U.S. President Joe Biden has toured the worst affected areas of Hurricane Milton and Helene in Florida. He announced millions of dollars in funding to protect the power supply. Many residents are still flooded out of their homes.

Port St. Lucie

Hurricane Milton has made landfall as a Category Three system, causing tornadoes and widespread damage across parts of Florida.

Hurricane Milton

U.S. President Joe Biden recently toured areas in Florida heavily impacted by Hurricane Milton and Helene. On his visit, he announced a new phase of funding aimed at bolstering the state's power supply infrastructure, particularly critical in the wake of severe damages and power outages caused by the storms. Many residents are still struggling with the aftermath, including significant flooding causing displacement from their homes.

Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc across Florida's east coast, generating powerful tornadoes that devastated communities. Among the affected was a 92-year-old who survived despite his home being rendered uninhabitable and lacking insurance. The tornadoes resulted in substantial destruction, including homes being damaged, vehicles overturned, and at least six fatalities in Port St. Lucie. This disaster struck while Hurricane Milton was causing destruction on the state's west side, particularly in cities like Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The hurricanes led to a loss of electricity for nearly three million residents. Recovery and restoration efforts are ongoing, with first responders and local business owners working tirelessly to manage the crisis. Residents in the affected areas are bracing for the possibility of more storms, as the current hurricane season has several weeks left and officials have warned of a particularly active period ahead.



Biden surveys Hurricane Milton destruction in Florida

Karen's dad might be one of the luckiest men alive right now. 92 years old, just watching TV when a tornado did this to his house. His home is a write-off. He has no insurance to cover it, but he is still breathing and he only ended up needing a few stitches. And then you get glass in your hand and you just get up and walk down the hallway and leave out the bedroom. Powerful tornadoes tore through this part of Florida's east coast on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton was battering the west side, 600 kilometers away. They only lasted a few minutes, but look at the damage they left behind. Homes ripped open, trucks flipped over, boats under lorries, and at least six people killed in Port St. Lucie alone. They call these things an act of God, but even the churches weren't spared. And I went into my closet and they kept hitting tornado warning, tornado warning, tornado warning. On Sunday, President Biden visited Florida, taking a tour by air over the west side. The cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg hit hard by that double punch. First Hurricane Helene, then Milton's winds and storm surge. I spoke with first responders. We're working around the clock. I also met with small business owners here and homeowners have taken a real beating. These back to back storms and they're heartbroken and exhausted and their expenses are piling up. Three million lost electricity as Milton hit. Getting it back online is taking time. And on the minds of people here as they survey the damage, the fact that this might not be the end of it. We were warned that this would be a particularly active hurricane season. We've seen two major storms in the space of just two weeks and that hurricane season still has around six weeks left to run. There is every chance there could be another one, maybe more powerful storms to hit this area. For the people here, it is the very last thing in the world that they need. Phil Lovell, Al Jazeera, Port St. Lucie on Florida's east coast.

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Hurricane Milton