Hurricane Milton: Florida Residents Brace for Long Road to Recovery

Hurricane Milton, one of the most powerful storms to hit Florida in recent history, has left a trail of destruction across the state, causing widespread power outages, significant flooding, and leaving residents assessing the damage, Bloomberg reports.

After making landfall near Cape Canaveral as a Category 1 hurricane, Milton’s intense rains and searing winds battered central Florida, causing widespread disruption. The storm, which packed winds of 85 miles per hour, ripped the roof off Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

The hurricane has left over 3 million homes and businesses across Florida without power, according to PowerOutage.us. The storm’s impact is felt as far south as Naples Bay, where major flooding was recorded, despite being over 100 miles from landfall.

According to Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler for Enki Research, estimating damages and losses between $60 billion and $75 billion.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts up to 18 inches of rain in some areas, and officials warn it may take days to fully assess the damage.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation and has pledged federal assistance, including the deployment of military personnel to aid recovery efforts. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has mobilized over 50,000 linemen to begin power restoration as soon as it is safe.

Milton’s impact on Florida’s agricultural sector is also significant. Fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. has idled its Florida operations, adding to disruptions caused by previous hurricanes Helene and Francine.

While the storm’s intensity was downgraded to Category 3 before landfall, the devastation caused by Milton is already evident, raising concerns about the increasing threat of powerful storms in the region.