Florida counts cost of Hurricane Milton after political storm

Florida is clearing downed trees and power lines and mopping up flooded neighborhoods after Hurricane Milton roared through leaving at least 16 people dead.

While Milton did not trigger the catastrophic surge of seawater that was feared in Florida, one of many states hit by Hurricane Helene about two weeks ago, the clean-up operation could take many weeks or months for some people.

The fifth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane on record, Milton could cost insurers alone up to $100 billion (AED 367 billion), analysts say.

The White House pledged government support as the full extent of the damage was still being surveyed.

But Republican Donald Trump, who trails Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris according to recent Reuters/Ipsos polling ahead of the November 5 presidential election, attacked his opponents for their handling of storm recovery efforts.

"The federal government ... has not done what you are supposed to be doing, in particular, with respect to North Carolina," he said on Thursday. North Carolina was hard-hit by Helene, and Trump faces a tight battle against Harris there.

Harris, who has said Trump is spreading lies about the government's response, hit back at the politicisation of the issue during a town hall event on Univision on Thursday.

"Sadly, we have seen over the last two weeks, since Hurricane Helene, and now in the immediate aftermath of Milton, where people are playing political games," she said, without naming Trump.

Politicians of both stripes are deeply aware of how Republican President George W. Bush's approval ratings fell after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005 and never recovered from a response deemed inadequate by many at the time.

The Biden administration said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will need additional funding from Congress, where the Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate, and urged lawmakers, who are on recess, to act.