FLORIDA — The death toll from Hurricane Milton rose to at least 17 on Friday, with five fatalities reported in St. Lucie County due to tornadoes that struck the coastal region on Florida’s east coast, authorities confirmed.

Among the victims in St. Lucie County, one person lost their life at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a retirement community, county spokesman Erick Gill said. "I can’t confirm that all of them were from the Spanish Lakes neighborhood that was hardest hit," Gill stated, adding, "I know there was more than one."

As recovery efforts continue nearly 48 hours after Milton made landfall, approximately 2 million customers in Florida remain without power.

The storm initially left over 3 million people in the dark, with the worst damage concentrated along the state’s west coast, where the hurricane first hit. Areas including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties have been particularly impacted.

Florida Power & Light reported that while power has been restored to about 1.3 million customers, around 65,000 remain without electricity as of Friday.

Full restoration is expected to take several more days, with some counties aiming for 95% power restoration by the following Thursday, including Brevard, Charlotte, DeSoto, Flagler, Indian River, Manatee, Sarasota, Seminole, and Volusia. — Agencies