Florida's resilience grows after hurricanes, taking into account future world news storms

Some longtime Floridians have become accustomed to the annual cycle of storms that can disrupt life in a state known mostly for mild weather, sunshine and beaches.

That's the price you pay for life in heaven, O'Connell says. If you want to live here with a view like this, beautiful sunsets, boating, and all that Florida has to offer, you have to accept that a storm is coming.

The extent of the damage caused by the storms is still being counted, as the storm's unusual twin strike in such close proximity left parts of the state covered in destruction. Many residents, some evacuated and returning home, spent much of Saturday searching for gas due to fuel shortages in the state.

President Joe Biden planned to visit the Gulf Coast on Sunday.

At least 10 people died after Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, battering Central Florida, inundating barrier islands and spawning deadly tornadoes. Authorities say that if a mass evacuation had not been carried out, the number of victims could have been higher. In total, over 1,000 people were rescued from the storm.

Disaster happens twice

Catherine Prout said that in the fishing village of Cortez, a community of 4,100 people southwest of Tampa, she and her husband Mark felt pure panic when Hurricane Milton scared Cortez into halting the cleanup and evacuating shortly after Helen. Fortunately, the second storm did not damage their house.

“This is where we live,” Catherine Prout said of their modest home, where they lived for 36 years and which had to be emptied, gutted and eviscerated after Helena. We just hope we can get an insurer to help us.

Residents of modest, one-story wood and stucco houses worked Saturday to remove broken furniture and tree branches, piling up debris on the streets much like Hurricane Helen.

A similar scene was seen in Steinhatch, west of Gainesville, where the road was lined with large piles of debris.

Melissa Harden lives less than a block from the restaurant and bar that were destroyed. His house stands on 16-foot (4.9 m) stilts, but 4 feet (1.2 m) of water is still flooded. When Milton made his forecast, he feared that Steinhatachi would be hit by a third hurricane within 14 months.

Personally, I thought, when it comes down to it, we've already moved and our house is quite neglected, she said, as friends and relatives helped with cleaning, removing bathroom fixtures and pulling out damaged boards. Of course we didn't want that! No more storms!

On Saturday, Moody's Analytics estimated the hurricane's economic costs at $50 billion to $85 billion, including $70 billion in property damage and $15 billion in losses in economic performance.

Huge lack of fuel

In St. Petersburg, dozens of people lined up at a station without gas on Saturday, hoping it would arrive soon. Among them was Daniel Thornton and his 9-year-old daughter Magnolia, who arrived at 7 a.m. and were still waiting four hours later.

They told me there would be gas, but they didn't know when it would be, he said. I have no choice. I have to sit here all day until I get gas.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Saturday morning that the state has opened three fuel distribution sites and plans to open several more. Residents can get 10 gallons (37.8 liters) for free, he added.

Of course, once the power is restored… and the Port of Tampa opens, you will be able to see the fuel flow. But in the meantime, we want to give people another option, DeSantis said.

Officials refilled area gas stations with state fuel supplies and delivered generators to stations without electricity.

Swollen rivers are among the remaining security threats

As the economic recovery continues, DeSantis warned people to remain vigilant, citing ongoing safety threats, including downed power lines and standing water. According to poweroutages.us, about 1.1 million Floridians were without power as of Saturday evening.

National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Close said river levels will continue to rise over the next few days, causing flooding, mainly in Tampa Bay and the north. These areas suffered the most from the rain, which followed a wet summer that had previously included several hurricanes.

There's not much you can do but wait, Close said of Riverhead. At least there's no rain in the forecast, no significant rainfall. Here's a break from our rainy weather.