At least 16 people have died from Hurricane Milton, which roared onshore on Florida's west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing tornadoes, powerful winds and flooding rains. The monster storm forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction across Florida.
Over 29% of gas stations across Florida are without fuel on Friday afternoon, according to GasBuddy.
The Tampa/St. Petersburg region is the hardest hit, with 77% of gas stations empty.
"The issue is not a lack of gasoline, but the difficulty of transporting it from the port to gas stations due to flooding," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Friday. "We expect trucks to start refueling stations by the end of the day, but in the meantime, conserve fuel if possible."
Oct 11, 2024, 3:09 PM EDT
Rising floodwaters prompt new evacuation orders in Hernando, Pasco counties
Authorities in Hernando and Pasco counties on Florida’s west coast are urging some residents to evacuate immediately due to rising floodwaters.
"Pasco County is experiencing historical flooding in low-lying areas and in several neighborhoods around the county near our rivers and lakes," officials wrote on social media. "Water is quickly rising in these areas, and we encourage you to LEAVE and get to higher ground NOW."
Hernando County fire officials said, "If you reside near the Withlacoochee River, please LEAVE NOW because water is rising quickly."
Oct 11, 2024, 2:56 PM EDT
Biden calls on Johnson to 'step up' on disaster aid
President Joe Biden said experts’ early estimates found that the damage from Hurricane Milton is around $50 billion.
“We're gonna do everything we can to let you, help you, pick back up the pieces and get back to where you were,” Biden said Friday.
A house lies toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
The president reiterated his call for lawmakers to return to Washington to pass certain additional disaster aid funding, though said he hasn't yet spoken to House Speaker Mike Johnson
"I've spoken to Republicans who want to speak with Speaker Johnson, and I think Speaker Johnson is going to get the message that he's got to step up, particularly for small businesses," Biden said.
President Joe Biden provides an update on the federal response to hurricanes Milton and Helene.
ABCNews.com
Oct 11, 2024, 1:25 PM EDT
FEMA has enough funds for Helene and Milton recovery, but will need more from Congress by year’s end
FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund has "enough money to support the immediate needs for everybody impacted by Helene and Milton," however, it "does not have enough money to continue recoveries for everything that I have through the entire fiscal year," FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters Friday after assessing damage in Florida.
A woman stands in her kitchen after her house was destroyed by a tornado associated with Hurricane Milton in North Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024.
Andrew West/the News-press/via Reuters
FEMA is assessing every day how much money is being spent, but eventually, Criswell said she will need an additional supplemental spending bill to be passed by Congress.
"We will need one, it's just a matter of when," she said.
Criswell noted that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis submitted a request for an expedited disaster declaration for Hurricane Milton.
A drone view shows a bulldozer removing debris from a road after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Matlacha, Fla., Oct. 10, 2024.
Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters
"We are going to put that through our system as quickly as possible so we can continue to bring the necessary resources to all Floridians that have been impacted by this event," she said.
Criswell said managing two back-to-back storms does complicate recovery efforts.
"It will be challenging, but we have done this before, and we're just going to have to continue to work with each person as they're working through understanding what they experienced from Helene, what they experienced from Milton, so they can get everything that they're eligible for," she said.
