Death toll in Florida reached 21 in aftermath of Hurricane Milton

The death toll from Hurricane Milton in Florida surged to 21 on Saturday, days after it devastated the state as the powerful Category 3 storm left the state with widespread power outages.

With wind speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour and a near-record storm surge, nearly four million residents grappled with widespread power outages in the aftermath of the devastating storm, according to Fox Weather.

Tragically, the majority of the fatalities in the coastal state of the United States were caused by fierce tornadoes that ripped through the state before the monster Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday.

At least two were killed by falling trees and another by stepping on an active downed power line in the storm’s aftermath, officials said, according to Fox Weather.

As communities assess and clean up the damage in the aftermath of the recent back-to-back major hurricanes on both coasts, extensive power outages continue to exacerbate the situation.

Despite the efforts of tens of thousands of linemen, who have been working tirelessly to restore power to over two million consumers since Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday, roughly 1.5 million people still remained without power Saturday morning.

About a million residents in the Tampa Bay-Sarasota area, which took the brunt of the storm's winds and hit with downed trees and power lines, are still facing power outages.

Additionally, the outages have affected fuel distribution at ports around Tampa Bay, with reports of as many as 75% of gas stations closed or without fuel as of Friday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that the state is working to get fuel to stations and is also setting up fuel depots in hard-hit areas that will provide 10 gallons of free fuel per person.