Evacuations begin after hurricane: Residents returning to their homes

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm in the Siesta Key area of the U.S. state of Florida, has left behind massive destruction, and those evacuated from the region have begun to return to their homes.

CAUSED DESTRUCTION

Hurricane Milton, which intensified to a Category 5 storm twice at sea but struck the Florida coast as a Category 3, brought severe winds and rainfall across the state and caused the formation of many tornadoes that led to destruction.

Authorities warned citizens against the dangers of rising water and flooding after the hurricane left the region.

Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in the state, where 14 people have lost their lives. There are concerns that the death toll may rise.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas stated that the state of emergency in the state continues following the hurricane, saying, "Our job is to prevent the death toll from rising. However, we are dealing with a situation hit by a terrible hurricane and the tornadoes that accompanied it."

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also said that they have begun work to resolve power outages affecting more than 2.5 million people and to clear the debris from the destruction.

Stating that he spoke on the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden, DeSantis said, "He also wants to help us with these efforts."

Authorities announced that flights at airports in the state would be gradually resumed as of Friday morning.

HURRICANE MILTON

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) had warned that Hurricane Milton, which strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico and approached the state of Florida, could be the "strongest" of the last 100 years.

Stating that they did everything they could to prepare for the hurricane, U.S. President Joe Biden had commented, "Milton looks like the storm of the century."

Milton came shortly after Hurricane Helene, which struck the state of Florida and caused the deaths of 227 people.