Photos show the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Florida's 2nd massive storm in 2 weeks

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Oscar Garcia with his family outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Milton slammed into southwest Florida on Wednesday.
The storm caused widespread flooding and left over 3.3 million homes and businesses without power.
Winds tore the roof of Tropicana Field and caused a crane to collapse.

Hurricane Milton ripped through southwest Florida on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend region.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota County as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening. It was later downgraded to a Category 1.

Before Hurricane Milton even hit, tornadoes wrecked homes and killed four people. St. Petersburg police confirmed an additional two fatalities from the storm on Thursday, NBC News reported.

Widespread flooding and winds of up to 120 mph left over 3.3 million homes and businesses without power as of Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Hurricane Milton weakened before reaching the Florida coast, lessening storm surges that were predicted to be on par with Hurricane Helene.

“The storm was significant, but thankfully this was not the worst-case scenario,” he said at a briefing on Thursday.

At a time when hurricanes are becoming more frequent and more costly, the cost of Hurricane Milton’s destruction remains to be seen, but Hurricane Helene caused an estimated $34 billion worth of damage.

Photos show the aftermath of Hurricane Milton along Florida’s coast.

Floridians had barely begun rebuilding and cleaning up the debris from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton became a threat.

Debris from Hurricane Helene lines a street in the Redington Beach section of St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 8, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall. — Debris from Hurricane Helene in St. Petersburg, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

Debris from Hurricane Helene in St. Petersburg, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

Millions of Florida residents were urged to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall on Wednesday, leading to traffic jams.

Vehicles fill the road as they drive to the East on I-75 from the West coast of Florida before the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 08, 2024 in Big Cypress, Florida. — Traffic on Florida’s I-75 before the arrival of Hurricane Milton.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Traffic on Florida’s I-75 before the arrival of Hurricane Milton.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Before the storm even made landfall, the wind and rain were intense.

A car is seen parked as it rains heavily in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 9, 2024 as Hurricane Milton approaches. — Heavy rain in Fort Myers, Florida.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images

Heavy rain in Fort Myers, Florida.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images

Tornadoes ripped homes apart before Hurricane Milton reached Florida’s west coast.

Robert Haight salvages what he can from his home after what appeared to be a tornado tore the roof off before Hurricane Milton's arrival on October 09, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida. — Robert Haight’s home was damaged in what appeared to be a tornado before Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Fort Myers, Florida.

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Robert Haight’s home was damaged in what appeared to be a tornado before Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Fort Myers, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

By Wednesday evening, there had been 19 tornadoes across the state, causing major damage and killing at least four people.

Oscar Garcia (R) with his family stands outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 9, 2024, as Hurricane Milton approaches. — Oscar Garcia with his family outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images

Oscar Garcia with his family outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Milton made landfall in southwest Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, then was downgraded to a Category 1.

A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on October 10, 2024.

MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP/Getty Images

A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on October 10, 2024.

MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Milton’s highest storm surges reached 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County, lower than the areas most impacted by Hurricane Helene.

First responders in the water outside an apartment complex that was flooded from and overflowing creek due to Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Clearwater, Florida. — First responders in Clearwater, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

First responders in Clearwater, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

Winds of up to 120 mph ripped through the state, shredding the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024. — Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

The high winds also toppled a tower crane in downtown St. Petersburg and sent it crashing into a building.

A crane collapsed into a building in downtown St. Petersburg due to Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Florida. — A collapsed crane in St. Petersburg, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

A collapsed crane in St. Petersburg, Florida.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP/Getty Images

As of Thursday morning, over 3.3 million homes and businesses across Florida remained without power.

A woman walks along a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Osprey, Florida. — A flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Osprey, Florida.

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A flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Osprey, Florida.

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

Officials have asked locals not to become “Florida man” or “Florida woman” — a reference to Floridians doing bizarre things — by cutting power lines after the storm.

A boat rests in a yard after it was washed ashore when Hurricane Milton passed through the area on October 10, 2024, in Punta Gorda, Florida. — A boat washed ashore from Hurricane Milton in Punta Gorda, Florida.

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A boat washed ashore from Hurricane Milton in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Now, all Floridians can do is wait for the waters to recede and assess the damage.

In this aerial view, Flood waters inundate a neighborhood after Hurricane Milton came ashore on October 10, 2024, in Punta Gorda, Florida — Flood waters from Hurricane Milton in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Flood waters from Hurricane Milton in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Photos show the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Florida’s 2nd massive storm in 2 weeks