Milton by the numbers: At least 5 dead, at least 12 tornadoes, 3.4M without power

Associated Press

Hurricane Milton’s explosive formation stirred high anxiety for Florida less than two weeks after Helene raked the state and much of the Southeast. Authorities on Thursday were still assessing the damage, even as Gov. Ron DeSantis said it fell short of “the worst-case scenario.” Some numbers already tell some of Milton’s story, though it’s early. At least five people died, and that came in a single tornado touchdown near Fort Pierce. That was one of what the National Weather Service says were about a dozen confirmed tornadoes — a number the agency says will surely rise. One measure of Milton’s reach was the number of customers without power — nearly 30% of those in Florida.