The hurricane made landfall in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, causing blocked roads due to fallen trees and power lines. Approximately 3 million homes and businesses are without electricity.
Authorities have stated that the winds, rather than heavy rainfall, were responsible for the fatalities. “It was quite frightening,” said 70-year-old Susan Stepp, a resident on Florida’s east coast, where four residents of a nursing home died. “They found people dead in trees,” she told AFP.
The deaths were recorded in St. Lucie County, Volusia, St. Petersburg, and the city of Tampa.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, severely impacting an area that was still recovering from another hurricane, Helene, which hit two weeks ago and claimed 237 lives.
Scientists believe that heavy rains and destructive storms have become more severe and frequent due to climate change. Each time ocean surface temperatures rise, the chances of storms increase.
