Hurricane Milton wreaks havoc across Florida, leaves 14 dead, over 3 million without power

At least 14 people have been confirmed dead in Florida after Hurricane Milton unleashed tornadoes, severe flooding, and widespread power outages across the southeastern US state.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday before roaring into the Atlantic, leaving behind roads blocked by downed trees and power lines.

The hurricane shredded the roof of a baseball stadium and some three million homes and businesses were without power.

Authorities said at least 14 people had been confirmed dead in the storm's aftermath, including six in St. Lucie County on Florida's Atlantic coast, and about 11 million people were at risk of flash and river flooding.

At least 340 people have been rescued in Florida so far, with flooding continuing in some areas and more than three million without power.

The Fitch credit rating agency said property damage from Hurricane Milton is likely to cause between $30bn and $50bn in insured losses, the highest total from a storm in two years.

That would bring total yearly insured losses for insurers in the state to more than $100bn for a fifth year in a row, according to the Fitch Ratings report.

After speaking with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday, US President Joe Biden urged people to stay inside in the aftermath of the storm, with downed power lines and debris creating dangerous conditions.

The US president warned that conditions in Florida remain dangerous and people should wait for the “all clear” from local officials before going out.

“We know from previous hurricanes that it is often the case that more lives are lost in the days following the storm than actually during the storm itself,” Biden said.

The National Weather Service issued 126 tornado warnings across Florida, which is still reeling from Hurricane Helene that hit only two weeks ago and left 237 people dead in Florida and other southeast states.

The back-to-back storms have become election fodder as former president Donald Trump says Biden and Harris are abandoning victims.

In a video posted on social media, Trump said he and his wife Melania were praying for Florida residents affected by the storm and urged them to vote for him.

"Hopefully, on January 20th you're going to have somebody that's really going to help you and help you like never before," the former president said, referring to the presidential inauguration date.

That prompted a furious response from Biden who called Trump "reckless, irresponsible."

Biden also called on Congress to quickly pass more disaster funding as he condemned the Republican candidate for spreading misinformation about the storm.

Scientists say extreme rainfall and destructive storms are occurring with greater severity and frequency as temperatures rise due to climate change, with warmer ocean surfaces releasing more water vapor, which provides more energy for storms.

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