PASCO COUNTY, FL – Over 2.5 million customers remained without power Friday as Florida residents assessed and repaired damage from Hurricane Milton, the Associated Press reports.
At least 12 deaths had been reported due to the hurricane, most in the eastern part of the state. There was widespread flooding in the path of the storm, though Milton did not prove to be quite as catastrophic as had been feared. Residents who evacuated their homes ahead of the hurricane returned to check on their property.
Hurricane Milton’s storm surge caused water levels along the Gulf Coast to rise at least 5 to 10 feet above ground level, according to preliminary estimates from the National Hurricane Center. The worst surge was reported along a
roughly 65 mile stretch of coast between Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall, and Fort Myers Beach.
Emergency crews had to make many water rescues. In Pasco County, for example, WTVT reported that dozens of people had to be rescued from Thousand Oaks, off Mitchell Boulevard Thursday morning after rising water levels became waist-deep.
“It has not gone into houses as bad as it had in Gulf Harbors during the last hurricane, but it is starting to creep up a little bit into peoples’ houses, and so as we’re going through, there are people saying, ‘Hey, I want to leave’,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said. “We’re more than happy to get them on the boats and get them out of there. I think it’s going to be a long operation. Because there’s no electricity in there. There’s no running water.”
Rescue operations were continuing Thursday night, with the Anclote River and Cypress Creek expected to reach a major flood stage. “We recognize that the Anclote is going to get backed up a little bit because of high tide, with the water flowing down, it all meets together and those are residential neighborhoods,” Nocco said.
Many roads across the state remained impassable Friday morning after Milton’s torrential rains, and the National Weather Service continued to warn of rising river levels.
Your chances of speeding up your recovery after the storm are stronger the sooner you get legal representation. With multiple locations in Florida, our Florida Hurricane and Storm Damage Attorneys at Whittel & Melton are ready to help you. We have the expertise to assist you in obtaining what you are legally entitled to, regardless of whether you are facing severe property damage, severe injuries, or the tragic aftermath of a fatality. Our lawyers can assist you in determining your losses, making sure your insurance provider fulfills its obligations, and bring legal action against any act of bad faith that affects you, your family, your home, or your source of income. For a free consultation, get in touch with us by calling 866-608-5529 or contact us 24/7 online.