First Thing: Death toll climbs as Florida grieves Hurricane Milton’s destruction

At least 10 people have died. Plus, a deadly day of Israeli strikes in Gaza and Lebanon

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Good morning.

The death toll from Hurricane Milton climbed to at least 10 on Thursday as Florida continued to assess the destruction from the category 3 storm that caused extensive property damage across the state and left more than 3.5m homes and businesses without power.

How bad was the storm surge? Although the powerful storm surge authorities predicted before Milton’s arrival was not as bad as projected, in some areas, such as parts of Sarasota county, a storm surge of 2.4-3 metres (8-10ft) was recorded.

What is the role of global heating? It is always complicated when discussing specific weather events. But the burning of fossil fuels has made storms as severe as this month’s Hurricane Helene about 2.5 times more likely than they were in the preindustrial age, scientists at the World Weather Attribution group said.

What did Joe Biden say? The president attacked lies and misinformation when asked if he had spoken to Donald Trump, who falsely claimed disaster relief funds were redirected to migrants. “Former President Trump, get a life, man,” Biden said.