Hurricane Milton caused widespread devastation across Florida, resulting in at least 11 deaths, 3.3 million power outages, and 11 million people at risk of flooding. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 in Siesta Key, and caused tornadoes in St. Lucie County, St. Petersburg, Volusia County, and Citrus County. Homes were submerged in water, roads were destroyed, and debris scattered everywhere. Tampa experienced significant damage, including a construction crane falling and the roof of Tropicana Field being ripped off. Despite the damage, Governor Ron DeSantis stated that the storm surge was not as severe as expected. President Joe Biden deployed federal personnel to the affected areas, including over 1,000 Coast Guard members. More than 80,000 people sought shelter, and search and rescue teams have been working to save families and pets. Thousands of flights were canceled and delayed due to the storm. Milton remained a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 85 mph and was moving away from the U.S. coast. The storm made landfall just 13 days after Hurricane Helene, breaking the record for the shortest time between major hurricanes in Florida. Helene was responsible for at least 243 deaths in the Southeast, including 25 in Florida.
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