The violent Hurricane Milton descended upon Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 tempest, lashing the shoreline with brutal winds surpassing 160km/h (100m/h) and triggering a slew of tornadoes throughout the state. The tropical storm blasted through with peak continuous winds of 205km/h, making landfall around 8.30pm local time near Sietta Key, as reported by the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
In the wake of the hurricane, over two million households and commercial properties across Florida were plunged into darkness on Wednesday night. Moreover, Milton triggered a potentially life-threatening storm surge along large parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, significantly impacting heavily populated regions such as Tampa, St Petersburg, Sarasota, and Fort Myers.
Torrential downpours are projected to instigate flooding inland around rivers and lakes as Milton traverses the Florida peninsula, before making its way towards the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. Milton gave rise to destructive tornadoes throughout Florida, leading to some casualties as per a county sheriff’s report. Over 100 structures across the state suffered damage due to these tornadoes, resulting in several injuries, as confirmed by the authorities.
Shocking video footage revealed Milton tearing off the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium. A disturbing count of 19 tornadoes sparked by Milton wreaked havoc across several counties, demolishing approximately 125 houses, the majority of which were mobile homes, as stated by Governor Ron DeSantis.
A tragic incident resulted in at least two deaths at a retirement community subsequent to a suspected tornado in Fort Pierce on Florida’s eastern coast, as reported by NBC News and confirmed by St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson. DeSantis expressed hopes that Tampa Bay, once eyed as a probable major casualty zone, might escape the brunt of the devastation. The Governor also anticipated that the most severe predicted storm surge could be mitigated if the landfall occurred prior to high tide, despite forecasts predicting a potential rise in seawater up to 4m (13ft).
During the announcement of the landfall, DeSantis urged citizens, “At this juncture, evacuation efforts are too perilous, hence it is imperative to take shelter where you are and brace for the onslaught”.
Despite multiple days of alerts, the enforcement of evacuations, and strategic planning, Hurricane Milton came ashore near Siesta Key, Florida at approximately 8:30pm local time. According to the US National Hurricane Center’s account, the hurricane exhibited peak sustained winds reaching 120mph (approximately 195km/h).
Siesta Key, now the site of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, is a residential area with a population of 5,500 and situated roughly 112km to the south of Tampa Bay, which was spared from a direct onslaught. Though the Tampa Bay region hasn’t experienced a direct hit from a substantial hurricane in over a hundred years, it endured potential life-threatening storm surges due to the storm, impacting considerable parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, which are heavily populated cities such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers as well.
An hour and a half past its landfall, Milton’s centre was mapped to be 30km northeast of Sarasota. There was minor weakening in the storm with peak sustained winds observed at 175km/h, hence it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm according to the hurricane centre.
A word from the Associated Press and PA:
Matthew Dominick, an astronaut, earlier managed to film an awe-inspiring video of Milton from an aerial view.
A very good morning, and welcome to our real-time updates of Hurricane Milton. The hurricane has now hit Florida, leading to water surges causing the flooding of roads in Fort Myers and Sarasota, Florida. The damaging potential of Milton had been flagged for days on end by authorities, resulting in an exodus of millions living in the western coastal regions of Florida vulnerable to a forecasted storm surge peaking at 15 feet.