As officials in Florida are busy restoring electricity to over 2 million homes and businesses after Hurricane Milton, several areas are still flooded. Residents are attempting to retrieve belongings from their damaged houses on Friday.

Milton struck the coast as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph on Wednesday evening, resulting in massive destruction throughout the state. Rain and storm surges battered both coastal and inland areas, while the fierce winds led to power outages and pushed large sailboats onto front lawns.

The hurricane also triggered a deadly tornado outbreak, claiming the lives of at least six individuals in St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast. Teams from the National Weather Service were scheduled to examine the damage on Friday to determine the number of tornadoes that occurred. The storm has been linked to a total of 14 deaths statewide.

The Tampa Bay region narrowly avoided significant damage, as Milton shifted southward, reducing the storm surge along the coast. However, the winds caused a crane to topple into a downtown office building and tore the roof off Tropicana Field, the home stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

Many roads across the state remain blocked due to the heavy rainfall and storm surge brought by Milton. In some parts of St. Petersburg, more than 18 inches of rain fell, including a startling 8.50 inches in just three hours, according to the weather service.

Latest Updates:

∎ As of Friday morning, 2.2 million utility customers are still without power, as reported by YSL News’s outage tracker.

∎ Rivers statewide have surpassed flood stage, prompting the weather service to issue warnings. In Hillsborough County and the Alafia community near Tampa, officials indicated a forecast for significant flooding.

∎ In northeast Florida, coastal regions of Duval, Brevard, St. Johns, and Volusia counties remain under a coastal flood advisory. This warns of dangerous waves measuring 8 to 12 feet and life-threatening rip currents, according to the weather service.

Weather Service Teams to Assess Tornado Damage

Teams from the National Weather Service will be assessing tornado damage and intensity on Florida’s Treasure Coast on Friday and Saturday.

In total, 42 tornado warnings were issued across east central Florida, but officials have not yet confirmed the exact number of tornadoes that developed in the area.

Residents began to inspect their neighborhoods on Thursday after Hurricane Milton passed through. Many homes were destroyed, trees were uprooted, cars were overturned, and at least six fatalities are attributed to a suspected tornado at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in northern St. Lucie County.

– Gianna Montesano and Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers

This story is ongoing. Please check back for further updates.