Hurricane Milton Wreaks Havoc Across Florida, Leaving a Trail of Devastation

Reporting from St Lucie County and North Fort Myers, Florida, BBC News journalists Naomi Choy Smith and Holly Honderich describe the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, which has left a trail of destruction across the state. At least 16 individuals have tragically lost their lives as the storm swept across Florida, according to recent updates.

Among the hardest-hit areas is a low-income community in St Lucie County, where Crystal Coleman and her daughter narrowly escaped as tornadoes spawned by the hurricane tore through the neighborhood. Coleman recounted the harrowing experience to BBC News, saying, “All of a sudden, the door to my attic flew off; all the objects in my house started flying around. It felt like the tornado was inside of our house.”

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm, unleashed a series of tornadoes and severe weather conditions across the state. Authorities are continuing to assess the damage, with the number of fatalities potentially rising as rescue operations proceed. In North Fort Myers, residents like Maria Bowman decided against evacuation, enduring intense winds as Milton passed by. The experience has left her considering a move away from the state due to the frequency and severity of hurricanes.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has remarked that the impact was not as catastrophic as initially feared, though millions remain without electricity, and significant flooding persists. Emergency services have conducted countless rescues, including hundreds from a severely inundated apartment complex in Pinellas County.

Major infrastructure in Florida has also suffered. The Tropicana Field baseball stadium in St Petersburg experienced considerable damage, while strong winds caused a crane to collapse into nearby structures. Despite some areas escaping the worst-case scenario, extensive efforts to restore normalcy continue, with utility companies deploying tens of thousands of linemen to reestablish power across affected regions.

Governor DeSantis emphasized the scale of the disaster while highlighting the support mobilized for recovery, “With the pre-staging of over 50,000 linemen and the full support of the state, we are working hard to restore power and connectivity to these communities as quickly as possible.”

As the cleanup and recovery efforts unfold, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is scheduled to tour the tornado-stricken areas on Friday. “We did not have the extreme impacts of the worst-case scenario that we prepared for,” she remarked, underscoring the importance of ongoing relief efforts.