Hurricane Milton has caused the deaths of at least 16 people as Florida begins to clean up after the storm.
The powerful hurricane hit the Gulf Coast on Wednesday night as a Category 5 storm, causing flooding, downed power lines, and widespread destruction. Over 2.5 million homes and businesses are still without electricity, and several areas remain underwater.
Milton followed closely behind Hurricane Helene, which struck just two weeks ago. Helene killed 237 people in the southeastern United States. Many residents, like those on Siesta Key, are dealing with severe damage to their homes. Tornadoes from the storm were responsible for many of the deaths, including four people in Fort Pierce.
Despite the damage, Florida avoided the worst-case scenario. Governor Ron DeSantis said that the storm was significant, but not as devastating as feared. Search operations are still ongoing, and recovery efforts are in full swing.
President Joe Biden has estimated that Hurricane Milton caused around $50 billion in damages and plans to visit Florida soon to assess the situation further. Scientists believe that human-caused climate change made Milton stronger, with increased rainfall and wind speeds.
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