The journey to recover from Hurricane Milton as residents from Southeast Florida continue to struggle moving forward. “Evacuees returned Friday to clean up the debris from two back-to-back hurricanes that destroyed homes and buildings and flooded neighborhoods.” Journalist Nicole Bonaccorso reported on The Weather Channel. “Hurricane Milton carved a path of destruction across a wide swath of the Florida Peninsula less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the state.”

The death toll also continues to rise, as approximately 16 deaths were reported to have a connection to the storm as of recently today. Florida residents are currently dealing with power outages as well. “More than 2.25 million power outages were being reported throughout the state Friday afternoon, down from a high of more than 3 million, according to PowerOutage.us,” stated Nicole.

More recent updates regarding businesses have taken into effect since the storm, such as the reopening of Walt Disney World as well as various Florida theme parks. “Walt Disney World and other Orlando, Florida, theme parks reopened Friday after Hurricane Milton forced them to close for some of Wednesday and Thursday.” Stated New York-based reporter Megan Cerullo in a CBS News article. 

A restaurant owner named Rachel Wilson and her husband currently own a restaurant known as Giggle Waters in Safety Harbor, Florida. They were serving meals to survivors and first responders from Hurricane Helene when they suddenly closed their business due to preparations for Hurricane Milton. “It’s one of those moments where you go from helping people to needing help,” Rachael stated in a phone interview with The Weather Channel. As Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Milton, we will keep you updated with any current news regarding this tragedy.