Hurricane Milton has moved away from Florida's east coast after making landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, leaving behind widespread flooding, fatalities, and extensive damage.

Clean-up efforts have already begun in some of the hardest-hit areas. St. Lucie County experienced at least nine tornadoes, resulting in five fatalities.

 As residents begin returning home to assess the damage, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the state is rapidly working to restore power to millions of customers currently without electricity and to replenish fuel supplies.

In Hillsborough County, flooding was severe, with the County Sheriff saying "I've never seen flooding like this."

The sheriff said the department helped rescue 135 elderly and disabled people earlier who had been evacuated from Bradenton for safety, CNN reports. 

Reports of severe damage to homes have also gone out, especially in the most affected areas with the strongest winds including, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Bradenton.

A total of at least eight fatalities have been confirmed so far.

Agriculture impact

Although it is still too early to fully assess the extent of Hurricane Milton's impact on Florida's agriculture, local farmers had been preparing for the worst.

Matthew Joyner, Executive Vice President and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual released a statement on Tuesday saying that although experience has taught members of the citrus industry that the expected path had the potential to change at any point, the organization still “encouraged all to plan and prepare.”

"Florida Citrus Mutual is prepared to work with FDACS, FDOC, and other partners to ensure access to the resources necessary to begin moving forward with recovery once the storm has passed," Joyner said.

“We understand that the potential impact to our industry is critical, however, we also know that the safety and well-being of you, our growers, and your families and staff is the number one priority,” Joyner said. “Please take this time to ensure that you have a plan in place to protect yourself and those around you.”

State officials are urging to reduce travel as much as possible, as emergency services hurry to clear damages and help those in need. 

Hurricanes have caused billion-dollar damages to the state's agriculture in the past. In 2022, the University of Florida found that Hurricane Ian caused damages of $1.03 billion in the total value of seasonal crops, livestock, nurseries, and aquaculture products. 

With mandatory evacuation orders lifted, the state is set to evaluate the cost of damages caused by Hurricane Milton.