The death toll from Hurricane Milton rose to 16 Friday morning, and Floridians warned the death toll would rise as rescue workers waded through floodwaters and debris.
CBS News cites Florida Department of Law Enforcement casualty numbers, Reuters report.
The BBC continued: pay attention This number is likely to rise further as more evidence of the destruction left behind by extreme weather emerges.
By comparison, Hurricane Helen caused devastating inland flooding in multiple states beyond Florida, killing at least 241 people in the last month alone.
14-year-old boy rescued from floating debris in Milton aftermath
The deadly storm occurred just days after Hurricane Helen hit the state, prompting a major cleanup operation weeks before the Nov. 5 general election.
In Florida, one of the many states affected by Hurricane Helen about two weeks ago, Milton did not cause the catastrophic seawater rise that had been feared, but some The Reuters report warned that the cleanup could take weeks or months for people.
Analysts say damage from Milton, the fifth-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, could reach up to $100 billion for insurance companies alone.
Approximately 2.75 million homes and businesses across Florida were without power late Thursday, according to PowerOutage.us.
St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office flattened by tornado in the wake of Hurricane Milton
Some people have been waiting days for power to be restored after Hurricane Helen hit the area.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Thursday that the state has avoided the “worst-case scenario,” but the damage remains severe.
Orlando International Airport, the state's busiest airport, announced that domestic and international departures will resume on Friday and domestic arrivals will resume on Thursday night.
The airport suffered minor damage, including some leaks and fallen trees.
