Hurricane Milton wreaks havoc in Florida, 10 killed, 4,300 rescued

Hurricane Milton, now recognized as the fifth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane on record, made landfall on Florida’s western coast Wednesday evening. However, the storm’s most devastating impacts were felt more than 100 miles away along the eastern shore, particularly in St. Lucie County.
As of Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported 19 confirmed tornadoes in Florida, with a total of 45 tornadoes reported throughout the day. The sheer force of the storm left over 3.3 million homes and businesses without power, with the west-central region bearing the brunt of the outages.
Initial estimates suggest that property damage from Hurricane Milton could result in insured losses ranging from $30 billion to $50 billion, marking the highest total from a storm in two years. Recovery efforts are expected to be extensive as communities begin to assess the damage and rebuild.
At least 10 people have been killed due to the hurricane, authorities said, adding that over 4,300 people have been rescued so far.