BIG BEAR, Calif. (AP) — With a major wildfire burning near his mountain town east of Los Angeles, Cowboy the barn owl was unaware of the danger and instead having the adventure of a lifetime.
Perched in the front seat of a truck, Cowboy — along with nearly 50 other animals — was being evacuated Sept. 12 from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo in the face of the advancing Line Fire, which blazed through more than 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) of the San Bernardino National Forest.
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Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, transport a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, share a light moment while transporting a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Alex Palmer, an animal keeper from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, trains Piper, a red fox evacuated due to the Line Fire, to get comfortable with a crate before transporting her from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Piper, a red fox evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, walks out of a crate during training to become comfortable with it before being transported back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Alex Palmer, an animal keeper from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, carries a crate to prepare for transporting Piper, a red fox evacuated due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, transport a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Zoo personnel load a crate holding a fox, evacuated due to the Line Fire, to transport it back to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, share a light moment while transporting a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
“He just had the greatest time,” said Mike Barnes, Director of Animal Care and Health at the Living Desert Zoo and Garden in Palm Springs, where Cowboy was being taken. "They said he was probably going to be a handful on the ride down and he was the biggest sweetheart."
In less than 48 hours, two-thirds of the zoo’s animals had been safety evacuated. About a week later on Thursday, Cowboy and the other animals returned home.
“They just had this little kind of holiday, if you will, down here in the desert,” said Heather Downs, animal curator at the Living Desert.
It was the second time that Big Bear Alpine Zoo animals were transported to the Living Desert during a wildfire. Each time, lessons are learned.
The Line Fire spewed out billowing clouds of smoke, turning the skies orange and filling the air with hazardous particles. For birds and smaller mammals, who have higher respiratory rates and are especially sensitive to air quality, they needed to get out of there fast.
The residents of the Big Bear Alpine Zoo are not your usual zoo inhabitants. The sanctuary houses rehabilitated animals that are unable to be released into the wild, many of which are elderly and have injuries.
One of the eagles is blind in one eye after suffering from DDT poisoning, which means staff had to add perches and stumps lower to the ground in its enclosure and move logs that could be tripping hazards, Barnes said. The sanctuary houses many other birds who can't fly, as well as a three-legged kit fox who also needed special accommodations.
Left behind in Big Bear were the bears, bobcats, mountain lions, snow leopards and wolves, who were moved inside where they were protected by HVAC systems and air-scrubbers.
The animals that were transported couldn't go on a full stomach, but zoo staff made sure everyone was fed that night when they arrived at the Living Desert.
There was one arthritic sandhill crane that looked “a little down, a little dumpy,” but a veterinarian determined it was simply grumpy from the change in temperature, Barnes said.
During the evacuation, Big Bear zoo curator Jessica Whiton transported two foxes who left behind a memorable scent in the back of her car, but it was mostly a stress-free experience for them, she said.
“We had them positioned so they could see out the window, and they curled up and watched the drive down the mountain,” Whiton said.
The Living Desert regularly drills and prepares for scenarios where they have to take in or transport large numbers of animals. The nonprofit zoo partners with government agencies to hold confiscated wildlife and help rehabilitate animals, and had more than enough holding space to take in visitors.
Barnes' Thursday began at 6 a.m. as he loaded up an array of birds — cranes, hawks, barn owls and a pelican — and made the winding two-hour drive back to the animals' mountain home.
Back at the Living Desert, Piper the red fox was getting ready for her ride home.
The one-year-old orphaned kit stood on top of her crate and sniffed at it curiously in her enclosure. Staff train the animals to get used to their crates by repeatedly placing treats inside, which is helpful in emergency situations like these when they have to be transported for a long period of time, explained Big Bear animal keeper Alex Palmer.
“Today we're going to be crating her back up, hopefully voluntarily, getting her loaded up in one of our transport shuttles and getting her back up to the zoo,” Palmer said. “She'll be a lot happier, a lot more comfortable hopefully, and back with her neighboring foxes.”
Alex Palmer, an animal keeper from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, trains Piper, a red fox evacuated due to the Line Fire, to get comfortable with a crate before transporting her from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Piper, a red fox evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, walks out of a crate during training to become comfortable with it before being transported back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Alex Palmer, an animal keeper from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, carries a crate to prepare for transporting Piper, a red fox evacuated due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, transport a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Zoo personnel load a crate holding a fox, evacuated due to the Line Fire, to transport it back to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Animal care curator Heather Down, left, and Mike Barnes, director of animal care and health, share a light moment while transporting a fox, evacuated from the Big Bear Alpine Zoo due to the Line Fire, back to the zoo from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Cleanup from Hurricane Milton was underway on Friday as residents returned home after the storm barreled across Florida, spawning tornadoes, knocking out power to millions, damaging homes and leading to hundreds of rescues.
At least nine people died in the storm, and there was significant damage in areas, but Milton wasn't as bad as had been feared. Flooding from Milton’s heavy rains was still causing problems though as rescues of people and animals stranded in rising waters continued.
Gov. Ron DeSantis warned people to not let down their guard and to be aware of hazards, including downed power lines and flooded areas.
The storm roared into Florida mid-week as some communities were still dealing with damage from devastating Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. President Joe Biden was set to visit areas impacted by Milton on Sunday.
Follow The Associated Press’ coverage of tropical weather at https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes.
Milton came ashore Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, a barrier island of white sand beaches on the Gulf Coast.
The storm made landfall about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of the Tampa Bay area, sparing the densely populated area a direct hit.
As the storm made its way across Florida to the Atlantic Ocean it downed power lines and trees and flooded some neighborhoods. Even before making landfall, it spawned deadly tornadoes.
In St. Petersburg, Milton toppled a crane working on a 46-story building and destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.
On Friday afternoon, over 2 million customers in Florida were still without power, according to poweroutage.us.
Officials were reporting at least nine deaths as of Friday.
Five people were killed when a tornado hit the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on the Atlantic Coast, authorities said.
In Volusia County, a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange died after trees crashed into their homes, the sheriff's office said.
In Tampa, police said the body of a woman in her 70s was found Thursday morning under a large tree branch.
Maintenance worker Bruce Kinsler, 68, was killed in Polk County as he tried to clear a tree that had fallen into a roadway, a county official said. Kinsler was struck by a truck driven by a county employee who was arriving to help.
Human-caused climate change gave a significant boost to Milton, intensifying the storm’s rainfall by 20% to 30% and strengthening its winds by about 10%, scientists said in a new flash study.
World Weather Attribution researchers said Friday that without climate change, a hurricane like Milton would make landfall as a weaker Category 2, which is not considered a “major” storm, instead of a Category 3.
Climate change also boosted Helene’s wind and rain. The two storms made an otherwise unusually quiet hurricane season roar to life.
Three major theme parks in the Orlando area — Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld — all closed Wednesday as Milton approached but were reopening Friday.
Airports that had ceased operations as the storm neared were reopening as well. Orlando International Airport — the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked — had resumed full operations by Friday, as had Tampa International Airport and Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
The back-to-back hurricanes of Helene and then Milton have reshaped the U.S. presidential campaign, just weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
Both Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump have been devoting part of their recent days to tackling questions about the storm recovery effort, and have seen their schedules jumbled.
After Helene, Trump and Harris separately went to Georgia and North Carolina, requiring campaign events elsewhere to be canceled. The hurricanes are also forcing basic questions about who as president would best respond to deadly natural disasters, a once-overlooked issue that has become an increasingly routine part of the job.
Del Ockey, a seasonal Florida resident from Canada, walks near the damaged bridge that leads onto his property during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A sink hole is visible on a road damaged by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. The road is the only access point into a community. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Hurricane Milton damage is seen to the beachfront condominium community of Bahia Vista Gulf, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Area residents walk past a beachfront home with sand reaches half-way up its sliding doors, as they survey Hurricane Milton damage, on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Sand swept by Hurricane Milton reaches half-way up the sliding doors of a beachfront villa, next to a pool deck where the 8 1/2 foot deep pool had disappeared under sand, at Jetty Villas on the island of Venice, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A linesman contractor for Duke Energy works on power lines along Forest City Road in Orlando. Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. As of Friday morning, 2.2 million Floridians were reported to still be without power. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
This image taken from Deland Police bodycam shows DeLand police and fire crews conduct water rescues after Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in DeLand, Fla. (City of DeLand, Fla., via AP)
A member of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office goes out to help residents trapped in their homes as waters rise after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A Spring Oaks resident checks out the rising floodwaters from the Little Wekiva River on Spring Oaks Blvd. in his neighborhood in Altamonte Springs, Fla., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. Central Florida rivers are forecast to crest in the coming days because of the excessive rainfall from Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A USPS worker inspects trucks that had been relocated to protect them from wind but which are now underwater as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Waters rise in Pasco County neighborhoods as intense rain from Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A bridge going over a small creek is seen damaged by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. The road is the only access point into a community. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Amy Bishop is evacuated from her home by Pasco County Fire and Rescue and Sheriff's Office teams as waters rise in her neighborhood after Hurricane Milton caused the Anclote River to flood, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A bridge going over a small creek is seen damaged by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. The road is the only access point into a community. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A truck drives down a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A pick up drives past a guard gate on a flooded street in Siesta Key, Fla., following the passage Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A car is submerged in flood water at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A lifeguard hut is on its side after Hurricane Milton at Clearwater Beach, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 (AP Photo/Haven Daley)
Neighborhoods destroyed by tornadoes are seen in this aerial photo in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
FILE - Cyclists ride through flooded streets in a neighborhood damaged by tornados spawned ahead of Hurricane Milton, Oct. 10, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Ducre, her husband, three children, and two grandkids rode out the storm in a government shelter and returned to find their home unlivable and much of their furniture and belongings destroyed by rainwater. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Renel Prophet carries a chainsaw to get it repaired after it broke while cleaning out down trees in his property, which became unaccessible during Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Riverview, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Public work employees remove sand from the roadways, that was pushed to the streets by Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Public work employees remove sand that was pushed to the streets by wind and storm surge from Hurricane Milton, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Hangars at Albert Whitted Airport were damaged by winds from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Residents walk past trees and signs damaged by winds from Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
People are rescued from an apartment complex after heavy flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Debris and an awning of a gas station sits on the ground the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
High water is seen near Hillsborough street in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A traffic light hangs low as flood waters cover a road the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
High water is seen on Hillsborough street in the aftermath of hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A construction crane fell over into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters, after Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A man negotiates driving through flood waters into a community surrounded with floodwaters the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A man and child leave a rescue boat after high flood waters entered their apartment in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A high rise construction crane broke apart and crashed into the building across the street during Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
This image provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shows an aerial view of the extensive flooding on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 after Hurricane Milton passed through the area. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office via AP)
City employee Ebony Pizarro blocks off a flooded street near Lake Monroe after Hurricane Milton passed through Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Sanford, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Cars move slowly after Hurricane Milton damaged power lines, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
A building loses its front side around the Palmetto Beach neighborhood after Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (Jefferee Woo/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Toppled palm trees lie along the road after the passage of Hurricane Milton in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
People are rescued from an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Water left by Hurricane Milton floods a road inside Pines Trailer Park, where debris was still piled outside homes from Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
A house sits toppled off its stilts after the passage of Hurricane Milton, alongside an empty lot where a home was swept away by Hurricane Helene, in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Natasha Ducre surveys the kitchen of her devastated home, which lost most of its roof during the passage of Hurricane Milton, in Palmetto, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. Ducre, her husband, three children and two grandkids, rode out the storm in a government shelter and returned to find their home unlivable and much of their furniture and belongings destroyed by rainwater. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The destroyed roof of the Tropicana Dome is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, center, addresses members of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Urban Search and Rescue Florida Task Force One before they deploy ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
An apparent tornado caused by Hurricane Milton tossed an ice machine into the parking lot of a 7-Eleven convenient store, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Cape Coral, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The entrance to the Magic Kingdom theme park is shown empty shortly before they closed because of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Guests weather early bands of rain from Hurricane Milton at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. All four of Disney's Florida theme parks closed early Wednesday due to the forecast track of the storm. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Stephen Gandy shelters in the gymnasium at River Ridge Middle/High School in preparation for Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
An apparent tornado caused by Hurricane Milton, tore the awning off a 7-Eleven convenient store, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Cape Coral, Fla.(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
A Lee County Sheriff's officer patrols the streets of Cape Coral, Fla., as heavy rain falls ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
A person walks under light rain ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Muhamed Aftah, Fatimah Aftah and Senna Aftah eat a meal at a hurricane shelter at River Ridge Middle/High School in preparation for Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A boat damaged in Hurricane Helene rests against a bridge ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in South Pasadena, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Don Hallenbeck, right, fills gas tanks as he prepares to stay in his home in advance of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Port Charlotte, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Erin Ferguson walks her dog while looking at equipment stationed by the Florida National Guard in preparation for Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 11:46 a.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
Rain begins to fall ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Personal items sit abandoned on the side of a road on Deadman Key, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in South Pasadena, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
This photo provided by astronaut Matthew Dominick shows Hurricane Milton seen from the International Space Station on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (Matthew Dominick/NASA via AP)
A jogger runs along the bay in heavy rain ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Travelers check in as flights to Tampa, Fla., are canceled due to Hurricane Milton on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 at the Philadelphia International Airport. (Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
Police block off a bridge leading to the barrier island of St. Pete Beach, Fla., ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in South Pasadena, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A person rides his bike through a flooded street in the rain as Hurricane Milton passes off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Calm weather greets tourists strolling past the various shops at the Disney Springs entertainment complex as Hurricane Milton threatens Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
North Miami Beach, Fla., commissioner McKenzie Fleurimond, left, checks cars as residents line up to receive sandbags from the city to help prevent flooding, as Hurricane Milton prepares to strike Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in North Miami Beach. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
North Miami Beach, Fla., public service worker Jean Pierre Amisial Louis holds a sandbag as workers load sandbags, to be distributed to residents as Hurricane Milton prepares to strike Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in North Miami Beach. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Duke Energy project manager Tiger Yates, bottom center, walks among the hundreds of lineman trucks staged, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. at The Villages, Fla. in preparation for Hurricane Milton. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
A person takes photos at the harbor amid rain as Hurricane Milton passes near Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Birdkeepers Austin Laroche and Madi Unwin move animals into a restroom at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in preparation for the impact of Hurricane Milton. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
In this image taken with a drone, the Tampa, Fla., skyline, top right, is seen at a distance as traffic flows eastbound, left lanes, along Interstate 4 as residents continue to follow evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Milton, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Destroyed furniture and personal items from Hurricane Helene flooding sit piled outside mobile homes in Sandpiper Resort Co-op ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Scott Joyner looks at damaged items he removed from his garage following flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Punta Gorda, Fla., as residents of of the historic neighborhood are now bracing for possible storm surge from Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
A closed business is seen after Hurricane Helene ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Treasure Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Tyler Griffin secures his boat in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A message is seen outside of an apartment in the Davis Islands community of Tampa, Fla., as residents prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A boarded up business, marked with graffiti reading "Go home Milton, U R drunk," is seen past debris from Hurricane Helene flooding piled up outside a home, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Susana Ortiz fills out sand bags on the beach at the Davis Islands Yacht Basin as she prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Debris from homes flooded in Hurricane Helene sits curbside as Hurricane Milton approaches on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Arnie Bellini surveys the damages caused from Hurricane Helene on a street in Clearwater Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. Bellini fronted $500,000. of his own money to help speed up debris cleanup ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A carousel stands damaged after the eye of Hurricane Milton passed off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
A store boards up but remains open in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
A person rides his bike through a flooded street amid rain as Hurricane Milton passes off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Highway signage announces the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton and the evacuations zones on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
An LED signage truck with loudspeakers makes announcements informing residents of mandatory evacuations in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Ted Carlson puts his best friend Evan Purcell's cat McKenzie into a pick-up truck as the pair recover her along with other important items from Purcell's home ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, as debris from Hurricane Helene damage to Purcell's garage level still sits alongside the driveway, in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. "This place couldn't handle Helene," said Carlson, predicting. "It's all going to be gone." (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
John Fedor, of New Jersey, waits for transportation help to get to a shelter after his flight was canceled Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., due to the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
A sculpture of Poseidon stands in the ocean before the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Heavy traffic flows northbound on Interstate-75 as people evacuate the Tampa Bay area ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival late Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Ocala, Fla. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A man boards up an apartment building to protect it from Hurricane Milton, in Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Contractors with the City of New Port Richey help clean debris left by Hurricane Helene in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Noah Weibel and his dog Cookie climb the steps to their home as their family prepares for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Jay McCoy puts up plywood in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Owners try to secure their boat at the Davis Islands Yacht Clubs ahead a possible landfall by Hurricane Milton, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Jay McCoy puts up plywood in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
