Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's west coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane downgraded to a Category 1 as it caused rain and power outages before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.
The devastation in Milton came less than two weeks after Hurricane Helen slammed into the Gulf Coast on September 26, killing at least 225 people.
When and where did Hurricane Milton make landfall?
Milton made landfall at 8:30 p.m. EDT (03:00 GMT) Wednesday near Siesta Key, a barrier island town in Sarasota County on Florida's west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
After emerging as a tropical depression on October 5, Milton quickly became a Category 1 hurricane on October 6. By Monday, it quickly became a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest division on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane Milton was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) when it hit Siesta Key a little earlier than expected on Wednesday.
Did Milton cross the realm of influence?
Power Outage: The power is out and you are at risk of losing your cellular connection. As of 6:46 EDT (1046 GMT) Thursday, more than 3.2 million people are without power in Florida, according to power supply tracker PowerOutage.us. Areas around the west coast were particularly affected. You can check the power status in your neighborhood using the Power Tracker from Florida Power & Light (FLP).
Tornadoes: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that at least 19 tornadoes touched down in various Florida counties as of Wednesday morning. One hit the Everglades swamp and crossed Interstate 75, which is part of Florida's highway system. Another tornado struck Fort Myers in Lee County, downing trees and destroying gas station canopies.
Heavy rains: Rain has brought the risk of flash flooding to parts of South Florida. 16 inches of rain fell on the Gulf Coast city of St. Petersburg early Wednesday morning.
Home destruction: About 125 homes, including several mobile homes and senior living community homes, were destroyed before the hurricane made landfall, according to Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Deaths: While the death toll from the hurricane and related weather events is uncertain, NBC News reported at least two deaths at a retirement community in Fort Pierce on Florida's east coast.
Storm surge: Storm surge risk increased as Milton approached, and warnings were issued for parts of Florida's Gulf Coast and Atlantic coast.
What is a storm surge?
A storm surge refers to an abnormal rise in sea water level. It is caused by the sea water being pushed by strong cyclonic winds.
Cyclones can be very destructive; Waves can flow inland and damage or destroy homes or other infrastructure along the coast.
DeSantis said about 9,000 National Guard troops and 50,000 power grid workers were deployed to Florida to assist with recovery efforts. The Florida governor added that search and rescue teams would be on their way as soon as the storm passes.
The National Hurricane Center (NWS) continues to post warnings and safety measures online. On Thursday, NWS posted an advisory on X saying "NEVER drive around barricades in flood waters," adding that more than 50 percent of flood deaths are vehicle-related.
A flash flood emergency has been announced for Tampa Bay, including the cities of Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater, according to the NHC.
What is the current status of Hurricane Milton?
As of 06:46 EDT (10:46 GMT) on Thursday, Milton is a Category 1 hurricane with a maximum sustained wind speed of 140 km/h (87 mph)। It is now in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of Cape Canaveral in Florida's Brevard County.
What happens next?
Heavy rain continued Thursday morning to increase the chances of major flooding, the NHC warned at 05:00 EDT (09:00 GMT) Thursday in an X post.
Rainfall of 200 to 350 mm is expected in central and northern parts of the Florida peninsula on Thursday, according to the NHC.
The NHC also posted at 05:00 EDT (09:00 GMT) that damaging wind gusts would continue for a few more hours in central-eastern and northeastern Florida. It asked residents to stay indoors and away from windows.
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