(NewsNation) — Crews resumed rescue and recovery efforts Friday morning in Florida, working around the clock to help people in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
At least 10 storm-related deaths have been reported so far, according to the White House. NewsNation local affiliate WFLA reported that one of those killed was a Polk County employee who was helping with cleanup.
As of 7 a.m. ET Friday, more than 2.4 million customers remained without power in Florida, according to poweroutage.us.
Still, 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.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that while the storm “was significant,” it “was not the worst-case scenario.” He noted that as he flew over some of the hard-hit areas, he saw that many homes that were built in recent years fared well.
“I’ve seen a lot of grit, I’ve seen a lot of determination and I’m very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly,” DeSantis said.
Hurricane Milton’s impact across Florida
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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) -
City employee Ebony Pizarro blocks off a flooded street near Lake Monroe after Hurricane Milton passed through Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Sanford, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) -
The destroyed roof of the Tropicana Dome is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) -
A construction crane fell over into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters, after Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Tampa Bay Times via AP) -
High water is seen on Hillsborough street in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
High water is seen near Hillsborough street in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
A traffic light hangs low as flood waters cover a road the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) -
Debris and an awning of a gas station sits on the ground the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) -
A man negotiates driving through flood waters into a community surrounded with floodwaters the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) -
A building loses its front side around the Palmetto Beach neighborhood after Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP) -
People are rescued from an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
People are rescued from an apartment complex after heavy flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
A man and child leave a rescue boat after high flood waters entered their apartment in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
Cars move slowly after Hurricane Milton damaged power lines, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) -
A high rise construction crane broke apart and crashed into the building across the street during Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson) -
Toppled palm trees lie along the road after the passage of Hurricane Milton in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) -
Hangars at Albert Whitted Airport were damaged by winds from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson) -
This image provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office shows an aerial view of the extensive flooding on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 after Hurricane Milton passed through the area. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office via AP) -
A house sits toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, alongside an empty lot where a home was swept away by Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) -
Water left by Hurricane Milton floods a road inside Pines Trailer Park, where debris was still piled outside homes from Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) -
Residents walk past trees and signs damaged by winds from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Milton made landfall Wednesday evening in Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm. By Thursday afternoon, Milton had moved off Florida’s east coast and became a post-tropical cyclone that no longer had hurricane-force winds.
Following Hurricane Milton’s landfall, rescue crews have been surveying the damage, with those in north Tampa using airboats to reach people.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said crews have been working hard through the morning to reach those in need of help.
Arriving just two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Helene, the system knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off the Tampa Bay Rays’ baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.
Officials in hard-hit counties have warned people to beware of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding. Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida.
Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according to City Manager Bill McDaniel.
The National Weather Service said almost 19 inches of rain fell in the St. Petersburg area. A storm surge of 8 to 10 feet was reported in Sarasota County. Milton rapidly weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved over land.
President Joe Biden called on Congress to move as fast as it could to get emergency funding to the Sunshine State.
DeSantis pledged to send whatever resources he could into Pinellas County communities Friday. It’s an area that was mostly spared during Milton but was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, resulting in 12 deaths two weeks prior.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the following ports are now open: Key West, Port Everglades, Port Miami and the Miami River. The following ports remain closed: St. Petersburg, Fort Myers, Fort of Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Port Canaveral, Jacksonville and Fernandina.
Tourism business resumes after Hurricane Milton
As the cleanup continued, the state’s vital tourism industry was beginning to return to normal.
The Tampa International Airport will reopen Friday at 8 a.m. EDT after a three-day flight suspension due to Hurricane Milton.
The airport said it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and other airlines to aim for a Friday morning reopening.
Flooding damaged a hangar Wednesday.
Florida theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld planned to reopen Friday after an assessment of the effects of Hurricane Milton.
Some Halloween special events won’t be offered and they won’t necessarily be fully functioning Friday, but the public is welcome back, the parks said in statements.
As Milton came ashore as a major storm Wednesday, all three Orlando-based parks shut down, putting a damper on the vacations of tens of thousands of tourists, many of whom hunkered down in hotels. Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld were all closed for at least part of Wednesday and all of Thursday.
Orlando International Airport, Florida’s busiest, resumed domestic arrivals Thursday and planned to resume departures Friday after mostly shutting down Wednesday.
In Tampa, the animals were safe at popular tourist attractions ZooTampa and The Florida Aquarium, which have aimed to reopen Saturday.
The 1,000 animals at the zoo will remain in their night houses and hurricane shelter locations while habitats are cleared of debris, a spokesperson said. The aquarium also confirmed its animals are “doing well.”
The zoo sustained some damage from the high winds and does not have power, and the spokesperson anticipates the debris cleanup and restoration, which is already underway, will take a few days.
All conservation parks, nature preserves, trails, neighborhood/specialty parks and athletic complexes in Hillsborough County will be closed until further notice.
Officials warn of hurricane relief scams
As relief efforts continue, the U.S. Department of Justice is alerting the public to a rise in scams aimed at exploiting victims of these disasters.
According to the DOJ, scammers are quick to exploit weather disasters and the people affected by them.
Officials also reminded people that if their property was damaged by both Helene and Milton, they would need to apply for disaster assistance twice, with separate applications for the damage from each storm.
Are more hurricanes heading for Florida?
As Milton exits Florida, the National Hurricane Center continues to monitor another system in the Atlantic, which is not expected to make landfall or come close to the U.S.
According to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. Friday advisory, Tropical Storm Leslie was about 1,600 miles west-southwest of the Azores, a group of islands in the mid-Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.
The storm is expected to turn northeast and veer away from the U.S. over the next few days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
