Approximately 460,000 homes and businesses in Florida still remain without power, according to USA TODAY’s power outage tracker.
The hardest-hit areas include Hillsborough County with 170,000 outages and Pinellas County with 95,000.
Further south, Sarasota County reported 39,000 outages, while Manatee County had nearly 52,000.
Many residents returning after evacuating faced long lines at gas stations, with 88% of gas stations in the Tampa area running out of fuel due to power outages affecting pumps, according to the Weather Channel.
The Category 3 hurricane made landfall just north of Tampa, claiming at least 16 lives and initially leaving 2 million people without power. Alongside rescue efforts and cleanup, residents are encountering wildlife, particularly alligators, in unexpected places.
Alligator sightings have heightened concerns, with one spotted on a porch in Tampa and another lunging at a car in flooded North Fort Myers.
Local authorities warn of post-storm dangers, including floodwaters filled with debris, downed power lines, and wildlife.
Chris Gillette, a wildlife rehabilitator, emphasized that while alligators generally avoid humans, residents should avoid flooded areas where they may be present. The flooding allows alligators to move into suburban areas, bypassing usual barriers like fences.
