{"id":41812,"date":"2024-10-10T12:57:29","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T16:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=41812"},"modified":"2024-10-10T12:57:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T16:57:30","slug":"tribes-respond-after-hurricane-milton-makes-landfall-in-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2024\/10\/10\/tribes-respond-after-hurricane-milton-makes-landfall-in-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Tribes respond after Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Hurricane<\/a>
Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard began clearing debris from Hurricane Milton on the morning of October 10, 2024. Photo: Florida National Guard<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Tribes respond after Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, October 10, 2024<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe two federally-recognized tribes in Florida are dealing with the effects of Hurricane Milton<\/a> after the catastrophic storm made landfall on their homelands.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Miccosukee Tribe<\/a> has closed its administrative offices for the day, Chairman Talbert Cypress<\/a> said in a post on social media. “The Business Council will assess when we will reopen at a later time,” he wrote on Wednesday as Milton reached Florida as a Category 3 hurricane<\/a>, with high-speed winds, heavy water surges and even tornadoes among its most visible impacts.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Please stay safe,” Cypress added.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nMeanwhile, the Miccosukee Indian Village<\/a>, one of the tribe’s most well-known cultural, educational and tourism attractions, has been closed due to the storm. “We will reopen on Saturday,” a post on social media<\/a> read.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nBut the Miccosukee Casino & Resort<\/a>, just down the road from the village, is open for business. “Our thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Milton,” the website of the tribe’s gaming facility reads as of Thursday morning.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We are ready to welcome you to Miccosukee Casino & Resort, where we will ensure a safe place to stay,” the facility, located outside of Miami in southern Florida states.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe Seminole Tribe<\/a> is also reassuring patrons about safety. One of its gaming facilities, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa<\/a>, is located in western Florida, and Hurricane Milton had been feared to directly hit the state’s third most-populous city.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nMilton ended up making landfall near Siesta Key, about 65 miles south of Tampa. The casino canceled a concert<\/a> that was scheduled for Thursday night but the facility otherwise remains open, although some amenities are operating on a limited basis due to the storm<\/a>.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“Hurricane Milton no longer poses a threat to any of the Reservations and Communities,” the Seminole Tribe’s Office of Emergency Management said in an advisory posted on social media<\/a> on Thursday morning.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe tribe’s emergency management staff had a busy Wednesday as Milton passed through Seminole homelands. At one point during the day, almost every tribal community across the state<\/a> was under a flash flood emergency, a flood watch, tropical storm warning, a hurricane watch, a hurricane warning, a wind advisory and a storm surge warning.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“Tribal departments are working hard to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Milton,” emergency management said on Thursday morning.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Currently, the Brighton, Fort Pierce, and Big Cypress Reservations still have power issues,” the advisory states. “The electrical companies have been notified of the outages and we are awaiting updates. Please avoid flooded areas, stay away from downed power lines and use caution while driving.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\nSeminole tribal schools<\/a> have been closed since Tuesday in anticipation of the storm. The Miccosukee Indian School<\/a>, serving students from the Miccosukee Tribe, closed after having an early dismissal on Tuesday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We hope everyone stays safe,” a post on social media<\/a> reads. “We should be able to return to normal operations on Friday!”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n Social media users posted a number of photos and videos of tornadoes<\/a> near a section of the Miccosukee Reservation<\/a> known as Alligator Alley. According to one independent journalist<\/a> who collected footage shared by others, a tornado was spotted a few miles from the Miccosukee Service Plaza<\/a>, located along a busy interstate<\/a>. The tribal police department had warned<\/a> people to stay off roads on Wednesday night.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“We\u2019ve already approved emergency declarations for Florida,” President Joe Biden said from the White House<\/a> early Wednesday evening. “We have thousands of federal personnel on the ground, and we have staged and are ready to go. We have 20 million meals, 40 million liters of water.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Last night I was able to call the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians Chairman Talbert Cypress before #Milton<\/a>\u2019s landfall. I assured him that @fema<\/a> & @femaregion4<\/a> are ready to support the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians with their response & recovery efforts before, during, & after the storm. pic.twitter.com\/Cm5E3Y7rek<\/a><\/p>— Deanne Criswell (@FEMA_Deanne) October 9, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>