At least nine dead following Hurricane Milton as clean-up operation begins

A man walks out through floodwaters of the Anclote River after Hurricane Milton hit the region (Mike Carlson/AP)

Florida residents slogged through flooded streets, gathered up scattered debris and assessed damage to their homes on Friday after Hurricane Milton smashed through coastal communities and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes.

At least nine people were dead, but many expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared densely populated Tampa a direct hit and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialised.