthew Elliot, a warning coordination meteorologist for the Storm Prediction Center.

In Wellington, 210 miles (340 kilometers) southeast of Tampa near West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Coast, sheriff’s deputies spent Friday morning and afternoon helping residents clean up debris and move large trees that were obstructing roads.

Brazzale toiled to fix roof tiles and replace his shattered windows. Throughout his neighborhood, Pine Trace at Binks Forest, others were doing the same thing — cleaning up debris, putting tarps on damaged roofs and chain sawing fallen trees and branches.

The most important thing is that nobody died here, Brazzale said.

“It’s a significant pressure drop when one of those things goes over,” he said of the tornado. “You heard it. It was a freight train.”

The Associated Press

Pictured: Aftermath of Hurricane Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 20:00 , Rachel Sharp

Watch: DeSantis denies climate change is making hurricanes more powerful

Saturday 12 October 2024 19:30 , Rachel Sharp

Florida couple reveal Hurricane Milton unearthed long-lost wedding ring

Saturday 12 October 2024 19:00 , Rachel Sharp

A Florida couple has revealed that Hurricane Milton unearthed a long-lost wedding ring which had been missing for almost a decade.

Laura and Basil Yorio told Fox35 that the ring vanished without a trace nine years ago while they were going through a construction project on their home in Palm Bay, Florida.

It had not been seen since.

On Wednesday, Hurricane Milton tore through their neighborhood.

When they returned home, Laura said she spotted something shiny in their yard.

“I looked down and saw a silver ring and thought it was like a key ring,” she said.

They then realized what it was.

“We’re very mindful that a lot of people are going through terrible things, and I feel almost a little guilty feeling happy about all of this, but it was something good.”

Floridians return to homes shattered by Hurricane Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 18:30 , Rachel Sharp

Lieutenant Dan became an overnight sensation riding out Hurricane Milton. Then his long criminal past came to light

Saturday 12 October 2024 18:00 , Rachel Sharp

Joseph Malinkowski became a ‘cult hero’ overnight for his defiant stand in the face of Hurricane Milton. Mike Bedigan and Kelly Rissman delve into his sprawling criminal history that rocked the boat and social media:

Lt. Dan became a sensation riding out Milton. Then his criminal past came to light

‘Selfish child’: Chris Christie slams Trump for politicizing Hurricane Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 17:30 , Rachel Sharp

Chris Christie has slammed Donald Trump for politicizing Hurricane Milton as Florida begins recovery efforts from the “once in a lifetime” storm.

“He is a selfish child,” Christie told The New York Times opinion journalist Frank Bruni.

“And he doesn’t care that these people in North Carolina are suffering the way they are, if caring costs him one bit of perceived political advantage.”

Trump has been peddling conspiracies about the federal government’s response to both Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including a debunked claim that money from FEMA is being diverted away from hurricane survivors towards illegal migrants.

Fake photos of Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton spread online by Russian news agency

Saturday 12 October 2024 17:00 , Rachel Sharp

Images spread online supposedly showing Disney World in Florida underwater as a result of Hurricane Milton appear to be fake and have been generated using artificial intelligence.

Disney World, located in Orlando, Florida, announced they would close their theme parks amid rare measures ahead of the dangerous Hurricane Milton directly hitting the area, bringing with it strong winds, heavy rainfall and hazardous storm surge.

As Milton made landfall on Wednesday, all three Orlando-based parks, including Universal Orlando and SeaWorld alongside Disney, ground to a halt and shut down operations that would have usually welcomed tens of thousands of tourists.

Read more:

AI-generated images of Disney World flooded by Hurricane Milton circulate online

1.6 million still without power in Florida

Saturday 12 October 2024 16:30 , Rachel Sharp

Three days after Milton smashed into Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, 1.6 million homes are still in the dark.

As of around 11am ET Saturday morning, 1.58 million customers were without power in the Sunshine State, according to Poweroutage.us.

In hard-hit Pinellas County, more than half were still in the midst of a power outage (373,000 out of 567,000 customers).

Hernando County sees historic flooding

Saturday 12 October 2024 16:00 , Stuti Mishra

Brit recalls ‘holiday from hell’ with seven children as Hurricane Milton devastates Florida

Saturday 12 October 2024 15:30 , Stuti Mishra

A British holidaymaker has described his “holiday from hell” after he was stuck in Florida with his brother and seven young children as Hurricane Milton made landfall in the US.

Jordan Sly was due to fly back to London on Wednesday with his three children, his brother Zak, and Zak’s four children. But as Hurricane Milton approached and Florida braced for its second devastating storm in as many weeks, their flight home was cancelled.

The seven children, aged between four months and 11 years old, were put to bed by Mr Sly and his brother in their Davenport holiday home. But when the storm hit in the early hours of the morning, chaos followed.

The Independent’s Alex Croft has more:

Brit recalls ‘holiday from hell’ with 7 children as Hurricane Milton strikes Florida

Photos show Treasure Island devastation

Saturday 12 October 2024 15:00 , Stuti Mishra

How to protect yourself from wild animals after Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 14:30 , Stuti Mishra

Emergency Shoulder Use no longer in effect

Saturday 12 October 2024 14:15 , Stuti Mishra

Florida Transportation Department says Emergency Shoulder Use is no longer in effect.

NASA targeting no earlier than Sunday after noon for Europa Clipper mission launch

Saturday 12 October 2024 14:00 , Stuti Mishra

Boaters warned to use caution in Milton’s aftermath

Saturday 12 October 2024 13:30 , Stuti Mishra

Milton pushes Alafia to highest-recorded flooding in Lithia since 1933

Saturday 12 October 2024 13:00 , Julia Musto

Lithia’s Alafia River rose to 23 feet during Hurricane Milton — 4 feet higher than what’s designated as major flooding, and the highest recorded mark since 1933, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

See it: FEMA is on the ground in Florida

Saturday 12 October 2024 12:30 , Julia Musto

How Hurricane Helene’s ‘wake up call’ helped Florida residents prepare for Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 12:00 , Stuti Mishra

Florida residents who fled hundreds of miles to escape Hurricane Milton made slow trips home on crowded highways, weary from their long journeys and the clean up work awaiting them but also grateful to be coming back alive.

“I love my house, but I’m not dying in it,” Fred Neuman said on Friday while walking his dog outside a rest stop off Interstate 75 north of Tampa.

Mr Neuman and his wife live in Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall on Wednesday night as a powerful, Category 3 hurricane.

Heeding local evacuation orders ahead of the storm, they drove nearly 500 miles (800 kilometres) to Destin on the Florida Panhandle. Neighbours told the couple the hurricane destroyed their carport and inflicted other damage, but Mr Neuman shrugged, saying their insurance should cover it.

Nearby, Lee and Pamela Essenburm made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at a picnic table as cars pulling off the slow-moving interstate waited for parking spaces outside the crowded rest stop.

Their home in Palmetto, on the south end of Tampa Bay, had a tree fall in the backyard. They evacuated fearing the damage would be more severe, worrying Milton might hit as a catastrophic Category 4 or 5 storm.

“I wasn’t going to take a chance on it,” Lee Essenbaum said. “It’s not worth it.”

Milton killed at least 10 people when it tore across central Florida, flooding barrier islands, ripping the roof off the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium and spawning deadly tornadoes.

Officials say the toll could have been worse if not for the widespread evacuations. The still-fresh devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier probably helped compel many people to flee.

“Helene likely provided a stark reminder of how vulnerable certain areas are to storms, particularly coastal regions,” said Craig Fugate, who served as administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under president Barack Obama.

“When people see first hand what can happen, especially in neighbouring areas, it can drive behaviour change in future storms.”

The Associated Press.

FHP troopers team up with FWC for search and rescue efforts

Saturday 12 October 2024 11:30 , Julia Musto

Flamingos return to Disney habitat after Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 11:00 , Julia Musto

Florida pig, named Millie, rescued from Hurricane Milton floodwaters

Saturday 12 October 2024 10:30 , Julia Musto

Rescue efforts continue in the state of Florida as fears of Hurricane Milton lingers over residents.

Hundreds of people and dozens of animals have been pulled out of floodwaters including a pig named Millie.

The Independent’s Noopur Jambhekar has more: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/hurricane-milton-florida-pig-rescue-b2628117.html

Tampa family keeps found cat safe after Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 10:00 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Milton: Watch US Coast Guard rescue man clinging to ice box

Saturday 12 October 2024 09:30 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Milton: Watch US Coast Guard rescue man clinging to ice box

Polk County officers helped woman who went into labor during Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 09:00 , Julia Musto

Climate crisis increased rainfall from Hurricane Milton, study finds

Saturday 12 October 2024 08:30 , Stuti Mishra

Rainfall from Hurricane Milton was increased by 20 to 30 per cent because of the climate crisis, according to a new rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution.

Storms like Milton are now about twice as likely as they would have been without human-caused warming, the group found.

The climate crisis also made wind speeds from the hurricane approximately 10 per cent stronger.

World Weather Attribution said their findings for Milton are similar to those following Hurricane Helene.

Hotter ocean temperatures are known to supercharge hurricanes, helping them intensify. In recent years more hurricanes have been rapidly intensifying, reaching Category 5, the highest on the scale. Milton is the quickest storm on record to rapidly intensify up to Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico.

Aerial photos show destroyed houses in Florida after Hurricane Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 08:05 , Stuti Mishra

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue have saved 104 pets so far

Saturday 12 October 2024 07:30 , Stuti Mishra

‘Significant river flooding’ expected to continue for the coming days to weeks

Saturday 12 October 2024 06:52 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Milton has exited Florida but the risk of flooding from overflowing rivers is expected to continue for days to weeks, the National Weather Service has warned.

“Widespread moderate and major flooding is occurring in Central Florida and St Johns River Basin, with record flooding occurring or forecast to occur at four locations,” the

Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC) of NWS said.

“River flooding is expected to last for days to weeks.”

While little to no rain is expected in the Southeast for the next several days, river levels are expected to continue rising at many locations due to routed flows from rain that already fell.

There’s no immediate tropical threat to Florida after Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Social media rumors about another storm hitting Florida are untrue, FOX 13 Tampa meteorologists stressed Friday.

“Let’s put it this way: could something develop in the northwestern Caribbean Sea and end up over us in ten days? It’s not a zero percent chance,” Chief Meteorologist Paul Dellegatto said. “But of all the things that could happen, I would say it’s less than 5 or 10 percent.”

Dellegatto emphasized that nothing is currently brewing in the Caribbean Sea, adding that “there’s not even a cloud there.”

Sailboat owner says ‘all hell broke loose’ while riding out Milton with cat

Saturday 12 October 2024 06:00 , Julia Musto

Longtime Floridian Lenny Lopez told CNN Friday that he feared losing his sailboat after riding out Hurricane Milton at a marina in Ruskin near Tampa Bay.

He was with his cat, Roscoe.

Lopez said Milton’s winds shifted late Wednesday, and “all hell broke loose.”

“This storm was blowing so hard that the water was flat, but the wind just shook you like a rag doll,” said Lopez.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport sustains loss of entire roof over concourse B

Saturday 12 October 2024 05:30 , Julia Musto

Florida Senator Rick Scott promises state will recover: ‘We will rebuild even stronger’

Saturday 12 October 2024 05:00 , Julia Musto

Phosphate mine spill in Tampa Bay after Hurricane Milton

Saturday 12 October 2024 04:39 , Stuti Mishra

The owner of a major phosphate mine disclosed that pollution spilled into Tampa Bay during the hurricane.

The Mosaic Company said in a statement that heavy rains from the storm overwhelmed a collection system at its Riverview site, pushing excess water out of a manhole and into discharges that lead to the bay. The company said the leak was fixed on Thursday.

Mosaic said the spill likely exceeded a 17,500-gallon minimum reporting standard, though it did not provide a figure for what the total volume might have been.

Congressman tours Holmes Beach destruction: ‘Heartbreaking’

Saturday 12 October 2024 04:30 , Julia Musto

91-year-old woman rescued from Hillsborough County home

Saturday 12 October 2024 04:00 , Julia Musto

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says agency will need supplemental funding from Congress

Saturday 12 October 2024 03:30 , Julia Musto

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters Friday that her agency will need more funding passed soon.

“The Disaster Relief Fund certainly does not have enough money to continue recoveries for everything that I have through the entire fiscal year,” Criswell said.

“We’re assessing every day how much it’s drawing down on that so I can continue to work with my leadership as well as Congress as far as when we will need a supplemental,” she said. “We will need one. It’s just a matter of when.”

DeSantis says portions of Manasota Key Island are ‘unpassable’

Saturday 12 October 2024 03:00 , Julia Musto

National Hurricane Center’s track forecasts for Milton were ‘exceptional’

Saturday 12 October 2024 02:30 , Julia Musto

The National Hurricane Center’s track forecasts for the eventual path of Hurricane Milton were unusually accurate.

The storm was always predicted to come ashore near Tampa Bay.

Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, told Axios that this never changed. The track forecasts, he said, outperformed their typical average error rates for such storms.

“The track forecasts of the landfall location were exceptional,” McNoldy said. “I think we all wish they could always be that accurate for so long. It doesn’t change the fate of the eventual impacts, but it certainly helps with preparation and evacuation.”

Video captures moment 8 people were rescued from a flooded house

Saturday 12 October 2024 02:00 , Julia Musto

More than 77 percent of Tampa’s gas station without fuel

Saturday 12 October 2024 01:30 , Julia Musto

More than 77 percent of Tampa gas stations are without fuel, according to gas tracking site GasBuddy.

Hurricane Milton has led to shortages across Florida.

In Sarasota, over 62 percent of stations are running dry.

Shortages have led to disputes, according to the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.

“We realize demand is great and frustration can be high while the fuel companies work through restocking essential supplies, but we urge you to be patient and respectful of others,” the office said.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to reopen early Saturday

Saturday 12 October 2024 01:00 , Julia Musto

Even Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Republican colleagues are outraged by her ‘loony toons’ hurricane conspiracies

Saturday 12 October 2024 00:30 , Julia Musto

House Republicans are becoming more and more frustrated with their colleague Marjorie Taylor Greene and her bizarre, and debunked, claims that Democrats are “controlling the weather” following the recent devastation caused by hurricanes in the southeastern US.

The Maga firebrand from Georgia has doubled down on her conspiracy, leading even her fellow party members to speculate that she “needs [her] head examined.”

The Independent’s Mike Bedigan has more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-hurricane-conspiracy-republicans-b2628001.html

2M customers still without power before sunset

Saturday 12 October 2024 00:00 , Julia Musto

More than 2 million customers are still without power in Florida late Friday afternoon, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.

Hillsborough County alone has more than 462,000 outages.

Pasco County recommends residents of flood-prone areas evacuate

Friday 11 October 2024 23:30 , Julia Musto

83-year-old man with late-stage Alzheimer’s found dead after wandering away in Polk County

Friday 11 October 2024 23:00 , Julia Musto

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that 83-year-old Marco Grillo, a Lakeland man with late-stage Alzheimer’s, was found dead after wandering away Thursday following Hurricane Milton.

Authorities located Grillo’s body Friday morning. The Sheriff’s Office Air Unit spotted him floating beneath the surface of the floodwaters behind his residence.

Marco’s wife, Suzanne, told detectives that the couple had been sleeping in their van at the front of their Alderman Road neighborhood. Their home had been flooded by heavy rain during the storm.

Grillo was reportedly in the late stages of Alzheimer’s disease, had a heart condition, and had bad circulation.

“Despite Mr. Grillo being found in his backyard, the area was so flooded that our Aviation Unit had to direct deputies on an airboat to him. Our prayers are with his family, Sheriff Grady Judd said on Facebook.

Death toll jumps to 17

Friday 11 October 2024 22:30 , Julia Musto

There have been 17 deaths as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to NBC News.

There was one death in Citrus County, two deaths in Pinellas County, six in St. Lucie County, four in Volusia County, one in Polk County, two in Hillsborough County, and one in Orange County.

Tampa police rescue 15 people from home destroyed by tree in Hurricane Milton

Friday 11 October 2024 22:00 , Julia Musto

Amid Hurricane Milton, the Tampa Police Department rescued 15 people from a single-story home on E. Wood St.

The Independent’s Reann Philogene has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/us-news/police-rescue-hurricane-milton-b2627994.html

Disney resort faces backlash after charging guests stranded by Hurricane Milton for ‘sandwich kits’

Friday 11 October 2024 21:30 , James Liddell

A Disney resort is facing backlash for appearing to charge it guests, stranded by Hurricane Milton for emergency “sandwich kits”.

The kits include peanut butter, jelly, a loaf of bread, and utensils and were being sold for $10 (£7.65) to those affected by the natural disaster.

Millions have been affected by Hurricane Milton which has hit Florida and its surrounding areas. The Category 3 storm has led to at least 14 deaths, 3.4 million power outages and significant damage which is yet to be determined.

Disney resort faces backlash after charging stranded guests for ‘sandwich kits’

Alligators and stingrays could be loose in Florida floodwaters prompting warnings from officials

Friday 11 October 2024 21:00 , Julia Musto

Massive Florida gators, stingrays and other creatures could be lying in wait in the murky floodwaters from Hurricane Milton, officials have warned.

Florida wildlife officials say multiple species are more active following hurricanes and tropical storms, with flooding displacing the creatures.

“Alligators may be observed more frequently in flooded areas after a hurricane or tropical storm,” Florida officials cautioned.

Frank Robb, the founder of a nonprofit environmental education group, told NewsNation on Thursday that coastal residents may have different concerns related to wild animals than those located inland.

“If you’re coastal, you have to worry about everything from stingrays to alligators,” he said. “If you’re in South Florida, you gotta think about crocodiles, snakes — of course.”

The Independent’s Julia Musto has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/florida-hurricane-relief-alligators-floodwater-b2627914.html

Watch: Coast Guard’s dramatic rescue as man left clinging to ice box 30 miles out at sea

Friday 11 October 2024 20:30 , James Liddell

Coast Guard rescues ship captain clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Milton

Friday 11 October 2024 20:00 , Julia Musto

A ship’s captain clutching a cooler was rescued 30 miles off the coast of Florida by the US Coast Guard after Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc.

The man was spotted clinging to the make-shift liferaft as a helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station Miami lifted him from the high seas to safety on Thursday afternoon.

However, this wasn’t the first time the seaman was rescued this week, as he first ran into trouble on Monday before the storm made landfall.

The Independent’s Madeline Sherratt has more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-milton-cooler-rescue-captain-coastguard-b2627887.html

Watch: Harris takes swipe at Trump’s Hurricane Milton and Helene remarks in latest attack ad

Friday 11 October 2024 19:30 , James Liddell

Donald Trump has continued to attack the Biden adminstration for its response to the two hurricanes that slammed into the Florida coastline in as many weeks.

President Joe Biden has called Trump’s claims an “onslaught of lies”. Now, the Harris campaign has released a new attack ad branding Trump a “liar” for “amplifying false claims”.

President Biden will visit Florida on Sunday

Friday 11 October 2024 19:00 , Julia Musto

President Joe Biden will travel to Florida on Sunday to visit areas impacted by Hurricane Milton.

Meteorologists sent death threats after being accused of ‘creating and steering’ Hurricane Milton

Friday 11 October 2024 18:30 , James Liddell

Meteorologists have been receiving death threats following a slew of conspiracy theories that they “created and steered” Hurricane Milton.

Misinformation spread by former President Donald Trump and his MAGA loyalists have hindered the abilities to help the worst-hit communities, FEMA said.

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene spread a wild conspiracy theory that “they,” meaning the federal government, “can control the weather”.

Now, meteorologists are facing backlash thanks to the false claims.

“I’ve never seen a storm garner so much misinformation, we have just been putting out fires of wrong information everywhere,” Katie Nickolaou, a Michigan-based meteorologist, told The Guardian.

“I have had a bunch of people saying I created and steered the hurricane, there are people assuming we control the weather.”

She added: “But it’s taken a turn to more violent rhetoric, especially with people saying those who created Milton should be killed.”