(The Center Square) – At least 12 are dead following Wednesday’s overnight strike of Hurricane Milton in Florida, the second time in two weeks the state has took a blow from the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm was down from a Category 5 hurricane to a Category 3, meaning at least maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, when it landed in Sarasota County about 70 miles from Tampa. It rapidly tore across central Florida, producing significant flooding, high winds, and destructive tornadoes.
Gov. Ron DeSantis in a press conference Thursday said rescue teams, National Guard, State Guard, Fish and Wildlife Commission personnel, local law enforcement, and first responders successfully executed rescue missions overnight and accessed damages as morning came. The second-term Republican had been roundly praised by Democratic President Joe Biden for preparedness efforts beforehand.
Helene struck the Big Region as a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26. While significant impact happened in Florida and Georgia, its remnants have caused catastrophic damage was mostly in the mountains of North Carolina.
The governor visited St. Lucie County. There, heavy damage by tornados contributed to at least five deaths in that area of the state’s Atlantic coast.
Police Chief Tony Holloway said at least two people were killed in St. Petersburg during the storm. Three people died in Volusia County, according to the sheriff.
One man died after reportedly driving around 1:30 a.m. in Citrus County before a tree fell and hit his car.
A curfew was enacted to prevent unnecessary traffic on our roads during dangerous storm conditions for anyone other than regular members of law enforcement bodies, regular employees of businesses, industries, or government entities traveling for their jobs, and all emergency workers.
“Any person who knowingly violates this ordinance shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or 60 days jail,” the sheriff’s office posted on X.
DeSantis said the storm weakened enough before landfall to minimize the worst-case storm surge. He stated that this doesn’t mean there is not a lot of damage or a lot to contend with, but in terms of what they prepared for, they have an abundance of resources.
Biden said he predeployed thousands of federal personnel in the areas affected by the storm, including more than 1,000 Coast Guard members.
DeSantis said damage to the ports was minimal on the East Coast, but the bottom line is that fuel is needed throughout the state to get things going. With 1.5 million gallons of diesel and 1.1 million gallons of regular unleaded gasoline already in the state, he reiterated that it comes down to distribution.
His hope is stores will reopen soon.
Since Milton started, around 4 million people have been without power across the state. More than 50,000 prestaged linemen waiting for the calls helped restore power to more than 700,000 people by late afternoon.
DeSantis said he brought linemen in from as far as California.
Desantis declared a state of emergency and gathered trucks from every agency to clear debris left over from Helene as Milton started to form and winds picked up. The goal was to minimize damage.