On Wednesday night, Hurricane Milton, a fierce Category 3 storm, made landfall on Florida’s west coast near Siesta Key, south of Tampa. With sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (kph), the storm struck the already beleaguered region, still recovering from Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier. By the time it hit, Milton had already spawned deadly tornadoes and provoked flash floods, forcing widespread evacuations.
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Governor Ron DeSantis warned Floridians to brace for severe conditions as the storm surged ashore. Despite his hope that the west coast might be spared the worst, forecasters predicted storm surges as high as four meters. “At this point, it’s too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place,” DeSantis said.
Tornadoes and Fatalities Across Florida
Well before landfall, Milton’s outer bands triggered tornadoes across Florida, leaving significant destruction in their wake. In Fort Pierce, on the state’s eastern coast, multiple fatalities were reported in the Spanish Lakes Country Club, a retirement community devastated by a powerful tornado. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson noted that hundreds of homes were either damaged or destroyed. “They didn’t stand a chance,” Pearson said, highlighting the tornado’s devastating impact.
Governor DeSantis reported that at least 19 tornadoes had touched down, destroying homes, particularly mobile home communities. Florida’s emergency services and National Guard were immediately deployed for search-and-rescue operations, often working in the dark as conditions remained perilous overnight.
Flooding and Power Outages Impact Millions
As Hurricane Milton moved across Florida, flash floods became a major concern, particularly in the Tampa Bay area. St. Petersburg, which recorded over 422 millimeters of rain, faced a flash flood emergency as rivers swelled and streets turned into rivers. Tampa, Clearwater, and other parts of central Florida also experienced extensive flooding, with authorities issuing warnings of catastrophic flood damage.
More than 2.6 million homes and businesses lost power as the hurricane knocked out electricity across vast regions of the state. Tampa’s Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, suffered significant roof damage, while other critical infrastructure, including water mains, also failed. Officials warned of long-term outages as utility workers scrambled to restore services.
Hurricane Milton’s Eastward March
By midnight, Milton had been downgraded to a Category 2 storm with winds reducing to 165 kph. Despite the weakening, the storm continued its eastward path, posing a significant threat to central Florida, including the Orlando area. Heavy rains, gusty winds, and the risk of tornadoes persisted, complicating rescue efforts.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported ocean waves as high as 8.5 meters off the coast, heightening concerns for Florida’s Atlantic coast as the storm was expected to emerge into the Atlantic on Thursday. Although Milton was forecast to weaken below hurricane strength by Thursday night, it still posed a risk of dangerous storm surges.
Florida’s Response and Preparations
Ahead of the storm, Governor DeSantis deployed 9,000 National Guard personnel and over 50,000 electricity grid workers to prepare for widespread outages. FEMA also moved millions of liters of water, meals, and other supplies into the area to assist with recovery efforts, still ongoing from Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
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Local officials emphasized the severity of the storm, with Pinellas County’s emergency management director, Cathie Perkins, calling Milton “a knockout” for areas already battered by Helene. Warnings were dire, with officials advising those who hadn’t evacuated to shelter in place, as emergency services would be unavailable during the storm’s peak.
