Man steps on downed power line and dies while cleaning Milton debris

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) – A man in Florida died while cleaning debris from his yard that was left behind by Hurricane Milton.

A spokesperson for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said it appeared the man stepped on a downed power line.

Deputies were called to respond to a home in Pine Island Place around 5 p.m. for reports of an unresponsive man.

When they arrived, they found a man in his 60s who was lying dead in his yard.

Officials were reporting at least eight deaths as of Friday.

Five people were killed when a tornado hit the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on the Atlantic Coast, authorities said.

In Volusia County, a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange died after trees crashed into their homes, the sheriff’s office said.

And in Tampa, police said the body of a woman in her 70s was found Thursday morning under a large tree branch.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday warned people to not let down their guard and to be aware of hazards.

DeSantis noted interactions with downed power lines and water.

“We are seeing hazards that are still there,” he said. He said people should take care around standing water and should use generators properly.

“You have to make the proper decisions and know that there are hazards out there,” he said.

Milton came ashore Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key, a barrier island of white sand beaches on the Gulf Coast.

The storm made landfall about 70 miles south of the Tampa Bay area, sparing the densely populated area a direct hit.

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