Hurricane killed at least 16 in Florida

PANAMA CITY, Florida — Hurricane Michael killed at least 16 people in Florida, most of them in the coastal county that took a direct hit from the storm, state emergency authorities said Tuesday. That’s in addition to at least 10 deaths elsewhere across the U.S. South.

The scope of the storm’s fury became clearer after nearly a week of missing-persons reports and desperate searches of the Florida Panhandle neighbourhoods devastated by the most powerful hurricane to hit the continental U.S. in nearly 50 years.

The count of 16 dead was twice the number previously tallied by The Associated Press.

Emergency authorities said 12 of the deaths were in Bay County, where the storm slammed ashore with winds of 250 kilometres an hour and a towering storm surge last Wednesday.

Bay County includes Mexico Beach, the ground-zero town of 1,000 people that was nearly obliterated, as well as Tyndall Air Force Base, Panama City and Lynn Haven, all of which were heavily damaged.

Florida emergency authorities gave no details on how the victims died.

The AP’s tally also includes 10 deaths in Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster Tuesday in 18 floodstricken counties in Central and South Texas.

In his proclamation, Abbott said severe weather and prolonged flooding that began Oct. 7 “has caused widespread and severe property damage and threatens loss of life.”

Officials said a body was found Tuesday in a rain-swollen lake amid widespread flooding in Central Texas. Forecasters told people along the Llano River to seek higher ground after more than 25 cm of rain had fallen in the past day and a half.