BOSTON — Flights are beginning to resume departing for Florida, but the governor there is urging evacuees not to rush home.
More than 6 million people – an estimated 65 percent of the population – are still without power as the state surveys flooding and storm damage.
At least 46 people were rescued from flooded homes in Jacksonville, where they are dealing with record storm surge.
The sheriff's office told people to stand in front of their homes waving something white so rescue crews could find them.
The level of destruction is becoming more apparent in the Keys. Emergency managers are stressing that the chain of islands is not open for business. Water, sewers, cell service and electricity are all knocked out – not to mention, there is no fuel.
Authorities are struggling to clear U.S. 1, which is the only highway connecting all of the islands to south Florida.
While there is still a lot of cleanup, people who evacuated to New England will get their first chance Tuesday to try and get back to Florida as some of the airports reopen and flights resume.
Airports in Florida spent Monday assessing damage and determining the best course of action. Most plan to reopen Tuesday, but in a limited way.
Miami International Airport suffered some leaks in each terminal, and ceiling tiles near the gates fell. That airport plans to gradually resume a normal schedule Tuesday.
In Fort Lauderdale, the airport suffered only minimal damage, with leaks in every terminal and some flooding on a portion of a runway. That airport planned to open at 4 a.m., with a more limited schedule than usual.
In all, more than 4,100 flights were cancelled at Florida airports through Wednesday.
That's a challenge for people who left Florida ahead of the storm and are now trying to get back. Flights will be disrupted for days, train service to Florida is suspended and many of the roads are impassable.