More than two-and-a-half million homes and businesses remain without power after the storm tore through the state.

Hurricane Milton strengthened as it churned through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Tuesday and could wallop one of the state’s major population centers with huge storm surges, lashing rain and destructive winds just two weeks after deadly Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.

While Milton did not trigger the catastrophic surge of seawater feared in Florida, the clean-up operation could take many weeks or months.