Hurricane Milton's Impact: Ongoing Rescue Efforts in Florida
In Florida, the challenging rescue operations persist for individuals trapped in flooded or damaged structures following Hurricane Milton. The hurricane wreaked havoc during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 12 lives and leaving behind extensive, yet difficult to assess, damages. Among the deceased, five victims were found at a nursing home in St. Lucie County, which was struck by a tornado generated in the hurricane's outer band. Additionally, three fatalities were reported in Volusia County, while the St. Petersburg police confirmed two more deaths.
Rescue teams have rescued at least 340 individuals, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reporting significant progress. In Tampa alone, approximately one hundred residents were evacuated from a local nursing facility. The Coast Guard played a crucial role, rescuing a man who was desperately clinging to a piece of sheet metal about 50 kilometers off the coast after his boat sank.
Many others have been plucked from rooftops thanks to timely helicopter interventions. U.S. President Joe Biden highlighted that preventative measures taken before the hurricane's landfall made a substantial difference; tens of thousands of residents in the affected regions were able to save themselves due to adherence to official directives.
Initially labeled a category 5 hurricane—the highest designation on the Saffir-Simpson scale—the storm's intensity fluctuated as it approached Florida. It was reclassified several times, ultimately making landfall as a category 3 hurricane before being downgraded to category 2, still a formidable force. As of Thursday, Hurricane Milton has finally shifted offshore from the central-eastern Florida coast, retreating from populated areas. Although it continues to produce strong winds and rainfall, its overall intensity has gradually decreased.
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