Coastal residents in Florida are trying to put their lives back together in the wake of Hurricane Milton. At least 16 people are dead, but the death toll continues to rise.
Floridians are still discovering the full extent of Milton's destruction, and learning stories of survival.
One man was found floating 30 miles off the Gulf Coast, clinging to a cooler to stay afloat. The Coast Guard rescued him after he tried to ride out Milton on his fishing boat in 25-foot high seas.
Milton came ashore Wednesday night south of Tampa as a Category 3 hurricane.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department was going door-to-door on boats, rescuing more than 725 people.
Five hundred were rescued from one apartment complex. And a 14-year-old boy was found alive, floating on a piece of fencing.
In Tampa, a mother and son used their fishing boat to help stranded people. She can be heard saying, "These people all need help. Nobody has been here today, and they have animals."
*** CLICK HERE to Help the Victims of Hurricane Helene
In Gulf Coast communities from Naples to Venice, some have found their homes buried under as much as three feet of sand.
Meanwhile, 38 reported tornadoes damaged hundreds of homes.
On the other side of Florida, in Palm Beach Gardens, a dumpster was picked up by a tornado and thrown onto a house.
At least six people were killed when a tornado hit a retirement community.
Rescuer Mike Johnson said, "When I was coming back around, there were people screaming in the trailer park. And two or three of us jumped a ditch to go check it out. One guy was already passed away and it was like a bomb went off right there."
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The Palm Beach County Sheriff called the damage in the Wellington area "extensive," saying all 200 homes he surveyed were "uninhabitable."
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said, "I can tell you why. The places I saw looked like it was an atomic bomb that blew it up."
Operation Blessing, already helping victims of Helene in Georgia and North Carolina, is sending pre-deployment teams into the Tampa Bay area.
OB relief workers will be taking generators, mobile kitchens, construction equipment, chainsaws, and other supplies to help those in need.
We are sending a team down to #Florida to assess the damages left over from Hurricane Milton. Many will have to start the process of rebuilding their lives again… Please keep these disaster victims in your prayers. https://t.co/yH3bgHY0rS. pic.twitter.com/yHeFbfU0sy
— Operation Blessing (@operationbless) October 10, 2024
If you would like to support Operation Blessing as it helps those hit hard by Hurricane Helene, you can call CBN at 1-800-700-7000 or click HERE to visit Operation Blessing's website.
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