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    • Over 400,000 without power in Milton
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    Over 400,000 without power in Milton

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

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    Nearly half a million Floridians were still without power Monday morning, days after Hurricane Milton ripped through the state and ripped a path of destruction that was worst on the central West Coast.

    The deadly storm devastated communities, ripped through the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and killed at least 17 people after making landfall at a magnitude of 3 on Wednesday evening.

    President Joe Biden visited Florida on Sunday for the second time in just over a week, touring a state hit by back-to-back hurricanes as residents grappled with power outages, gas shortages and persistent flooding. A day earlier, Biden approved a disaster declaration that would release federal funds for people affected by Milton, including grants for temporary housing, home repairs and loans.

    During his speech in St. Pete Beach, Biden also announced an additional $612 million to support communities displaced by recent hurricanes. That includes $47 million for Gainesville Regional Utilities and another $47 million for Florida Power and Light to help restore power and “make the region’s energy system stronger and more capable.”

    “We will do everything we can to restore power to your home and not only help you recover, but help you build back stronger,” Biden said.

    Keeping up with Hurricane Milton? Sign up for USA TODAY’s Climate Point newsletter for exclusive weather analysis.

    Florida power outage map

    About 460,000 Florida businesses and homes remained without power Monday morning, according to power outage tracker USA TODAY.

    The Central West Coast continues to be the hardest hit, with nearly 170,000 outages in Hillsborough County and another 95,000 in Pinellas County.

    Further south, 39,000 outages were reported in Sarasota County and nearly 52,000 homes and businesses in Manatee County were without power Monday morning.

    Hurricane Milton: Joe Biden returns to beleaguered Florida to survey damage in the Tampa area

    Efforts to restore power in Florida continue

    Florida Power and Light Company said it had restored power to more than 90% of its customers as of Sunday and was on track to restore power to all schools by the end of the weekend.

    The company has deployed 20,000 workers from 41 states and Canada to work around the clock.

    “Crews continue to work around the clock and will not stop until the lights are back on for every customer,” FPL said in a statement.

    Contributors: Christopher Cann, Zac Anderson, Jeanine Santucci, Jorge L. Ortiz, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

    Eric Lagatta covers breaking and breaking news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

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    Caradoc Wyn
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