"Politicization of disasters" impedes progress of disaster relief efforts in Florida

"Political games" between the U.S. federal and state governments are hindering the progress of disaster relief efforts following hurricanes that hit the southeast U.S. state of Florida.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9 on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category three storm, bringing powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and potential flooding to many areas of the state. It came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the state, destroying coastal communities.

The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the Milton had maximum sustained winds of 205 kph when it struck Siesta Key on Florida's west coast at 20:30.

More than 130 tornado warnings associated with the storm were issued by the National Weather Service.

Officials have confirmed at least 16 fatalities related to the storm.

Local residents are struggling to recover from the disaster.

"It's a big mess. We still had the trash that was not picked up, so that had a lot of projectiles flying around. We had some flooding, lost some roofs, hopefully no loss of life. We're just out here assessing the situation, helping clean out the road and seeing what we can take care of," said Michael Holderness, a business owner in Florida.

Holderness added that while his community has been devastated, things might have been worse.

"It's pretty bad, it's pretty bad. It looks like some areas have taken it harder than others on Siesta Key, But yeah, I'm probably a little relieved," he sadi.

The clean-up operation after Milton for local residents in Florida could take many weeks or months, as the state was one of many hit by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.

Despite the casualties and economic losses, American politicians are shifting blame, hindering the communication between the federal and state governments.

According to media reports, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis refused to take a phone call from Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris following Hurricane Helene.

However, DeSantis has claimed that Harris had never actually called during the hurricane. He alleged that Harris had shown no interest in hurricanes since assuming the role of Vice President and that her sudden concern was merely for political gain. He said that he had no time to engage in "political games" with Harris.

Meanwhile, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the budget for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for both on-the-ground response efforts and distribution of relief funds, won't last through hurricane season.

As reported by Scientific American, within the first eight days of the 2025 fiscal year starting on October 1, FEMA had already spent nearly half of its budget for the entire fiscal year.

A Florida resident impacted by the storms said that he has not received any aid from FEMA, even after going through a complicated application process.

"I haven't gotten any (federal relief aid). I heard that people here can apply to FEMA and they'll offer something. I tried to apply, but I don't really know. They had like a bunch of verification steps and they kind of just kicked me back to the front. I think it's probably just so overwhelmed with people trying to apply. It's maybe their system not working right now, but I haven't gotten any aid personally," said Eden Jackson, Florida resident.

Since last October, President Joe Biden has been requesting that Congress increase funding for FEMA but has faced obstruction from Republicans, even though the Republican Party currently governs states that were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Last week, Biden reiterated his readiness to convene an emergency meeting to secure additional funding from Congress for disaster relief efforts.

However, Politico reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has refused to hold a vote on the funding proposal before the election.

"Politicization of disasters" impedes progress of disaster relief efforts in Florida

"Politicization of disasters" impedes progress of disaster relief efforts in Florida

Residents of a retirement community in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida who survived Hurricane Milton and the ensuing tornadoes recounted their dreadful experiences on Saturday.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued a staggering 126 tornado warnings across Florida this past week after Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9 as a Category three storm. The unprecedented number of warnings in a single day left many communities reeling.

Among the hardest hit was Spanish Lakes Country Villages in St. Lucie County, where two tornadoes hit. The second tornado, an EF2 with winds reaching 220 km/h, uprooted homes and tragically claimed the lives of six members of this close-knit retirement community.

Henry Pierce, a Spanish Lakes resident, recalled the horror of seeing his home destroyed while he was still in it.

"It went right over my head. I was in my house, the house was lifting and I ran through and the house was lifting up, and I guess the pressure from the wind blew the windows in and the roof blew off, and I was on my knees next to my freezer looking up, and I watched the roof of my house blow off, and I watched the tornado go right over my head at the same time," he said.

In the midst of chaos, Pierce rushed out to help his neighbors, only to find that they had been killed in the storm.

"I ran out of the house and I started, I looked over there and I said, 'Those are my friends. Those are my neighbors.' I went to try to find them, but I found two passed, and one we couldn't find," said Pierce.

"And then the two people that lived where that van is, as soon as the wind stopped, I was running everywhere trying to help people. I found them. He was passed, but she was still alive at the time. I helped get the roof off her legs with a couple of policemen, and they took her away," said Pierce.

Claudia Peak, another resident, said that three of her neighbors died on Wednesday, and three more on the other side of her trailer.

"I wasn't concerned about dying. I really wasn't. He (God) is not done with me, and that's the only thing I can put together -- that's the reason we are still alive. And so much devastation, and every day they have the cadaver dogs coming through looking for people still," said Peak.

Still processing the overwhelming devastation around her, Peak is now staying with her partner at a neighbor's home.

The landowners of her leased property have informed her that they will soon clear her lot.

"I was able to salvage clothes and a few dishes, kitchen stuff -- all the stuff that costs big money to replace. I don't know what I'm going to do with it all, but we do have a tent and an air mattress, whatever. I have no idea. I have no idea. My mind can't even wrap around that. This thing totaled both of our cars," said Peak.

Pierce is staying with his next-door neighbor, Carol Fensterer, who is 91. Her home is one of the few that withstood the fury of the second tornado.

"Now I have a good helper here. He takes care of me. I can't drive anymore. My eyesight's not that good, so he does the driving," said Fensterer.

Despite the devastation, these resilient seniors embody hope and strength, working together to clean up the remnants of their lives.

Retired survivors recount harrowing experience of Florida's hurricanes-induced tornadoes