227 confirmed dead from Helene as Florida braces for new storm
The death toll continues to rise, with some fearing more bodies could be found while Florida prepares for yet another tropical cyclone
A storm system that was brewing in the Gulf of Mexico strengthened into Tropical Storm Milton on Saturday, and forecasters warned that it could intensify into a hurricane and slam into the west coast of Florida next week.
Tropical Storm Milton was about 395 kilometres north of Veracruz, Mexico, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an afternoon advisory. It had maximum sustained winds of 65kph and was heading north-northeast at 6kph.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of the storm’s potential landfall. Since many of those counties are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, DeSantis asked the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available resources and personnel to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal.
Helene came ashore September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swathe of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads, and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions.
The number of deaths stood at 225 on Friday; two more were recorded in South Carolina the following day. It was still unclear how many people were unaccounted for or missing, with some officials saying the toll could rise even higher.