beach erosion. In Gulf County, 300 homes were damaged by high winds and floodwaters. An estimated 8,700 people lost power in the county during the storm. At Port St. Joe, Earl's storm surge inundated 14 businesses and caused a water main break in the Lighthouse Utilities facility. In Franklin County, storm surge damaged 136 homes and 15 businesses and led to a temporary closure of the St. George Causeway. A lighthouse on St. George Island was also destroyed by the storm. At least 50 people were stranded in Alligator Point after floodwaters washed out the main access route to the town. In Wakulla County, 216 homes and businesses were damaged by high winds and flooding. Severe flooding in coastal Taylor County caused significant damage in nine communities. County officials reported that 66 structures were damaged by Earl. Five homes were destroyed and 39 others were damaged by flooding in Dixie County. In Highlands County, one person was injured after being struck by lightning. On September 3, the strongest tornado spawned by Earl in Florida touched down in Citrus County. Rated F2, the tornado tracked for , destroying eight homes and damaging 24 others. Several trees and power lines were also downed. Two people were injured in one of the destroyed homes and damages from the tornado amounted to $500,000. In all, Hurricane Earl killed two people and caused $73 million (1998 USD; $96.5 million 2009 USD) in Florida. Southeastern U.S. In Louisiana, moderate beach erosion occurred as tides reached above mean sea level. Rainfall was relatively light, peaking around in Morgan City, as only the outer bands of Earl affected the state. The highest winds occurred along the coast, with sustained winds reaching 30 mph (45 km/h) and gusts reaching in Venice, Louisiana. Only minimal damage resulted from the storm in Louisiana, with monetary losses amounting to $32,000. However, losses due to the large-scale evacuation of oil and natural gas rigs was estimated to be several million dollars. Earl had limited impacts in Mississippi, with only areas along the immediate coast recording tropical storm-force wind gusts. In Alabama, Earl produced moderate rainfall, with areas along the Georgia state line receiving more than . Despite the center of Earl passing close to the state, winds were only recorded up to 40 mph (65 km/h), resulting in scattered power outages and downed trees. Portions of Alabama State Route 28 were temporarily shut