On a dark night, a fierce storm gave Florida a sharp blow to the head. Less than two weeks later, another tore through its heart.

The storm’s floodwaters may be contaminated with disease-causing sewage, and their legacy could live on by causing mold problems and mosquito outbreaks.

As Hurricane Milton roared ashore near Sarasota, Florida, tens of thousands of people were in evacuation shelters. Hundreds of thousands more had fled coastal regions ahead of the storm, crowding highways headed north and south as their counties issued evacuation orders.