Hurricane Milton

It's actually called Vibrio vulnificus, and a range of peer-reviewed academic papers are reporting the infectious and deadly bacteria is prevalent on Southwest Florida beaches due to climate change, warming oceans, and its endemic population. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Rivers and streams continue to rise in Florida one week after deadly Hurricane Milton slammed the state with damaging winds and torrential rain. Many residents have been evacuated due to the water flowing into communities hit hard by the storm.

Hurricane Milton will be known as one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in recent history.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, communities across Florida pulled together to provide much-needed aid. Over the weekend, one local catering company teamed up with the World Central Kitchen to bring hot meals to those in need.

After experiencing a heavy hit from hurricanes Helene andMilton, Gulf Coast citizens aged 65 and older have had a difficult time recovering. Many of Florida’s older residents live in retirement communities with manufactured homes, which are easily destroyed during a storm. And many are also on a fixed income and hurricane damage tests the limits of their already inflation-strained budgets. Senior citizens have physical limitations, and many have disabilities that prevent them from being able to evacuate or take care of themselves during a storm. Senior citizens living alone often have nowhere to turn during a crisis.

Communities across Southwest Florida that were impacted by Hurricane Milton are now addressing the debris the storm left behind.Public drop-off sites have been set up and strict rules about how the debris is to be placed for collection are in place.

FEMA held a press conference in Punta Gorda to discuss disaster relief assistance for those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Officials emphasized the importance of registering for aid, addressed concerns about the Disaster Relief Fund, and announced an extended grace period for residents with lapsed National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies.

Punta Gorda is grappling with the aftermath of two major hurricanes in just two weeks—first Hurricane Helene, and now Hurricane Milton. As floodwaters receded into Charlotte Harbor, WGCU’s Mike Braun spoke with residents returning to assess their homes and businesses.

After the fear and anxiety of back-to-back hurricanes, folks are clamoring for a diversion. In spite of wind, rain, surge, mud and power outages, the show will go on at all seven Lee and Collier theaters tonight and this weekend.

Hurricane Milton's surge caused significant flooding in parts of Punta Gorda. Helene did the same thing less than three weeks ago.