VTV.vn – The death toll from Hurricane Milton has increased to at least 15 people, after a death was announced on October 10 (local time) in Polk County, Florida.

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Bruce Kinsler, 68, who had served Polk County for about 10 years, died while cutting down a fallen tree that was blocking a road and was hit by a car, according to a Polk County press release.

Here are the deaths from Hurricane Milton in Florida counties: 6 in St. Lucie County; 2 in Pinellas County; 4 in Volusia County; 1 in Citrus County; 1 in Hillsborough County; 1 in Polk County.

Debris strewn on the streets after Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key (Photo: AFP)

More than 2.6 million utility customers across Florida remained without power as of 11 p.m. ET on October 10, PowerOutage.us reported. That’s down from more than 3.3 million people without power earlier that morning.

The highest percentage of customers without power was in Highlands County in Central Florida, where more than 88% of customers were without power. Meanwhile, more than 70% of homes and businesses were without power in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located.

Flooded streets after Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, October 10 (Photo: AFP)

Hardee, Manatee and Sarasota counties also reported significant power outages, according to PowerOutage.us.

St. Petersburg, one of the hardest hit areas, with more than 18 inches of rain, is still recovering from Milton. As many as 30 broken water mains are being repaired, mostly due to fallen trees. Hundreds of trees have been reported down across the city. Water service has been restored and is safe for handwashing and bathing, but residents are advised to boil water before using it for drinking or cooking.

A fallen tree lands on a car in Lakewood Park, Florida, after a tornado hit during Hurricane Milton on October 10 (Photo: AFP)

Local rescue teams are working to clear the debris and clear roads. City offices will reopen for normal business on October 14.

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, since Hurricane Milton made landfall, 999 people and 105 animals have been rescued by the Florida National Guard and Urban Search and Rescue Team.

Twenty-three urban search and rescue teams with more than 1,600 personnel are actively deployed across the state, along with 10 flood response teams. Governor DeSantis said the Florida National Guard has mobilized more than 6,500 troops and is expected to be joined by about 2,500 more from other states.

The death toll from Hurricane Milton in Florida has now risen to 15 (Photo: AFP)

At least 27 tornadoes have hit Florida, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Numerous trees and power lines have been knocked down along the path of the storm. Flooding has also occurred in parts of the Tampa Bay area.

As of the evening of October 10, rescue operations continued as authorities evacuated flooded residents in the city of Clearwater, near Tampa.

Milton made landfall just two weeks after another major storm, Hurricane Helene, devastated Florida and other southeastern states. Experts estimate that both Helene and Milton caused hundreds of billions of dollars in damage in the U.S.