AP News Digest 7:05 a.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

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ONLY ON AP

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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-SMALL DONORS — Donald Trump’s contributions from small-dollar donors have plummeted since his last bid for the White House, presenting the former president with a financial challenge as he attempts to keep pace with Democrats’ fundraising machine. By Dan Merica, Aaron Kessler and Richard Lardner. SENT: 1,170 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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HURRICANE MILTON — Hurricane Milton plowed into Florida as a Category 3 storm, bringing misery to a coast still ravaged by Helene, pounding cities with winds of over 100 mph after producing a barrage of tornadoes, but sparing Tampa a direct hit. The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida. By Terry Spencer and Kate Payne. SENT: 1,170 words, photos, videos, audio. With HURRICANE MILTON-THE LATEST — Hurricane Milton weakens to Category 1, but danger remains in Florida; HURRICANE MILTON-IMMIGRANTS — Language, lack of money and fear are matters of life and death with Milton approaching Florida; HURRICANE-MILTON-TORNADOES — Hurricane Milton spawns destructive, deadly tornadoes before making landfall; BIDEN-HURRICANE — Biden condemns ‘un-American’ ‘lies’ about federal storm response as Hurricane Milton nears Florida; HURRICANE MILTON-THINGS TO KNOW — SENT.

HURRICANE-MILTON-EXPLAINER — With its mighty strength and its dangerous path, Hurricane Milton has powered into a very rare threat that is flirting with experts’ worst fears. Warm water fueled the amazingly rapid intensification that took Milton from a minimal hurricane to a massive Category 5 in less than 10 hours. At its most fierce, Milton nearly maxed out its potential intensity given the weather factors surrounding it. By Seth Borenstein. SENT: 920 words, photos, video. Find a selection of related photos in the Climate Extreme Weather Hurricane Milton photo collection in AP Newsroom. For more stories on Hurricane Milton, click here.

MIDEAST WARS — An Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people in the Gaza Strip killed at least 23 Palestinians, with the toll likely to rise, Palestinian medical officials said. An Associated Press reporter saw ambulances streaming into the hospital and counted the bodies, many of which arrived in pieces. By Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy. SENT: 570 words, photos, video. With ISRAEL-LEBANON-WHAT-TO-KNOW — What to know about Israel’s ground invasion in southern Lebanon; and UNITED-NATIONS-ISRAEL-UNRWA — UN agency for Palestinians warns Gaza aid work may ‘disintegrate’ if Israeli legislation passes — SENT.

For more on Mideast wars, see below. Find a selection of related photos in the Mideast Tensions Photo Collection in AP Newsroom.

ELECTION 2024 — Former President Donald Trump has hurled insults at his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the co-hosts of ABC’s “The View.” He said he had no interest in stopping his attacks, even if they turn off female voters. Trump spoke as Hurricane Milton made landfall, lashing Florida with rain, tornadoes and tropical-storm-force winds. By Will Weissert, Michelle L. Price and Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, video, audio. With ELECTION 2024-HARRIS-BIDEN — Harris faces new urgency to explain how her potential presidency would be different from Biden’s; ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-PUTIN — Trump-Putin ties are back in the spotlight after new book describes calls; ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-MADISON SQUARE GARDEN — Trump will hold a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden — SENT.

To help make sense of the way America picks a president, The Associated Press is offering this package of stories. Also, find a selection of related photos in the Presidential Candidates Photo Collection in AP Newsroom.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DRONE-FACTORY — Russia is recruiting young African women to work at a factory producing drones for use in Ukraine amid a labor shortage. An Associated Press investigation has found that the foreigners and Russian teens are crucial to producing the Iranian-designed drones, which are primarily built in a factory in the Tatarstan region. By Emma Burrows and Lori Hinnant. SENT: 2,450 words, photos. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DRONE-FACTORY-TAKEAWAYS — SENT. For more on the Russia-Ukraine war, see below.

NOBEL-LITERATURE — The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded to South Korean author Han Kang “for her intense poetic prose.” The literature prize has long faced criticism that it is too focused on European and North American writers of style-heavy, story-light prose. It has also been male-dominated, with just 17 women among its 119 laureates. SENT: 250 words, photos, developing.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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FRANCE-IMMIGRANT-ACTOR — Landing in the midst of heated arguments in France about immigration comes an award-winning film about the issue with an eye-popping twist: Its lead actor Abou Sangare is himself an immigrant lacking permanent legal status. By Diane Jeantet. SENT: 680 words, photos.

MALI-MENTAL HEALTH-THEATER — In the courtyard of a psychiatric ward in Mali’s capital, patients take part in a traditional form of theater that is used as a way to work through problems. For years, it has also been a way of offering support and a sense of community to some people receiving psychiatric care. By Moustapha Diallo and Baba Ahmed. SENT: 730 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-GEORGIA-FELONY VOTING — A new report from The Sentencing Project estimates that the number of people who cannot vote because of prior convictions has decreased slightly, but advocates still struggle to turn this population out. In Georgia, almost 250,000 individuals with past convictions still can’t vote, the eighth highest rate in the country. By Charlotte Kramon. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

CAMBODIA-EELS — Fishermen in Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater fishery, the Tonle Sap lake, hope that raising eels will help them adapt to new realities stemming from climate change and environmental damage. The great lake is running out of fish and floating villages on the shallow expanse known as the beating heart of the Mekong River are struggling to get by. By Aniruddha Ghosal and Anton L. Delgado. SENT: 940 words, photos.

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MORE ON STORMS

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HURRICANE-MILTON-ENVIRONMENTAL-HAZARDS — As Hurricane Milton pummeled Florida’s west coast with powerful winds and flooding rain, environmentalists worry it could scatter the polluted leftovers of the state’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry and other hazardous waste across the peninsula and into vulnerable waterways. SENT: 690 words, photos.

HURRICANE-SPORTS — The roof panels over the home of baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays were ripped to shreds after Hurricane Milton came ashore in Florida, bringing wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and flooding parts of the state. SENT: 620 words, photos.

HURRICANE HELENE-NATIONAL GUARD — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the U.S., many hard-hit communities remain hard enough to reach that bringing in supplies requires the help of military aircraft. SENT: 860 words, photos. With HURRICANE HELENE-HELICOPTER-FACT FOCUS — Online posts make unfounded claims about a helicopter delivering aid in North Carolina — SENT.

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MORE ON MIDEAST WARS

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MIDEAST WARS-BIDEN-NETANYAHU — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold their first call since August, as Israel expands its ground incursion into Lebanon and considers how to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack. Netanyahu’s office confirms that he recently spoke with Donald Trump. SENT: 960 words, photo.

MIDEAST-WARS-LEBANON-YEMEN — A series of suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have targeted a ship in the Red Sea. The ship found itself struck by a projectile that damaged the vessel but sparked no fire and caused no injuries. SENT: 270 words, photo.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

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EUROPE-UKRAINE — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at 10 Downing St. in London for talks with the leaders of Britain and NATO on his “victory plan” for the war against Russia. SENT: 470 words, photos.

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MORE NEWS

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NADAL-RETIRES — 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will retire from tennis after next month’s Davis Cup finals. SENT: 650 words, photos.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DIDDY — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to make first appearance before trial judge in sex trafficking case. SENT: 320 words, photo.

RACCOON-INVASION — Washington state woman calls 911 after being hounded by up to 100 raccoons. SENT: 390 words, photo, audio.

CONJOINED-TWINS-SEPARATED — Twins born conjoined celebrate 1st birthday after separation surgery. SENT: 240 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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SOCIAL SECURITY-COLA — More than 70 million Social Security recipients will learn how big a cost-of-living increase they’ll get to their benefits next year. Analysts forecast that the benefit boost will be about 2.5% for 2025, smaller than the increase the past two years. SENT: 500 words, photo. Announcement expected at 8:30 a.m.

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NATIONAL

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IMMIGRATION-DEFERRED-ACTION — Immigrants who grew up in the United States after being brought here illegally as children will be among demonstrators outside a federal courthouse in New Orleans as appellate judges hear a major immigration case. At stake in the case is the future of hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have long-established lives in the U.S. SENT: 490 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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LAOS-ASEAN — Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper market integration with Southeast Asia during annual summit talks where territorial disputes in the South China Sea are likely to be high on the agenda. SENT: 830 words, photos.

MEXICO-MIGRANTS-KILLED — The government of El Salvador says two of its migrants, including a 17 year-old, died when Mexican soldiers opened fire on the truck they were riding in last week. Another under-age migrant, an 11-year-old Egyptian girl, also died in the shooting along with her 18-year-old sister. A total of six migrants died after the soldiers shot up the truck after they claimed to have heard “detonations” prior to opening fire. SENT: 240 words.

CONGO-BOAT-ACCIDENTS — The overcrowded boat that capsized in eastern Congo last week killed eight members of Serge Nzonga’s family along with 70 others. One week later, as authorities continued to investigate the accident, families of those killed last week protested at the port of Kituku, accusing officials of negligence in failing to address the insecurity in eastern Congo and of delaying rescue operations. SENT: 660 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/TECH

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CONSUMER-PRICES — U.S. inflation last month likely reached its lowest point since February 2021, clearing the way for another Federal Reserve rate cut and adding to the stream of encouraging economic data that has emerged in the final weeks of the presidential campaign. SENT: 690 words, photos.

TESLA-ROBOTAXI-DAY — Expectations are high for Tesla’s long-awaited robotaxi unveiling at a Hollywood studio Thursday night. Too high for some analysts and investors. SENT: 860 words, photo.

OFF-THE-CHARTS-HOUSING-INVENTORY — The recent pullback in mortgage rates and expectations of further easing next year may be motivating more U.S. homeowners to list their home for sale. The number of newly listed U.S. homes climbed 4.2% in September from the previous month and 11.6% from a year earlier. SENT: 450 words.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

New York Yankees' Giancarlo Stanton is congratulated by teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning in Game 3 of an American League Division baseball playoff series against the Kansas City Royals Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Colin Braley)

The New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League baseball playoff series, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Riverfront Sports, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two at LaGuardia International Airport, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Turkish citizens walk to board Turkish military ships evacuating them from Lebanon to Turkey, in Beirut port on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Tents are crammed together as displaced Palestinians camp along the beach of Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Ron Rook, who said he was looking for people in need of help or debris to clear, walks through windy and rainy conditions on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Max Watts, of Buford, Ga., walks in the parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton with coworkers, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Watts, who works for a towing company, was deployed with colleagues to Florida to aid in the aftermath of the storm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Milton barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida as a Category 3 storm, pounding cities with ferocious winds and rain, whipping up a barrage of tornadoes and causing an unknown numbers of deaths. It compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.

The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall Wednesday night in Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed: Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings were in place for much of the east-central coast. Officials in the hard-hit counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.

“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, said on Facebook.

The storm knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

The fabric that serves as the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, was ripped to shreds by the fierce winds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside. Multiple cranes were also toppled in the storm, the weather service said.

St. Petersburg residents also could no longer get water from their household taps because a water main break led the city to shut down service. Mayor Ken Welch had told residents to expect long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system.

Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according City Manager Bill McDaniel. Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight, said McDaniel, who estimated the city had received 13.5 inches (34 cm) of rain.

"We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” he said in a video posted online Thursday morning.

Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida Wednesday morning, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day. One twister touched down in the lightly populated Everglades and crossed Interstate 75. Another apparent tornado hit in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station’s canopy to shreds.

The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.

“We have lost some life,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News, though he wouldn’t say how many people were killed.

About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. By early Thursday, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 kph) and leaving the state near Cape Canaveral.

The storm slammed into a region still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton’s winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.

Officials had issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival. By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.

Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall. She and her husband started packing Monday to evacuate, but they struggled to find available hotel rooms, and the few they came by were too expensive.

With a 2-year-old son and a baby girl due Oct. 29, Curnick said there were too many unanswered questions if they got in the car and left: where to sleep, if they’d be able to fill up their gas tank, and if they could even find a safe route out of the state.

Video taken during the storm showed howling winds and sheets of rain lashing their glass-enclosed swimming pool as their son and dog watched. Trees shook violently.

“The thing is it’s so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula,” she said ahead of the storm. “In most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida, there are only so many roads that take you north or south."

At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.

“Unfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don’t think there’s any way around that,” DeSantis said.

Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. In Orlando, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Sea World remained closed Thursday.

More than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg were out of gas Wednesday night, according to GasBuddy, though DeSantis said the state’s overall supply was fine.

Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.

In Charlotte Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, clouds swirled and winds gusted as Josh Parks packed his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings Wednesday. Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge brought about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water to the neighborhood, and its streets remain filled with waterlogged furniture, torn-out drywall and other debris.

Parks, an auto technician, planned to flee to his daughter’s home inland and said his roommate already left.

“I told her to pack like you aren’t coming back,” he said.

Associated Press journalists Holly Ramer in New Hampshire; Joseph Frederick in West Bradenton, Florida; Curt Anderson in Tampa; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Brenden Farrington in Tallahassee; Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

Joe Lindquist, 32, of St. Petersburg, walks over bricks near a fallen crane along 1st Avenue South near the Tampa Bay Times offices in St. Petersburg, Florida, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, as Hurricane Milton's strong winds tore through the area. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A group is silhouetted against a fallen crane along 1st Avenue South near the Tampa Bay Times offices in St. Petersburg, Florida, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, as Hurricane Milton's strong winds tore through the area. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A crane is seen across 1st Avenue South near the Tampa Bay Times offices in St. Petersburg, Florida, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, as Hurricane Milton's strong winds tore through the area. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

A car drives past a pile of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding, along a street that had already begun flooding from rain ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A tow truck responds following a traffic accident between a car and a fire truck returning from a call, on near-deserted streets in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Mark Sapanara, of Pinellas, Fla., walks with his daughter's dog Frankie in the lobby of the hotel where he is taking shelter during Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A few of the 283 registered animals, birds and reptiles line a hallway in the evacuation shelter at River Ridge Middle/High School in preparation for Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

The city of Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., is seen from Surfside, Fla., as the outer bands of Hurricane Milton kick up the sand, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Neighboring homes, a pile of debris and a garage damaged in Hurricane Helene, are seen from the third-floor of the home where Christian Burke, his mother and aunt will ride out Hurricane Milton, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Burke, who said his engineer father built the concrete home to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, expects his raised ground floor to flood severely, but for the building to remain standing. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Melvin Lee Hicks, who is homeless, lies under a sheet donated by a nearby hotel, as he shelters alongside a parking garage in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Melvin Lee HIcks, who is homeless, wears a trash bag to protect against wind-driven rain, as he stands on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A homeless person sleeps under a wheelchair alongside a parking garage in deserted downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A view of some of the 700 evacuees in the gymnasium in shelter at River Ridge Middle/High School in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Christian Burke stands on the third floor of his home, where he, his mother, and his aunt plan to ride out Hurricane Milton with views through hurricane proof glass over Tampa Bay, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Burke, who said his engineer father built the concrete home to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, expects his home to turn into an island, with up to 8 feet of water filling the raised first floor. Behind Burke, a window reflects a boat deposited by Hurricane Helene in the bay front park across the street. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A man walking his dogs takes a picture from the sheltered entryway of the Hyatt Place Downtown Tampa hotel, as strong gusts of wind from Hurricane Milton blow sheets of rain along the street in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo Rebecca Blackwell)

Rain begins to fall ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 11:46 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

Chris Nation, of Commerce, Ga., skids on puddles in the parking lot of the hotel where he's riding out Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Nation, who works for a towing company, was deployed to Florida to aid in the aftermath of the storm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A boat damaged in Hurricane Helene rests against a bridge ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in South Pasadena, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A Lee County Sheriff's officer patrols the streets of Cape Coral, Fla., as heavy rain falls ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

The Segundo family, who evacuated from nearby Davis Island, plays a board game with their dog Cassie looking on, as Hurricane Milton makes landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast, at Hyatt Place Tampa Downtown hotel in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Ron Rook, who said he was looking for people in need of help or debris to clear, walks through windy and rainy conditions on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the approach of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Wind-driven rain soaks a street in downtown Tampa, Fla., during the passage of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Max Watts, of Buford, Ga., walks in the parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton with coworkers, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Watts, who works for a towing company, was deployed with colleagues to Florida to aid in the aftermath of the storm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

The roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged as Hurricane Milton passes Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Chris Urso/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Christian Burke stands at the door of his home, where he, his mother, and his aunt plan to ride out Hurricane Milton on the third floor overlooking overlooking Tampa Bay, in Gulfport, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. Burke, who said his engineer father built the concrete home to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, expects his raised ground floor to get up to 8 feet of water in Milton. A boat deposited by Hurricane Helene sits lodged in the bay front park outside his front door. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

More than 2 million without power as Hurricane Milton slams Florida, causes deaths and flooding

More than 2 million without power as Hurricane Milton slams Florida, causes deaths and flooding