LITHIA, Fla. (AP) — Florida residents slogged through flooded streets, gathered up scattered debris and assessed damage to their homes on Friday after Hurricane Milton smashed through coastal communities and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes.
At least 10 people were dead, and rescuers were still saving people from swollen rivers, but many expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared densely populated Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.
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Water levels reaching mailboxes along Rose St. a community inundated by historic flooding of the Alafia River, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in Lithia, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A man carries a woman on his back as they wade through floodwaters in the Tarpon Woods neighborhood of Palm Harbor, Fla., following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Robert Turick, 68, stands in remaining water in one of his home's bedrooms, where the high water mark from Hurricane Milton can be seen on the wall, in Englewood, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. A small positive, said Turick, is that he hadn't yet begun repairs after Hurricane Helene brought 3-foot flood waters, and he, his dog, and his daughter were staying elsewhere when Milton flooded his home around to 5 feet. During Helene, they had to climb out his daughter's bedroom window to flee rising surge waters, after the front door became blocked. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Homeowner Robert Turick, 68, left, and storm waste removal contractor Sven Barnes work to clear debris that Hurricane Milton storm surge swept from other properties into Turick's canal-facing back yard, in Englewood, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Turick, whose family has owned the home for more than 25 years, said it had never flooded until 2022's Hurricane Ian, but since then, it has flooded in three more hurricanes, each bringing higher water levels than the last. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Vehicles and homes in a community inundated by historic flooding of the Alafia River due to Hurricane Milton are seen on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in Lithia, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
An aerial drone view of the scene where a downtown high-rise was smashed by a fallen crane from Hurricane Milton at 490 1st Avenue South, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building damaged by Hurricane Milton is home to the Tampa Bay Times, a law firm, a defense contractor and more. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office drive a boat through floodwaters from Hurricane Milton near the Alafia River Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
FEMA officials talk to residents displaced out of their apartment complex during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Panellas County Sheriff officials escort residents into the Tarpon Woods neighborhood as people return to their homes following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Sand swept by Hurricane Milton reaches half-way up the sliding doors of a beachfront villa, next to a pool deck where the 8 1/2 foot deep pool had disappeared under sand, at Jetty Villas on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills condos at YCA Vacation Rentals, following the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rentals in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rentals in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Residents along the Alafia river use a boat as transportation through floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Sarah McRee holds a dog named Poe as she is helped off a high-clearance vehicle by Panellas County Sheriff officials after she was escorted in and out of the Tarpon Woods neighborhood as people return to their homes following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Connor Hughes of Lithia, Fla., moves in deep floodwaters from Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Members of The Farmer's Friend rescue a pig from floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rental in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Only handrails are visible after a beachfront swimming pool was inundated with sand displaced by Hurricane Milton, at Sea Villas condominiums in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Amy Bishop is evacuated from her home by Pasco County Fire and Rescue and Sheriff's Office teams as waters rise in her neighborhood after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A large pine tree is shown snapped in half outside a flooded home along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A pair of chickens and a turkey take refuge on a flooded home caused by Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A box truck sits in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A flooded home, from Hurricane Milton is shown along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A flooded home, from the effects of Hurricane Milton is shown along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Master Deputy Robert Unger checks out flooded home from the effects of Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A truck from the Florida National Guard goes out to help residents trapped in their homes as waters rise after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 12, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A Spring Oaks resident checks out the rising floodwaters from the Little Wekiva River on Spring Oaks Blvd. in his neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to crest in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A home on Little Wekiva Road in the Spring Oaks neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla is reflected in the floodwaters from the Little Wekiva River, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to crest in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A linesman contractor for Duke Energy works on power lines along Forest City Road in Orlando. Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. As of Friday morning, 2.2 million Floridians were reported to still be without power. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Spring Oaks resident Earline Gonzales talks about the rising waters from the Little Wekiva River in her flooded neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to rise in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
The damaged roof of Ron and Jean Dyer's beachfront condo at Bahia Vista Gulf is seen alongside the sand-swamped Jetty Villas, after the passage of Hurricane Milton, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Hurricane Milton damage is seen to the beachfront condominium community of Bahia Vista Gulf, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A member of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office goes out to help residents trapped in their homes as waters rise after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A bridge going over a small creek is seen damaged by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. The road is the only access point into a community. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A lifeguard hut is on its side after Hurricane Milton at Clearwater Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
Clean up continues at Clearwater Beach, Fla., after Hurricane Milton on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
FILE - Neighborhoods with debris from tornadoes are visible in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Public work employees remove sand that was pushed to the streets by wind and storm surge from Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Renel Prophet carries a chainsaw to get it repaired after it broke while cleaning out down trees in his property, which became unaccessible during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Public work employees remove sand from the roadways, that was pushed to the streets by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Del Ockey, a seasonal Florida resident from Canada, walks near the damaged bridge from Hurricane Milton, that leads onto his property, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Del Ockey, a seasonal Florida resident from Canada, walks near the damaged bridge to his property from Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A man who identified himself as Jesse walks out through floodwaters of the Anclote River after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A tree toppled by Hurricane Milton lies atop a stately home in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A truck drives down a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A broken sign and other debris lie alongside Gilligan's Island Bar & Grill after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
People from Sarasota, Fla., visit a familiar beach on Siesta Key, Fla., which they say was already decimated by Hurricane Helene, and lost feet more of sand coverage in Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A car backs up after encountering deeper water on a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Ducre, her husband, three children, and two grandkids rode out the storm in a government shelter and returned to find their home unlivable and much of their furniture and belongings destroyed by rainwater. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A piece of debris is wrapped high around a tree in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A tree lies atop a stately home in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A pick up drives past a guard gate on a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Flood waters recede after Hurricane Milton, on streets where piles of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding, sit outside many homes, in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Gov. Ron DeSantis warned people to not let down their guard, however, citing ongoing safety threats including downed power lines and standing water that could hide dangerous objects.
“We’re now in the period where you have fatalities that are preventable,” DeSantis said. “You have to make the proper decisions and know that there are hazards out there.”
As of Friday night, the number of customers in Florida still without power had dropped to 1.9 million, according to poweroutage.us. St. Petersburg's 260,000 residents were told to boil water before drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth, until at least Monday.
Also Friday, the owner of a major phosphate mine disclosed that pollution spilled into Tampa Bay during the hurricane.
The Mosaic Company said in a statement that heavy rains from the storm overwhelmed a collection system at its Riverview site, pushing excess water out of a manhole and into discharges that lead to the bay. The company said the leak was fixed Thursday.
Mosaic said the spill likely exceeded a 17,500-gallon minimum reporting standard, though it did not provide a figure for what the total volume might have been.
Calls and emails to Mosaic seeking additional information about Riverview and the company’s other Florida mines received no response, as did a voicemail left with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The state has 25 such stacks containing more than 1 billion tons of phosphogypsum, a solid waste byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer mining industry that contains radium, which decays to form radon gas. Both radium and radon are radioactive and can cause cancer. Phosphogypsum may also contain toxic heavy metals and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel.
Florida's vital tourism industry has started to return to normal, meanwhile, as Walt Disney World and other theme parks reopened. The state’s busiest airport, in Orlando, resumed full operations Friday.
Arriving just two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Helene, Milton flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off the Tampa Bay Rays ' baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.
Crews from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Friday were assisting with rescues of people, including a 92-year-old woman, who were stranded in rising waters along the Alafia River. The river is 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and runs from eastern Hillsborough County, east of Tampa, into Tampa Bay.
In Pinellas County, deputies used high-water vehicles to shuttle people back and forth to their homes in a flooded Palm Harbor neighborhood where waters continued to rise.
Ashley Cabrera left with her 18- and 11-year-old sons and their three dogs, Eeyore, Poe and Molly. It was the first time since Milton struck that they had been able to leave the neighborhood, and they were now headed to a hotel in Orlando.
“I’m extremely thankful that we could get out now and go for the weekend somewhere we can get a hot meal and some gas,” Cabrera said. “I thought we’d be able to get out as soon as the storm was over. These roads have never flooded like this in all the years that I’ve lived here.”
Animals were being saved, too. Cindy Evers helped rescue a large pig stuck in high water at a strip mall in Lithia, east of Tampa. She had already rescued a donkey and several goats after the storm.
“I’m high and dry where I’m at, and I have a barn and 9 acres,” Evers said, adding that she will soon start to work to find the animals’ owners.
In the Gulf Coast city of Venice, Milton left behind several feet of sand in some beachfront condos, with one unit nearly filled. A swimming pool was packed full of sand, with only its handrails poking out.
Some warnings were heeded and lessons learned. When 8 feet (2.4 meters) of seawater flooded Punta Gorda during Hurricane Helene last month, 121 people had to be rescued, Mayor Lynne Matthews said. Milton brought at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) of flooding, but rescuers only had to save three people.
“So people listened to the evacuation order,” Matthews said.
Heaps of fruit were scattered across the ground and trees toppled over after both Milton and Hurricane Helene swept through Polk County and other orange-growing regions, Matt Joyner of trade group Florida Citrus Mutual said Friday.
Milton arrived at the start of the orange growing season, so it is still too early to evaluate the full scope of the damage.
Florida has already seen orange production diminish over the years, with the industry still recovering from hurricanes of years past while also waging an ongoing battle against a deadly greening disease. Milton could be the knockout punch for some growers, Joyce said.
In the western coastal city of Clearwater, Kelvin Glenn said it took less than an hour early Thursday for water to rise to his waist inside his apartment. He and seven children, ranging in age from 3 to 16, were trapped in the brown, foul floodwaters for about three hours before an upstairs neighbor opened their home to them.
Later that day, first responders arrived in boats to ferry them away from the building.
“Sitting in that cold, nasty water was kind of bad," Glenn said.
Short-term survival is now turning into long-term worries. A hotel is $160 a night. Everything inside Glenn's apartment is gone. And it can take time to get assistance.
“I ain't going to say we’re homeless,” Glenn said. “But we’ve got to start all over again.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has enough money to deal with the immediate needs of people impacted by Helene and Milton but will need additional funding at some point, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said Friday.
The disaster assistance fund helps pay for the swift response to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and other disasters. Congress recently replenished the fund with $20 billion — the same amount as last year.
Farrington reported from St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press journalists Terry Spencer outside of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Stephany Matat in Fort Pierce, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Lolita Baldor and Michael Biesecker in Washington; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed.
Water levels reaching mailboxes along Rose St. a community inundated by historic flooding of the Alafia River, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in Lithia, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A man carries a woman on his back as they wade through floodwaters in the Tarpon Woods neighborhood of Palm Harbor, Fla., following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Robert Turick, 68, stands in remaining water in one of his home's bedrooms, where the high water mark from Hurricane Milton can be seen on the wall, in Englewood, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. A small positive, said Turick, is that he hadn't yet begun repairs after Hurricane Helene brought 3-foot flood waters, and he, his dog, and his daughter were staying elsewhere when Milton flooded his home around to 5 feet. During Helene, they had to climb out his daughter's bedroom window to flee rising surge waters, after the front door became blocked. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Homeowner Robert Turick, 68, left, and storm waste removal contractor Sven Barnes work to clear debris that Hurricane Milton storm surge swept from other properties into Turick's canal-facing back yard, in Englewood, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Turick, whose family has owned the home for more than 25 years, said it had never flooded until 2022's Hurricane Ian, but since then, it has flooded in three more hurricanes, each bringing higher water levels than the last. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Vehicles and homes in a community inundated by historic flooding of the Alafia River due to Hurricane Milton are seen on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in Lithia, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
An aerial drone view of the scene where a downtown high-rise was smashed by a fallen crane from Hurricane Milton at 490 1st Avenue South, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building damaged by Hurricane Milton is home to the Tampa Bay Times, a law firm, a defense contractor and more. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office drive a boat through floodwaters from Hurricane Milton near the Alafia River Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
FEMA officials talk to residents displaced out of their apartment complex during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Panellas County Sheriff officials escort residents into the Tarpon Woods neighborhood as people return to their homes following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Sand swept by Hurricane Milton reaches half-way up the sliding doors of a beachfront villa, next to a pool deck where the 8 1/2 foot deep pool had disappeared under sand, at Jetty Villas on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills condos at YCA Vacation Rentals, following the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rentals in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rentals in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Residents along the Alafia river use a boat as transportation through floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Sarah McRee holds a dog named Poe as she is helped off a high-clearance vehicle by Panellas County Sheriff officials after she was escorted in and out of the Tarpon Woods neighborhood as people return to their homes following Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Palm Harbor, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Connor Hughes of Lithia, Fla., moves in deep floodwaters from Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Members of The Farmer's Friend rescue a pig from floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Several feet of sand fills a condo following the passage of Hurricane Milton, at YCA Vacation Rental in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Only handrails are visible after a beachfront swimming pool was inundated with sand displaced by Hurricane Milton, at Sea Villas condominiums in Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Amy Bishop is evacuated from her home by Pasco County Fire and Rescue and Sheriff's Office teams as waters rise in her neighborhood after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A large pine tree is shown snapped in half outside a flooded home along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A pair of chickens and a turkey take refuge on a flooded home caused by Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A box truck sits in floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A flooded home, from Hurricane Milton is shown along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A flooded home, from the effects of Hurricane Milton is shown along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Master Deputy Robert Unger checks out flooded home from the effects of Hurricane Milton along the Alafia river Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Lithia, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A truck from the Florida National Guard goes out to help residents trapped in their homes as waters rise after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 12, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A Spring Oaks resident checks out the rising floodwaters from the Little Wekiva River on Spring Oaks Blvd. in his neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to crest in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A home on Little Wekiva Road in the Spring Oaks neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla is reflected in the floodwaters from the Little Wekiva River, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to crest in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A linesman contractor for Duke Energy works on power lines along Forest City Road in Orlando. Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. As of Friday morning, 2.2 million Floridians were reported to still be without power. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Spring Oaks resident Earline Gonzales talks about the rising waters from the Little Wekiva River in her flooded neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to rise in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
The damaged roof of Ron and Jean Dyer's beachfront condo at Bahia Vista Gulf is seen alongside the sand-swamped Jetty Villas, after the passage of Hurricane Milton, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Hurricane Milton damage is seen to the beachfront condominium community of Bahia Vista Gulf, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A member of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office goes out to help residents trapped in their homes as waters rise after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A bridge going over a small creek is seen damaged by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. The road is the only access point into a community. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A lifeguard hut is on its side after Hurricane Milton at Clearwater Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
Clean up continues at Clearwater Beach, Fla., after Hurricane Milton on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 in (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
FILE - Neighborhoods with debris from tornadoes are visible in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Public work employees remove sand that was pushed to the streets by wind and storm surge from Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Renel Prophet carries a chainsaw to get it repaired after it broke while cleaning out down trees in his property, which became unaccessible during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Public work employees remove sand from the roadways, that was pushed to the streets by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Del Ockey, a seasonal Florida resident from Canada, walks near the damaged bridge from Hurricane Milton, that leads onto his property, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Del Ockey, a seasonal Florida resident from Canada, walks near the damaged bridge to his property from Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A man who identified himself as Jesse walks out through floodwaters of the Anclote River after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A tree toppled by Hurricane Milton lies atop a stately home in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A truck drives down a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A broken sign and other debris lie alongside Gilligan's Island Bar & Grill after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
People from Sarasota, Fla., visit a familiar beach on Siesta Key, Fla., which they say was already decimated by Hurricane Helene, and lost feet more of sand coverage in Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A car backs up after encountering deeper water on a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Ducre, her husband, three children, and two grandkids rode out the storm in a government shelter and returned to find their home unlivable and much of their furniture and belongings destroyed by rainwater. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A piece of debris is wrapped high around a tree in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A tree lies atop a stately home in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A pick up drives past a guard gate on a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Flood waters recede after Hurricane Milton, on streets where piles of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding, sit outside many homes, in Siesta Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
