Hurricane Michael kills 30 in four US states: 20 dead in Florida as authorities fear toll could rise

Washington: Hurricane Michael killed at least 30 people in four states, as the storm made its way through the southeastern United States last week, new local estimates showed on Tuesday. Twelve bodies were recovered in Bay County, Florida, Sheriff Tommy Ford told local media, bringing the death toll up to 20 in that state. [caption id=“attachment_5391991” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A home destroyed by Hurricane Michael in Fountain, 15 October. Reuters[/caption] The powerful Category 4 storm, which originally made landfall along Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coastline with winds of up to 155 miles (250 kilometres) an hour, also left one person dead in Georgia, three in North Carolina and six in Virginia. Hurricane Michael left scenes of destruction in its wake in Florida, and authorities fear the toll could still increase as search operations continue in the most heavily damaged areas. Nearly 137,000 Florida homes and businesses were still without power Tuesday, and several water and food distribution points were still in place for affected residents throughout the state. Some jurisdictions implemented curfews and most schools in the affected areas were closed until further notice.