Thousands of residents of the state of Florida have begun collecting debris left by Milton, but not before navigating flooded streets in neighborhoods devastated by the hurricane and the tornadoes it spawned, which left destruction, blackouts and major flooding in its wake.
As of this Saturday, the authorities maintain the list of deaths at at least 10 people, but have admitted that the number could increase as rescue efforts continue for those trapped in the rising rivers.
Many are relieved that Milton did not cause a disaster worse than forecast by meteorologists, who feared it would make a Category 5 landfall in the Tampa region and produce a deadly storm surge; However, the impact it had in areas that were not the focus of attention has caused concern.
Gov. Ron DeSantis warned people not to let their guard down, noting that there are still safety threats, such as downed power lines and standing water that could hide dangerous objects.
“We are in the period where you have deaths that are preventable,” DeSantis said Friday. “You have to make the right decisions and know that there are dangers out there.”
The number of customers in Florida still without power Saturday morning was 1.6 million, according to poweroutage.us.
St. Petersburg’s 260,000 residents were told to boil water before drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth, at least through Monday.
Destruction in Port Saint Lucie
The multiple tornadoes generated by Milton heavily hit a community inhabited primarily by seniors located in Port Saint Lucie, in central Florida.
The Voice of America He toured the area and was able to see how the force of the tornadoes practically destroyed mobile and prefabricated homes.
“Everyone concentrated on Sarasota and Tampa but we are on the other side of Florida and look what is happening… that is why it is very important to learn from these things and know what can happen… who knew that a tornado was going to happen here here that it was going to be worse than the hurricane,” he told the VOA Sergio Diez, Sweetwater Police Department Chief.
At least six people died at the scene and search efforts continue for the missing.
Damage to the environment
On the other hand, the owner of a phosphate mine revealed that polluting substances spilled into Tampa Bay during the hurricane.
The Mosaic company reported in a statement that the intense rains of the storm overloaded a collection system at its facilities in the town of Riverview, which caused the excess water to come out through a sewer and go to discharge channels that will give to the bay. The company indicated that the leak was corrected on Thursday.
Mosaic said the spill was probably greater than 17,500 gallons (66,244 liters) — the minimum standard for issuing a report — although it did not provide a figure for what the total volume might have been.
Mosaic did not respond to calls made or emails sent by The Associated Press to request additional information about its facilities in Riverview and the company’s other mines in Florida. A voicemail left with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection also went unanswered.
The state has 25 such piles that contain more than 1 billion tons of phosphorus gypsum—a solid waste derived from the mining industry that produces phosphate-based fertilizers—which contains radium, which decomposes to form radon gas. Radium and radon are radioactive and can cause cancer.
Phosphorus gypsum may also contain toxic heavy metals and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel.
Meanwhile, the state’s vital tourism industry began to return to normal, and Walt Disney World and other amusement parks reopened. The state’s busiest airport, in Orlando, fully resumed operations on Friday.
Milton, which hit Florida two weeks after Hurricane Helene, flooded the islands, ripped off the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.
Hillsborough County Police Department crews helped rescue several people trapped by the swollen Alafia River on Friday, including a 92-year-old woman. The river is 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) long and extends from eastern Hillsborough County to Tampa Bay.
The local authority of Pinellas County deployed police officers using specialized flood vehicles to transport people to and from their homes in a flooded neighborhood in the town of Palm Harbor where water continued to rise.
Ashley Cabrera left along with her children, ages 18 and 11, and her three dogs. It was the first time since Milton’s arrival that they had been able to leave the neighborhood, and now they were headed to a hotel in Orlando.
“I’m extremely grateful that we were able to get out now and go spend the weekend somewhere where we can get hot food and some gas,” Cabrera said. “I thought we were going to be able to get out as soon as the storm was over. “These roads have never flooded like this in all the years I’ve lived here,” he said.
In Photos | Hurricane Milton: hours after making landfall in Florida, USA
After making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, authorities are evaluating the damage caused by Milton in Florida, in the south of the United States. At least four deaths from tornadoes associated with the storm, flooding and millions without electricity is the balance left by the meteor so far.
Animals were also being rescued. Cindy Evers helped rescue a large pig trapped in the waters of a shopping center in Lithia, east of Tampa. He had already rescued a donkey and several goats after the storm.
“I’m in a high, dry area where I have a barn and 9 acres,” Evers said, adding that he will soon begin searching for the animals’ owners.
[Con reporte del periodista de la VOA José Pernalete. Parte de la información usada es de The Associated Press]
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