Florida Begins Cleanup After Hurricane Milton
Floridians have begun returning to their homes to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Milton. The U.S. government has approved federal aid as clean-up efforts begin, with damage totaling over US$50 billion.
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00:00Florida residents assess the damage to their homes, battered by Hurricane Milton, the second
00:10major storm to slam into the U.S. state in less than two weeks.
00:15With gale force winds, storm surge and torrential rain that prompted flooding, the Category
00:223 storm wreaked havoc, toppling trees, downing power lines and destroying businesses and
00:27homes.
00:28Total destruction, total destruction, it's in chaos.
00:34This was, as you can see it, you know, you couldn't see through this lower floor.
00:39This was all walled in.
00:41So as you can see the walls on the floor, all this, this was a garage door right there
00:47where you're standing, and this was all walled in.
00:52Now it's all open.
00:59The storm claimed the lives of at least 17 people, and rescues are still underway, with
01:05many trapped in their homes due to major flooding.
01:08At least 1,600 people have already been returned to safety, including the captain of a fishing
01:13vessel who was found clinging to a cooler 50 kilometers out to sea.
01:20As authorities continue searching for those missing, the state's governor has urged residents
01:25to keep exercising caution, citing ongoing safety threats.
01:30We're now in the period where you have fatalities that are preventable.
01:35We have had fatalities because of interaction with downed power lines and water.
01:42We are seeing hazards that are still there.
01:47A major cleanup effort is underway, with Milton adding piles of debris to the damage caused
01:52here by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.
01:56Troops are on the ground delivering food, water and other necessities to the millions
02:00impacted.
02:01Fuel is in short supply, and workers are attempting to restore power to the at least 500,000 homes
02:07still in the dark.
02:12While surveying the damage, U.S. President Joe Biden said he was thankful the storm was
02:16not as catastrophic as originally predicted.
02:19But noted, the damage is still extensive.
02:22And homeowners have taken a real beating, these back-to-back storms.
02:28And they're heartbroken and exhausted, and their expenses are piling up.
02:36Biden has approved federal aid to help recovery efforts and pledged to ask Congress for additional
02:41funds.
02:43Damages have been estimated at over 50 billion U.S. dollars, leaving residents here who've
02:48begun picking up the pieces, with a mammoth task to return the state and their lives back
02:53to normality.
02:55Dolphine Chen and Rosie Greninger for Taiwan Plus.