Floridians evacuated for Hurricane Milton after wake-up call from devastating Helene

Associated Press

BRANDON, Fla. (AP) — Florida residents are returning to their Gulf Coast homes after evacuating for Hurricane Milton. Traffic clogged Interstate 75 and other major routes to the coast Friday as people who fled hundreds of miles to escape the storm made long, slow trips back. Fred Neuman and his wife walked their dog at a rest stop north of Tampa. They were returning to Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall Wednesday. Neuman said he loves his home but wasn’t about to risk dying in it. Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said he thinks the devastation of Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier scared many people into fleeing Milton, which killed at least 10 people.