Still reeling from Helene, Florida braces for Hurricane Milton as it gains strength

People prepare sandbags, as they are distributed to Pinellas county residents before the expected arrival of Tropical Storm Milton, in Seminole, Florida, on Sunday. Photograph: Octavio Jones/Reuters

Florida has expanded its state of emergency as it braces for a major storm expected to pummel the state’s western peninsula by midweek, after Tropical Storm Milton gathered strength and was declared a category 1 hurricane on Sunday.

The impending landfall of Milton comes days after Hurricane Helene caused devastation and destruction through large swaths of Florida and other parts of the south-east of the US including North Carolina. The death toll stands at 230 people, and is expected to rise.