Milton hits Florida days after Helene and compounds FEMA demand

Hurricane Milton struck Florida in October 2024 shortly after Helene had already strained state and federal response systems. NOAA reported that Helene and Milton together caused more than $100 billion in combined damage across the Southeast. The back-to-back storms showed how FEMA capacity, state emergency management, debris removal and misinformation all become part of disaster response when major events overlap.