What damage has Hurricane Milton caused in Florida?

Neighborhoods are inundated in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Lake Maggiore, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least 10 people were dead after Hurricane Milton smashed into Florida, US authorities said, after the monster weather system sent tornados spinning across the state and flooded swaths of the Tampa Bay area. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP) (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 10 people were dead after Hurricane Milton smashed into Florida, US authorities said. (AFP)

As Florida reels from the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the full impact of its destruction is yet to be ascertained.

On Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis said that while the storm was significant, the state had dodged the "worst-case scenario" after it weakened before landfall.

The hurricane, which had been a category five storm, made landfall as a category three and subsequently weakened still further to a category one, but still brought tornadoes and storm surges of 8-10ft.

Officials put the death toll of Hurricane Milton at at least 10, while over 3.3m homes and businesses were left without power. Here is what we know about the devastation caused by Milton.

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 10: A crane sits on the street after crashing down into the building housing the Tampa Bay Times offices after the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milton, which comes just after the recent catastrophic Hurricane Helene,  landed into Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm causing extensive flooding and damage.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
In St Petersburg, a crane was brought down by Hurricane Milton, crashing into a building and landing in the street. (Getty)

Millions of homes and businesses have been left without power since the hurricane made landfall.

In the immediate aftermath on Thursday, 3.35 million properties were left without power according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks utility reports across the US. By Friday that number had dropped to 2.56m.

Petrol stations across Florida were also left without fuel following the hurricane, with price-tracking platform GasBuddy suggesting on Thursday morning that 24.8% were dry.

By Friday, reports were suggesting the death toll had risen to 16 people.

CBS News said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said eight counties had reported 16 storm-related deaths to their agency.

It said they included: six people dead in St. Lucie County, three in Volusia County, one in Citrus County, one in Polk County, two in Pinellas County, one in Hillsborough County, one in Sarasota County and one person in Orange County. Though it was suggested that numbers could change, especially as it is up to each local agency to decide whether a death is storm-related.

Previously US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House briefing that there were reports of 10 deaths thus far, adding it appeared they were caused by tornados. He said at least 27 twisters touched down in Florida.

At least four people were confirmed to have died in St. Lucie on Florida's east coast. Two of those were in the Spanish Lakes Communities, a set of seniors neighbourhoods, due to tornadoes that preceded the hurricane, Reuters reported.

St Petersburg police have also reportedly confirmed there were two storm-related deaths in the city while Volusia County's sheriff also said three people had died in the area.

A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least four people were confirmed killed as a result of two tornadoes triggered by Hurricane Milton on the east coast of the US state of Florida, local authorities said Thursday. (Photo by Bryan R. SMITH / AFP) (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)
The dome of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg was torn off by Hurricane Milton (Getty)

As Hurricane Milton ripped through Florida, it left scenes of devastation including ripping the roof off Tropicana Field, the stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg.

Also in St Petersburg, a crane collapsed leaving a gash in an office building and blocking a street, while more than 100 traffic lights were reported to not be working across the city.

Officials in St Petersburg issued a boil water notice for residents after water mains were left damaged by the hurricane.

Neighborhoods are inundated in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Lake Maggiore, Florida, on October 10, 2024. At least 10 people were dead after Hurricane Milton smashed into Florida, US authorities said, after the monster weather system sent tornados spinning across the state and flooded swaths of the Tampa Bay area. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP) (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 10 people were left dead by the hurricane. (Getty Images)

Milton could cause up to $50 billion in insured losses for Florida property owners, credit rating agency Fitch Ratings said in a report published on Thursday, which would be the largest insured loss since Hurricane Ian in 2022.

Ultimate losses will depend in part on the level of demand for the supplies needed to repair and rebuild damaged properties following the storm, which historically can increase insured losses by 20% or more

But the state appears to have avoided the "worst-case scenario" outlined by analysts, which on Wednesday forecast as much as $100 billion in insured losses from Milton alone.

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