Hurricane Milton Latest: Flooding, Gas Shortages Persist; 1.5M Without Power

TAMPA, FL — Florida residents continued to assess damage to their homes Saturday amid flooding threats, blackouts and ongoing gas shortages, three days after Hurricane Milton hit the Tampa Bay area as a strong Category 3 storm.

Arriving just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, Milton initially knocked out power to more than 3.4 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off Tampa Bay Rays stadium and toppled a construction crane in St. Petersburg.

As of noon Saturday, nearly 1.5 million people remained without power as crews continued working to restore service.

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In a Friday afternoon update, Duke Energy officials estimated power would be restored to Brevard, Citrus, Hernando, Highlands, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties by midnight Sunday.

Power in Pasco and Pinellas counties should be restored by midnight Tuesday, the company said.

Flooding remained a threat Saturday after Milton dumped as much as 18 inches of rain in Pinellas and coastal Hillsborough counties. Rivers have been slow to recede across central and north Florida, prompting flood warnings throughout the region.

In Hillsborough County, a flood warning was in effect for the Alafia River at Riverview near US Highway 301, according to the National Weather Service. The river crossed major flood stage Thursday and exceeded more than 24 feet on Friday, according to a CNN report.

The Anclote River, north of Clearwater, and the St. Johns River, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, are both approaching new records and are expected to remain at major flood stage through the weekend, CNN reported.

Flood warnings were also in effect until further notice for the following, according to Hillsborough County officials:

• Hillsborough River Near Zephyrhills at Hillsborough River State Park
• Hillsborough River at Morris Bridge
• Little Manatee River at Wimauma at U.S. 301

“If you live in a flood-prone area, prepare for flooding,” county officials said. “Know how to shut off the electricity and gas to your house prior to a flood. Make a list of emergency numbers, identify a safe place to go in case of a flood, and put insurance policies, valuable papers, and medicine in a safe place.”

Pasco County is also experiencing what officials called “historic” flooding. On Thursday, county officials recommended voluntary evacuations for several neighborhoods.

“Water is quickly rising in these areas, and we encourage you to LEAVE and get to higher ground NOW,” Pasco County officials wrote on social media.

As of Saturday, at least 17 people were dead following Milton’s landfall, according to NBC News and CNN reports. At least six deaths occurred in the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Fort Pierce after the area was hit by tornadoes on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Gasoline shortages also continued across the state. As of Friday afternoon, nearly 30 percent of the state’s gas stations were without fuel, according to the gas tracker platform GasBuddy.com, with 77.5 percent of the shortages reported in the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas.

On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state still had 1 million gallons of diesel and more than 730,000 gallons of emergency fuels on hand. An additional 449,000 gallons of diesel and 480,500 gallons of gas were ordered to come into Florida, he added.

Still, residents desperate to refill their gas tanks flocked to stations Friday, causing long lines and frustration, WFLA reported. Video from WFLA showed a line of roughly 100 cars waiting to enter a Tampa gas station after Milton hit the state.

Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service, told CBS News on Friday that he expects the “gas crisis” to be fully resolved within 72 hours.

“By Tuesday or Wednesday, it will be back to normal,” he told CBS MoneyWatch.

Also Friday, the owner of a major phosphate mine disclosed that pollution spilled into Tampa Bay during the hurricane.

The Mosaic Company said in a statement that heavy rains from the storm overwhelmed a collection system at its Riverview site, pushing excess water out of a manhole and into discharges that lead to the bay. The company said the leak was fixed on Thursday.

Mosaic said the spill likely exceeded a 17,500-gallon minimum reporting standard, though it did not provide a figure for what the total volume might have been.

The state has 25 such stacks containing more than 1 billion tons of phosphogypsum, a solid waste byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer mining industry that contains radium, which decays to form radon gas. Both radium and radon are radioactive and can cause cancer. Phosphogypsum may also contain toxic heavy metals and other carcinogens, such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and nickel.

Other things to know about Hurricane Milton recovery:

• Those who need help with damages can call Florida’s Crisis Cleanup hotline at 844-965-1386. Residents may also call 833-GET-HOPE for free assistance and resources such as food, household goods and debris removal.
• FEMA assistance is available to residents who experienced damages or losses due to Hurricane Helene. Financial help is available for temporary lodging, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused expenses. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA app or 1-800-621-3362.
• Milton’s total damages are estimated between $160 and $180 billion, according to AccuWeather.
• At least 1,600 people and 140 animals have been rescued in ongoing efforts, DeSantis said Friday morning during a news conference in St. Petersburg.
• As of Friday, access to the barrier islands, including Casey Key, Manasota Key, Siesta Key, and Longboat Key, was closed to the public. Only residents and business owners will be allowed onto the islands.
• As of Friday, there were 26 active boil water notices as a result of Hurricane Milton, including two in Sarasota and Pinellas County, as well as orders in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pasco counties.
• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport: Because of extensive damage to the terminal, the airport will be closed to flights and passengers until Wednesday at 9 a.m. Check with airlines for specific flight information.
• St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport: Flights will resume and all businesses will reopen at the terminal on Saturday. Check with airlines for specific flight information.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.