Taking a Deep Dive Into Hurricane Milton's Numbers

There is no doubt that Hurricane Milton will go down in the record books as one of the strongest storms to roam the Atlantic basin. From early in its development, Milton was already posting eye-popping numbers. This includes a pressure that dropped to 897 millibars, putting it in the top six of storms in recorded history to dip below the 900-millibar threshold. Here is a deeper dive into Hurricane Milton's numbers.

Death Toll Sitting at 16

The death toll attributed to Milton as of Friday afternoon was sitting at 16. Six of these fatalities happened hours before the storm made landfall when a tornado tore through a mobile home retirement community in St. Lucie County. The rest of the deaths were blamed on a number of reasons, including fallen trees and accidents.

The Gulf Coast has been the frequent target of tropical weather events this year. Milton was the fifth hurricane to come ashore along this stretch of coastline. Hurricane Milton joined Beryl, Debby, Francine, and Helene on this list. In addition to 2024, the years 2005 and 2020 also recorded five hurricane landfalls along the Gulf Coast. The year 1886 is in first place with six direct strikes by hurricanes in the region.

Estimates of Economic Losses

While it is still early in the assessment process, it is looking as if Hurricane Milton is going to come in with total economic losses between $160 billion and $180 billion. This will put Milton in the category as one of the most destructive storms in the history of the Sunshine State. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene clocked in with an estimated loss between $225 billion and $250 billion.