Biden surveys Hurricane Milton damage as he visits hard-hit communities in Florida
President Joe Biden visited Florida on Sunday to tour communities impacted by Hurricane Milton.
During the visit, the president announced more than $600m in funding for projects for electric grid resilience to help the state become better equipped to deal with future storms.
“It’s in moments like this, we come together to take care of each other. Not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans,” Biden said. “Americans who need help and Americans who would help you if you were in the same situation.”
The president said more than 250,000 Floridians had registered for federal assistance.
“The most in a single day ever in the history of this country,” Biden noted.
So far, at least 23 people have died as a result of Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night, spawning dozens of tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.
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 just 20 minutes.
While Floridians return home to survey the damage to their communities, officials have warned that major flooding could still hit north of Tampa.
River flooding continued through the weekend, forcing authorities to ask Hernando County residents to evacuate. The county is located in west-central Florida, near the Withlacoochee River.
“One of the concerns is that water is continuing to rise, and it could be several more days of the water rising,” Commissioner John Allocco said in a video posted to Facebook by the county sheriff’s office.
As of Sunday evening, more than 517,000 homes were still without power in Florida, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted. Damage from the storm is estimated to have cost upwards of $160bn.
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
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.”
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.
Your Screaming Eagles have been going door to door in western North Carolina assisting FEMA, the North Carolina National Guard, XVIII Airborne Corps and other organizations deliver supplies and support to areas affected by Hurricane Helene. #airassault #Helene pic.twitter.com/sZDjg9MQx3
— 101st Airborne Div. (@101stAASLTDIV) October 12, 2024
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
White House announces Florida disaster declaration
Sunday 13 October 2024 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
Photos capture devastation of Hurricane Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 01:30 , Josh Marcus
The new threat of conspiratorial disaster relief
Sunday 13 October 2024 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
Viral fame brings concern for a family after hurricanes
Sunday 13 October 2024 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.
President Biden to visit Tampa area on Sunday
Sunday 13 October 2024 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.
‘Net zero’ neighborhood avoided blackouts during Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 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.”
Flood risk remains in Florida well after storm
Sunday 13 October 2024 05:07 , Josh Marcus
Flood risk remains high in certain areas of Florida, even days after Hurricane Milton passed through the state.
“Major flooding” is forecast on the Withlacoochee River, north of Tampa, the National Weather Service said on Saturday night, which could impact Levy and Citrus Counties.
“Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the agency warned. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas.”
Election officials warn that hurricanes could disrupt 2024 ballots
Sunday 13 October 2024 05:45 , Josh Marcus
A pair of disastrous hurricanes could upend the upcoming 2024 election, according to officials in North Carolina and Florida.
“I speak for my colleagues around the state: It’s a rather simple formula – it’s hunker down, survive, and then we have to assess where we are with damages and make it work,” Brian Corley, the supervisor of elections in Florida’s Pasco County, told CNN.
“I’ve got precincts that are completely gone, that are completely washed away,” Mary Beth Tipton, the director of the board of elections in North Carolina’s Yancey County, added. “We’ve actually got a post office that’s washed away.”
More than 1,000 rescued in aftermath of Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 06:33 , Josh Marcus
More than 1,000 people have been rescued in Florida as of Saturday in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, according to governor Ron DeSantis.
“Fortunately we never had the 15- to 20- feet storm surge, but still, rising waters, very dangerous, and these guys have sprung into action,” the governor said at a public briefing.
Trump threatens to withhold disaster aid during California rally
Sunday 13 October 2024 07:15 , Josh Marcus
Florida’s back-to-back hurricanes are a reminder of the kind of threat extreme weather poses to the U.S., one that likely only get worse due to the climate crisis.
At a recent rally in California, Donald Trump suggested disaster aid might be conditional on a state’s politics.
Trump threatens to withhold aid to California: We'll force it down his throat and we'll say, Gavin, if you don't do it, we're not giving you any of that fire money that we send you for all the forest fires you have pic.twitter.com/EBneSYZrTG
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 13, 2024
How one organization is helping out in Florida: Free BBQ
Sunday 13 October 2024 07:59 , Josh Marcus
A Missouri-based nonprofit is sprining into action in Florida to distribute free barbecue meals in the city of St. Petersburg.
Operation BBQ Reflief handed out box after box of BBQ pork meals to the hard-hit city on Florida’s eastern coast.
Pictures show damage on key near where Milton made landfall
Sunday 13 October 2024 09:33 , Josh Marcus
Residents were permitted on Saturday to return to eastern Florida’s Manasota Key, a barrier island not far from where Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday.
Here are some of the scenes that greeted them, courtesy of WINK News.
Manasota Key reopened today to residents and business owners.
Here are pictures our WINK News photographers Lyndsay and Gabby got of the destruction on the island. @winknews #HurricaneMilton pic.twitter.com/wQ4zLibSgx— Annette Montgomery (@AnnettemTV) October 12, 2024
Florida hotels slammed as evacuees yield to repair workers
Sunday 13 October 2024 11:00 , Josh Marcus
Hotels across Florida are reportedly near capacity, as repair crews and relief workers flood the state after Hurricane Milton.
“We’ve seen workers from Alabama, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and even the Orlando area,” one hotel general manager told the Pensacola News Journal. “They started coming in Tuesday night and we’re sold out of rooms until Oct. 19.”
Back-to-back storms leaves Siesta Key resident with ‘PTSD'
Sunday 13 October 2024 12:30 , Josh Marcus
A Tennessee couple who relocated to Florida’s Siesta Key during the pandemic says since 2020 they’ve had to endure constant flooding since.
Lance and Nichol Fountaine told USA Today their home has flooded six times in 14 months, most recently with Hurricane Milton.
“I’m done,” Nichol said. “I love it, I’ll visit it but I don’t want to live it anymore.”
“We can’t keep throwing money into it and expecting different results,” she added, calling it the “definition of insanity.”
A very different view of Milton — from space
Sunday 13 October 2024 14:00 , Josh Marcus
Before Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, astronauts board the International Space Station got a view of it from space.
Here’s a time lapse from NASA’s Matthew Dominick.
Timelapse flying by Hurricane Milton about 2 hours ago.
1/6400 sec exposure, 14mm, ISO 500, 0.5 sec interval, 30fps pic.twitter.com/p5wBlC95mx— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024
Biden is visiting Florida today to tour areas impacted by Hurricane Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 14:35 , Rachel Sharp
President Joe Biden is visiting Florida today to tour areas impacted by Hurricane Milton.
The president will make a first stop in hard-hit Tampa, before taking an aerial tour of affected areas en route to St. Petersburg, Florida.
After, the White House said Biden will receive an operational briefing with federal, state, and local officials, in St. Pete Beach before meeting with first responders and local residents.
Biden will then deliver remarks where he is expected to announce more than $600m in funding for projects for electric grid resilience, to help the state be better equipped to deal with future storms.
900k still without power in Florida
Sunday 13 October 2024 15:30 , Rachel Sharp
Four days after Milton smashed into Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, more than 900,000 homes are still in the dark.
As of around 11am ET Sunday morning, 944,000 customers were without power in the Sunshine State, according to Poweroutage.us.
In hard-hit Pinellas County, around half were still in the midst of a power outage (281,000 out of 567,000 customers).
Speaker Mike Johnson says hurricane aid ‘can wait'
Sunday 13 October 2024 16:30 , Rachel Sharp
House Speaker Mike Johnson has claimed that hurricane aid “can wait” until Congress is back in session after the November election.
Several lawmakers – including Republicans – have called for lawmakers to be brought back to session early in order to pass legislation to provide additional funding to those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Johnson has refused.
The Republican appeared on CBS News’s Face The Nation on Sunday where he was asked why he thinks it can wait.
“Well, it can wait because, remember, the day before Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and then went up through the states and wound up in Senator Tillis’ state of North Carolina, Congress appropriated 20 billion additional dollars to FEMA so that they would have the necessary resources to address immediate needs,” he said.
Live: Biden visits Florida after Hurricane Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 16:35 , Rachel Sharp
Biden delivers remarks in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Sunday 13 October 2024 16:43 , Rachel Sharp
Biden is delivering remarks in St. Pete Beach, Florida, after surveying the damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
The president pointed out that this was the second time in two weeks that he had visited the state in response to two separate “catastrophic” storms.
“Thankfully it was not as cataclysmic as predicted,” Biden said of Milton.
However, he said that many Floridiana had lost their homes and that he had spoken with homeowners who are “heartbroken and exhausted” while also facing “expenses [are] racking up.”
‘We are one United States’ : Biden speaks of united response to Hurricane Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 16:52 , Rachel Sharp
Biden spoke of Americans coming together in response to Hurricane Milton.
“Moments like this we come together to take care of each other – not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans,” he said.
“Americans who need help, Americans who would help you if you were in a similar situation. We are one United States. One United States.”
Biden announces $612m funding for projects
Sunday 13 October 2024 17:00 , Rachel Sharp
Biden has announced $612m funding for projects for electric grid resilience, to help prepare for future major storms.
The $612m will be spent on six new cutting-edge projects to support communities.
This includes $94m for projects specifically in Florida, including $47m to Gainesville Regional Utilities and $47m to Switched Source to partner with Florida Power and Light.
Pictures: Biden visits Florida to inspect hurricane damage
Sunday 13 October 2024 18:00 , Josh Marcus
Meanwhile in Asheville, weeks without running water
Sunday 13 October 2024 19:00 , Josh Marcus
As Florida picks up the pieces after Hurricane Milton, North Carolina is still reeling from Hurricane Helene.
The hard-hit city of Asheville still doesn’t have running water, and 40,000 customers remain without electricity in the western part of the state.
There are 93 storm-related deaths in the state, North Carolina officials said on Sunday.
I’m feeling really sad this weekend. This is hard. And we’re among the lucky ones.
It’s been 2 weeks without water in West Asheville. We had Internet for ~10 days but it crapped out yesterday. I’m at my friends’ house in Arden doing laundry.— Jessica Wakeman (@JessicaWakeman) October 13, 2024
Milton death toll now at 23
Sunday 13 October 2024 19:59 , Josh Marcus
At least 23 people have died as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to reporting from the Tampa Bay Times.
The dead include an older woman crushed by a tree in Ormond Beach, an 89-year-old who suffered a cardiac emergency as parademics stopped responding to calls, and an Orange County man electrocuted whil cleaning up post-storm debris.
The state has also rescued more than 1,000 people stranded in homes and other buildings, Florida governor Ron DeSantis said yesterday.
Biden announces $612m electric grid investments during visit to survey Hurricane Milton damage in Florida
Sunday 13 October 2024 21:00 , Josh Marcus
President Joe Biden anounced $612m funding for investments in the electric grid, including $94m for storm-battered Florida, during a visit Sunday to the Sunshine State to survey the damage from Hurricane Milton.
“Moments like this we come together to take care of each other – not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans,” Biden said during remarks in St. Pete Beach.Such projects will form a part of the state’s long-term recovery from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which raged over the state over a period of less than two weeks between late September and this Wednesday, when Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm.
At least 23 people in Florida are dead as a result of Milton.
The fallen include a woman crushed by a tree in her bedroom in Ormond Beach, an 89-year-old who had a cardiac emergency as paramedics were unable to answer calls, and an Orange County man electrocuted while cleaning post-storm detritus, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
More details in our full story.
Biden announces $612m in grid investments during visit to survey Hurricane Milton
Floridians selling pieces of Tropicana Field roof on eBay
Sunday 13 October 2024 22:00 , Josh Marcus
In a bizarre twist, Florida residents have taken to eBay to begin auctioning off pieces of Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium whose roof was ripped off during Hurricane Milton.
Pieces of the roof and outfield turf are selling for prices between $150 and a whopping $1000, USA Today reports.
More details on what happened to the stadium in our full story.
Hurricane Milton rips off the roof of Tropicana Field, home to Tampa Bay Rays
Pictures: The ongoing aftermath of Hurricane Milton
Sunday 13 October 2024 23:12 , Josh Marcus
Hurricane Milton’s impact on wildlife
Monday 14 October 2024 00:24 , Josh Marcus
Hurricane Milton didn’t just impact Florida’s human residents. It also caused massive disruptions for the state’s famous wildlife.
Species like long-winged sooty terns and firgatebirds were blown hundreds of miles outside of their usual range, into states like Indiana and Kentucky.
Hurricane Helene, meanwhile, interrupted the migration of over 100 million birds, The Washington Post reports.
Hurricane Milton’s impact on wildlife
Monday 14 October 2024 00:24 , Josh Marcus
Hurricane Milton didn’t just impact Florida’s human residents. It also caused massive disruptions for the state’s famous wildlife.
Species like long-winged sooty terns and firgatebirds were blown hundreds of miles outside of their usual range, into states like Indiana and Kentucky.
Hurricane Helene, meanwhile, interrupted the migration of over 100 million birds, The Washington Post reports.
Hurricanes and viral fame collide in story of TikTok’s ‘Lieutenant Dan'
01:56 , 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 Ann 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.
Lt Dan’s daughter fears attention after Hurricane Milton will send him to ‘grave’
ICYMI: Biden announces $612m electric grid investments during visit to survey Hurricane Milton damage in Florida
03:30 , Josh Marcus
President Joe Biden anounced $612m funding for investments in the electric grid, including $94m for storm-battered Florida, during a visit Sunday to the Sunshine State to survey the damage from Hurricane Milton.
“Moments like this we come together to take care of each other – not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans,” Biden said during remarks in St. Pete Beach.
“Americans who need help, Americans who would help you if you were in a similar situation. We are one United States. One United States.”
The Florida investments include $47m to Gainesville Regional Utilities and $47m to Switched Source to partner with Florida Power and Light.
Such projects will form a part of the state’s long-term recovery from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which raged over the state over a period of less than two weeks between late September and this Wednesday, when Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm.
Read more in our full story.
Biden announces $612m in grid investments during visit to survey Hurricane Milton
WATCH: Aircraft flies through Hurricane Milton
05:00 , Josh Marcus
Over 500,000 still without power in Florida
06:37 , Josh Marcus
More than 517,000 people remained without electricity in Florida as of late Sunday evening, according to utilities tracker Poweroutage.us.
They join the more than 17,000 people in North Carolina still cut off from the grid in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Students return to Florida universities on Monday
07:59 , Josh Marcus
Students in the University of South Florida system got some welcomed news on Sunday.
Classes will resume at USF’s Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses on Monday, October 14, according to the university.
“Reopening will allow faculty and staff who don’t have power at home to work on campus as they are able to do so safely,” the school said. “This entire week on all campuses some services may be limited, and some facilities may have reduced hours.”
Florida still struggling with fuel shortage
09:37 , Josh Marcus
Florida gas stations are still struggling to get fuel to customers in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
Nearly 30 percent of the state’s gas stations had no fuel as of early Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com.
In some areas, like Tampa-St. Petersburg, a full three quarters of stations lacked any fuel.
WATCH: Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert provides an update on Hurricane Milton recovery
11:00 , Josh Marcus
Florida continues free fuel program after Hurricane Milton
12:30 , Josh Marcus
Florida officials continue to offer residents free gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Milton, including two state-run sites that will be open in Sarasota County on Monday.
Two @FLSERT run fuel sites will be open in Sarasota County Monday, Oct. 14, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
- Suncoast Technical College, 4445 Career Lane, North Port
- New College of Florida, 500 College Dr., Sarasota pic.twitter.com/mCg5HInVt6— Sarasota County Government (@SRQCountyGov) October 13, 2024
NFL fans cheer Florida first responders
14:00 , Josh Marcus
NFL fans watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Saints in New Orleans cheered on Sunday for the first responders assisting with the Hurricane Milton recovery.
Those inside the stadium were also shown a QR code with links to donate to the Red Cross.
Tampa Bay gets a standing ovation from Saints fans as this flashes on the screen at the Superdome. The “vs” turned into a “with.” It included a QR code for fans to contribute to a Red Cross fund for hurricane relief. pic.twitter.com/P5oP7tYEmX
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 13, 2024