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.

Airports, which had suspended operations ahead of Milton’s destruction, reopened on Friday. Tampa International Airport (TPA) waived off its first flight on Friday morning after a three day closure, but said “extreme wind gusts and heavy rainfall from the Category 3 storm impacted several areas of the airport campus that will need repairs.”