Hurricane Milton's Impacts Continue to Impede Everyday Life in Florida

It has been one week since Category 3 Hurricane Milton came ashore near Siesta Key, Florida. Days later and life is slowly returning to normal in the part of the Sunshine State that was ravaged by two major hurricane strikes in as many weeks. Here is the latest on the cleanup and recovery efforts in this part of the region.

Return to Normal Life is Slow Process in Florida

Crews are working overtime to restore power and clean up debris across Florida in an effort to get daily life back on the grid. U.S. President Joe Biden visited the state over the weekend to thank first responders and others for their efforts.

The death toll as a result of Milton is now at 24. Seven of these fatalities were in St. Lucie County, an area hit by a massive tornado just prior to Milton's landfall.

Gas shortages continue to be a problem in Florida. Lines for fuel have snaked around stations for blocks as desperate residents attempt to gas up their vehicles and generators.

According to GasBuddy.com, about 18% of the state's gas stations were still without fuel at the start of the work week. The shortages were the highest in Tampa and Sarasota with roughly 50% of the stations without fuel. The Fort Myers and Naples area was reporting that over 20% of the stations did not have gas.

The state's Division of Emergency Management is reporting that over 37 million gallons of fuel has been delivered to ports along the peninsula. The Florida Highway Patrol is assisting in escorting the large fuel tankers to the stations most in need. Public fuel stations have opened in the hardest-hit areas to provide residents with free gas.

Power is also being restored as quickly as possible. Almost 3 million customers were without power at the peak of the outages. As of late Tuesday, this number has dropped to about 100,000. Most communities should have power restored by the end of the week.

The boil water notice in St. Petersburg was also lifted on Monday, a sign that things are returning to normal. The city set up stations throughout the area, offering phone charging stations and free bottled water, protective tarps, and batteries.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that debris removal is a top priority of the state. President Biden approved 100% reimbursement of this removal process of up to 90 days, allowing city and county officials to submit their estimated costs to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DeSantis said that the removal of debris will continue for 24 hours a day to help to expedite the process.

Biden also approved a major disaster declaration, freeing up more federal resources to help the state. This funding is now available for over 30 counties, granting temporary housing repairs. The president also said that over $600 million in funding has been directed to improve the power grid in the state and other areas vulnerable to natural disasters.