Floridians return home to clean up from two hurricanes, with gas and power in short supply

By: CNN

Posted: Oct 13, 2024 3:25 PM CDT
Updated: Oct 13, 2024 4:10 PM CDT

Joe Raedle/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

By Ashley R. Williams, Brian Abel, Amanda Musa and Alaa Elassar

(CNN) — Surrounded by the damage left behind by hurricanes Helene and Milton, people across Florida are facing the daunting task of cleaning up, but many lack the electricity and fuel to do it.

Hampered by roads blocked by fallen trees and flooding, fuel suppliers and power companies are working to get the infrastructure of daily life back up and running, and police are aiding recovery efforts by providing escorts to fuel tankers trying to reach those most in need.

President Joe Biden made his second trip to the state in two weeks to survey the latest hurricane damage. Speaking in St. Petersburg on Sunday morning, the president thanked first responders and local officials for their efforts and empathized with Floridians who had lost everything, saying they are “heartbroken and exhausted, and their expenses are piling up.”

Here’s the latest on recovery efforts:

• Deaths attributed to storm rise: The latest report shows 23 people died as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

• Gas stations still waiting for fuel: Just under 30% of the state’s gas stations have no fuel as of early Sunday, according to the monitoring website GasBuddy.com. In the hard-hit Tampa-St. Petersburg area, more than three quarters of stations, 77%, are out of gas. In the Sarasota area, 62%. Around Ft. Myers and Naples area, it’s 42%, and in the Orlando area, 35%. More than 37.3 million gallons of fuel has been delivered to Florida ports, according to Kevin Guthrie, director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management. “We have right now 25 Florida Highway Patrol escorts to rush in the fuel tankers from the port, and so those are being brought in to fill out the stations,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. Three public fuel sites in Plant City, Bradenton and St. Petersburg have been opened, where customers can receive 10 gallons of gas each for free. The governor said more will be opened Sunday in Charlotte, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

• Power is gradually being restored: As of early Sunday, a little over 950,000 customers remained out of power across the state according to PowerOutage.us – down from a peak of nearly 3 million. Crews from across the country are working to reconnect homes and businesses to the grid. The power companies estimate most people will have electricity by midweek.

• St. Petersburg offers gas and charging stations: The city of St. Petersburg has set up temporary stations to help residents in need, with a place to charge their phones and pick up essentials like bottled water, batteries and tarps. The city remains under a boil water notice due to multiple line breaks.

• Debris removal is a major priority: DeSantis said during a Sunday news conference the state is prioritizing debris removal and will allow the public to track the progress. President Joe Biden has approved 100% reimbursements of debris removal costs for 90 days, the governor said, encouraging city and county governments to urgently submit to FEMA their project worksheets with details of how much debris they need removed. “90 days, 100%, it’s time to get after it, no excuses,” Guthrie said Sunday. “This is all of us, all together.” All red tape has been lifted and direct permits are being quickly approved on new debris management sites, and size and weight restrictions for vehicles conducting removal have been lifted. Debris removal will continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the governor said.

• President Biden approves major disaster declaration: President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for the state on Saturday, according to FEMA. “Federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Florida to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Milton” from October 5 onward, a FEMA news release stated. Biden’s approval makes funding available for people in more than 30 counties impacted by Milton, according to the release. The funds include grants for temporary housing and home repairs. The president also announced Sunday more than $600 million in energy resilience projects to shore up the power grid in places like Florida.

Flooding continues to slow down recovery

Ongoing flooding issues after Milton dumped 16 inches of rain over Hillsborough County have hindered the area’s recovery from the storm, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Saturday.

“The water doesn’t subside as rapidly as all of us would like, so, this healing, this recovery, is taking a lot longer,” Chronister said.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service office in Tampa Bay continued flood warnings for rivers in Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties and several other locations Saturday, with some set to remain in effect “until further notice,” according to the weather service.

The Alafia River in Lithia, Florida, and the Hillsborough River, both in the Tampa area, remained at major flood stage by early Sunday.

A CNN crew touring the Hillsborough County neighborhood of Valrico with the sheriff’s office on Saturday observed widespread flooding for several blocks, leaving front yards and garages covered in water. Some residents told them they’d never seen such severe flooding in their decades of living there.

Residents in areas with rising floodwaters are being urged to evacuate to shelters if needed and they should not move through muddy water, which can be full of bacteria, Guthrie said.

Chronister said Saturday Hillsborough County’s crews performed more than 300 rescues within a 48-hour period, adding rescue teams are working around the clock.

More than 4,000 people have received help since Milton made landfall through the Activate Hope Line, according to DeSantis. The Hope bus is still being deployed to affected areas and has assisted more than 3,000 people so far, the governor said. Families who are still in need of reunification with a loved one can get help through the Red cross.

Drivers seek relief amid gas shortage

Drivers waited in lengthy lines Saturday outside gas stations in hopes of filling their tanks and cans, as shortages in the state’s hard-hit areas persisted.

Some people told CNN they’ve had to use word of mouth to find out which stations have gas. Drone footage Saturday morning showed long lines of drivers hugging both sides of a Thorntons gas station in Oldsmar in Pinellas County.

One of those lines made of at least 20 drivers stretched across the intersection while letting other drivers travel through, video showed. But relief was en route Saturday for some stations, including at a Wawa station in Valrico, where Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies escorted a gas tanker truck as several drivers awaited the chance to use the pumps.

A man standing outside his parked white pickup gave a grateful thumbs-up as the tanker pulled in, video showed. Paula Cast told CNN her family visited four or five different gas stations Friday, but everything was closed.

Then on Saturday, they got a call from one of their friends saying a Wawa station had gas. “So, me and my son immediately ran over here, and we’ve been in line for about an hour and a half, literally on fumes,” Cast said.

CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.