Hurricane Milton has caused an estimated $160 billion in damage and economic loss, according to a preliminary assessment by AccuWeather. The Category 3 hurricane made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night, leaving a path of destruction. AccuWeather stated that total losses could reach up to $180 billion, positioning it as one of the most devastating storms in Florida's history. This comes shortly after Hurricane Helene, which AccuWeather projected to have caused at least $225 billion in damage and economic loss.

"With Hurricane Milton's total damage and economic losses of $160-180 billion, the sum of two hurricanes in just three weeks elapsed time has a total damage and economic loss of near 2% of the country’s GDP," stated AccuWeather founder and Executive Chairman Joel N. Myers.

Devastating winds across Florida resulted in power outages for millions of homes and businesses. As of Friday, 2.4 million customers were still without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

Dwindling fuel supplies, exacerbated by the storm, remained low on Friday. Over a quarter of gas stations statewide were out of fuel, reported Gas Buddy, with the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas being the hardest hit, where nearly 75% of gas stations were empty.

Milton's impact on Florida's agricultural sector could worsen the challenges farmers are already confronting following Hurricane Helene. The Florida Farm Bureau reported significant agricultural damage after Helene struck the state.