Florida
Hurricane Milton caused $50 billion in damage
Home destroyed by Hurricane Milton in Port St Lucie, Florida
© Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP)
Florida is in the middle of cleanup after Hurricane Milton. But it is already clear that billions will have to be raised because the destruction is enormous.
US President Joe Biden estimates the damage in Florida Hurricane “Milton” to 50 billion US dollars, the equivalent of around 45.67 billion euros. Biden spoke of initial estimates at a press conference. The president plans to visit the devastated region on Sunday.
Around 1.8 million households in Florida remained without power on Saturday, according to data from the US website PowerOutage. According to counts by several US media outlets, the number of deaths in connection with “Milton” rose to at least 17.
Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction in its wake 01:13 minutes
Aerial videos show the extent of the hurricane’s devastation
“Milton” made landfall late Wednesday evening (local time) about 100 kilometers south of Tampa as a level 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour. During the night the storm weakened and moved out to sea. It was the second severe storm in just two weeks: A few days earlier, “Helene” had passed over the southeast of the USA and left devastating devastation in several states. According to reports, well over 200 people lost their lives as a result of “Helene”.