The death toll in Milton increases to at least 17 people

So far, officials have reported at least 17 deaths as a result of Hurricane Milton's nationwide destruction and floods.

Death toll by county: St. Lucie County - 6, Pinellas County - 2, Volusia County - 4, Citrus County - 1, Hillsborough County - 1, Polk County - 2, and Orange County - 1.

Nearly 2.5 million people and businesses were without electricity, and some places in the mammoth storm's course through the Sunshine State from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean were still inundated.

Most outages occur in Florida's Gulf Coast in Hillsborough County, where over 460,000 outages have been reported. Around 60% of consumers in Manatee County, south of Hillsborough County, are still without power.

Experts stated on Friday that human-caused climate change made Hurricane Milton wetter and windier.

"Heavy one-day rainfall events such as the one associated with Milton are 20-30 percent more intense and about twice as likely in today's climate," the World Weather Attribution group of climate scientists said in a report.

According to the analysis, the effect increased Milton's wind intensity by nearly 10%, transforming a Category 2 storm into a more severe Category 3, on a five-point scale.

Pasco and Hernando counties in Florida are telling citizens to seek higher ground as flooding from local rivers and lakes begins.

“Pasco County is experiencing historical flooding in low-lying areas and in several neighborhoods around the county near our rivers and lakes,” the county said in a post on its Facebook page. "Water is quickly rising in these areas, and we encourage you to LEAVE and get to higher ground NOW."

Hernando County issued a similar warning on Facebook, stating there is "flooding near and along the Withlacoochee River."

Even though the state is only a day away from Milton going through, Florida's unusually flat geography can cause rivers to drain more slowly, as observed in recent years following hurricanes and tropical storms.