ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld planned to reopen Friday after an assessment of the effects of Hurricane Milton.
Some Halloween special events won’t be offered and they won’t necessarily be fully functioning Friday, but the public is welcome back, the parks said in statements.
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Guests weather early bands of rain from Hurricane Milton at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. All four of Disney's Florida theme parks closed early Wednesday due to the forecast track of the storm. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Tourists take in a last minute visit to Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists walk past a sandbagged store entrance as they exit the Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists exit the Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists walk along Universal Orlando Resort city walk before the park closed early for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The entrance to the Magic Kingdom theme park is shown empty shortly before they closed because of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists exit Universal Orlando Resort as they were closing early for the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Guests weather early bands of rain from Hurricane Milton at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
As Milton came ashore as a major storm Wednesday, all three Orlando-based parks shut down, putting a damper on the vacations of tens of thousands of tourists, many of whom hunkered down in hotels. Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld were all closed for at least part of Wednesday and all of Thursday.
Orlando International Airport, Florida’s busiest, planned to resume domestic arrivals on Thursday and departures Friday after mostly shutting down Wednesday.
The airport's closure prevented Simon Forster, his wife and their two children from returning to Scotland, so they enjoyed an extra two days of their two-week vacation on the bustling International Drive in Orlando’s tourism district on Thursday. Hurricanes seem to follow them since two years ago Hurricane Ian kept them from returning to Scotland after another Orlando vacation.
“Last night, it was quite intense, Forster said. “I was watching the palm trees sway back and forth outside my hotel room. How they didn’t come down, I don’t know. Scary stuff.”
Their hotel at Universal Orlando Resort had a party atmosphere Wednesday night ahead of Milton’s arrival.
“The bar was good fun,” he said. “Two extra days here, there are are worst places we could be.”
In Tampa, the animals were safe at popular tourist attractions ZooTampa and The Florida Aquarium, which were aiming to reopen Saturday.
The 1,000 animals at the zoo will remain in their night houses and hurricane shelter locations while habitats are cleared of debris, a spokesperson said. The aquarium also confirmed their animals are “doing well.”
“Our buildings weathered the storm well, as did our animals,” Roger German, president and CEO of the aquarium said in a Thursday news release.
The zoo sustained some damage from the high winds and does not have power, and the spokesperson anticipates the debris cleanup and restoration, which is already underway, will take a few days.
In Orlando, miniature golf was among the few activities available to tourists who had been locked down in their hotel rooms and rental condos with the parks closed. There was a line getting into Congo River Golf on International Drive.
Craig Greig of Glasgow, Scotland, would have been at the Magic Kingdom with his wife and 10-year-old if the theme parks had been open. Instead he was clutching a putter ready to putt golf balls over a man made lagoon filled with baby alligators.
“We just wanted to stretch our legs and get out of the hotel,” he said. “Especially for the little one.” He slept through the night as the hurricane, his first, roared through central Florida.
Disney World, Universal and other attractions make Orlando the United States' most visited destination, drawing 74 million tourists last year alone.
And Halloween-related celebrations have made October one of the busiest and most lucrative stretches.
Hurricanes in the Orlando area are uncommon but not unheard of. Three crossed the area in 2004 – Charley, Frances and Jeanne, and Hurricane Ian caused some flooding as it plowed through as a downgraded tropical storm in 2022.
Associated Press Writers Andrew Dalton and Kaitlyn Huamani contributed from Los Angeles.
Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform X: @MikeSchneiderAP.
Guests weather early bands of rain from Hurricane Milton at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. All four of Disney's Florida theme parks closed early Wednesday due to the forecast track of the storm. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Tourists take in a last minute visit to Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists walk past a sandbagged store entrance as they exit the Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists exit the Disney Springs entertainment complex before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists walk along Universal Orlando Resort city walk before the park closed early for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The entrance to the Magic Kingdom theme park is shown empty shortly before they closed because of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Tourists exit Universal Orlando Resort as they were closing early for the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Guests weather early bands of rain from Hurricane Milton at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rescue teams plucked Florida residents from the flotsam of Hurricane Milton on Thursday after the storm smashed through coastal communities where it tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least six people were dead.
Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system also knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.
Among the most dramatic rescues, Hillsborough County officers found a a 14-year-old boy floating on a piece of fence and pulled him onto a boat. A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice chest in the Gulf of Mexico after his fishing boat broke down off Medeira Beach hours before the hurricane came ashore.
Despite the destruction, many people expressed relief that Milton wasn't worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.
The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall late Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. Damage was widespread, and water levels may continue to rise for days, but Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was not “the worst-case scenario.”
“You face two hurricanes in a couple of weeks — not easy to go through — but I’ve seen a lot of resilience throughout this state,” the governor said at a briefing in Sarasota. He said he was "very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly.”
Five people were killed in tornadoes in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, where homes were destroyed, authorities said. Police also found a woman dead under a fallen tree branch Thursday.
At least 340 individuals and 49 pets have been rescued in ongoing search-and-rescue operations, DeSantis said Thursday afternoon.
South of Tampa, Natasha Shannon and her husband, Terry, felt lucky to be alive after the hurricane peeled the tin roof off their cinder block home in Palmetto. They spent the night in a shelter with their three children and two grandchildren after she pushed them to leave.
“I said, ‘Baby, we got to go. Because we’re not going to survive this,’” she said.
They returned to find the roof torn into sheets across the street, shredded insulation hanging from exposed ceiling beams and their belongings soaked.
“It ain’t much but it was ours,” she said. “What little bit we did have is gone.”
The worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet (2.5 to 3 meters) — lower than in the worst place during Helene. The storm also dumped up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) of rain in some areas.
Officials in the hard-hit Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.
Among the dozens of tornadoes was a twister that hit the tiny barrier island of Matlacha, just off Fort Myers. The fishing-and-tourism village also endured a surge, with many of the colorful buildings sustaining serious damage. Tom Reynolds, 90, spent the morning sweeping out 4 feet of mud and water and collecting chunks of aluminum siding torn off by a twister that also picked up a car and threw it across the road.
Elsewhere on the island, a house was blown into a street, temporarily blocking it. Some structures caught fire. Reynolds said he planned to repair the home he built three decades ago.
“What else am I going to do?” he said.
In contrast, city workers on Anna Maria Island were grateful not to be wading through floodwaters as they picked up debris Thursday morning, two weeks after Helene battered buildings and blew in piles of sand up to 6 feet (1.8 m) high. Those piles may have helped shield homes from further damage, said Jeremi Roberts of the State Emergency Response Team.
“I’m shocked it’s not more,” city worker Kati Sands said as she cleared the streets of siding and broken lights. “We lost so much with Helene, there wasn’t much left.”
The storm slammed into a region still reeling from Helene, which 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.
Power was knocked out across much of the state, with more than 3.4 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 fierce winds. Debris littered the field.
About 80,000 people spent the night in shelters and thousands of others fled after authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people.
In Punta Gorda, a 10-foot surge from the Peace River swept into the historic district, damaging homes and depositing six boats along one riverside street. It was the third surge to hit the neighborhood in three months.
Josh Baldwin said he was leaning toward scrapping his 38-foot boat rather than pay $100,000 to fix it. He couldn’t get insurance because it was moored in Punta Gorda.
“They don’t like to pay out, and this place always gets ruined in hurricanes,” he said.
A half-block away, information technology workers Kent and Cathy Taylor and their son were using an SUV attached to a chain to pull waterlogged drywall out of the bottom floor of their three-story home, which they bought in July. The lower level is gutted, but the upper floors are still structurally sound.
“It will be beautiful again — it’s just a nick,” Cathy Taylor said.
Speaking at a White House briefing, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there were reports of as many as 10 fatalities from tornadoes, but he cautioned that the number was tentative.
By Thursday afternoon, Milton was headed into the Atlantic Ocean as a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 75 mph (120 kph) — just barely hurricane force.
Crossing the bridge from the mainland to Anna Maria Island early Thursday, Police Chief John Cosby breathed a sigh of relief. Nearly all residents had evacuated. There were no injuries or deaths, and the projected storm surge never happened. After fearing that his police department would be underwater, it remained dry.
“It's nice to have a place to come back to,” he said.
This version removes an erroneous reference to 150 tornadoes. Scientists say it's too early to know how many tornadoes developed.
Payne and Daley reported from Palmetto, Florida. Associated Press journalists Holly Ramer and Kathy McCormack in New Hampshire; Terry Spencer in Matlacha, Florida; Stephany Matat in Fort Pierce, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis; Joshua Boak in Washington and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.
A St. Lucie County Sheriff's parking facility is shown after a tornado spawned ahead of Hurricane Milton destroyed it, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, speaks during a news conference in front of a St. Lucie County Sheriff's parking facility that was damaged by a tornado spawned ahead of Hurricane Milton destroyed it, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Rain flood waters recede around the bay-front home which Christian Burke's father had built to be hurricane proof and where Burke rode out Hurricane Milton along with his wife and aunt, in Gulfport, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Even without the feared storm surge, Burke said the experience was intense and he won't feel the need to do it again. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Toppled palm trees lie along the road after the passage of Hurricane Milton in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
This drone image provided by Kairat Kassymbekov shows flooding from Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Kairat Kassymbekov via AP)
This drone image provided by Kairat Kassymbekov shows flooding from Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Kairat Kassymbekov via AP)
Two couples who evacuated get a ride back to their home through flooding after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
An aerial drone view of Tropicana Field with the roof shredded after Hurricane Milton with downtown St. Petersburg in the background on Thursday morning, Oct. 10, 2024. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Hangars at Albert Whitted Airport were damaged by winds from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Fred Hill gets a few drinks from his destroyed home after it was hit by a tornado and flooding caused by Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Small boats rests on a pier after they were unmoored during Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
People are rescued from an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A house lies toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Houses lie in ruins after sustaining tornado and flood damage from Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
People are rescued from an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
People await being rescued from an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A water rescue team member walks through flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A man and child leave a rescue boat after high flood waters entered their apartment in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A house lies toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Houses lie in ruins after sustaining tornado and flood damage from Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Cattle graze near a greenhouse damaged by Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Odessa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Women look at an uprooted tree the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Odessa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A construction crane fell over into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Tampa Bay Times via AP)
An aerial view of Tropicana Field's shredded roof in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., in the wake of Hurricane Milton early Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
An aerial view of Tropicana Field's shredded roof in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., in the wake of Hurricane Milton early Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A car sits in high water in front of a home in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A car sits in high water in front of a home in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
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)
Drone images above Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, show the shredded roof of the dome and the cots on the field, set up for first responders, among the debris, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Chris Nation, of Commerce, Ga., climbs a tree and gestures while hanging out with coworkers outside the hotel where they are riding out Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Nation, who works for a towing company, was deployed with colleagues to Florida to aid in the aftermath of the storm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A downed tree lies across a road after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in downtwon Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A downed tree lies across a road after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in downtown Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Ponce De Leon Hotel sign fell to the ground after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in St Petersburg. (Lauren Peace/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
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
