...
By Michael D. Carroll and Jesus Mesa
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast near Siesta Key in Sarasota County just after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, becoming the second major hurricane to strike the region in less than two weeks.
Before landfall, tornadoes on Wednesday afternoon damaged "dozens" of homes in Indian River Estates and Lakewood Park, prompting evacuation efforts ahead of Milton's tropical force winds.
Law enforcement officials reported an unconfirmed number of fatalities related to the storm in Lakewood Park. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson informed WPBF-TV that there were deaths in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, though the exact number was not yet known. "We are going through the rubble," Pearson told the station. "It's devastating. There are no words to describe it."
Read More on News
More From Newsweek Vault: What Is an Emergency Fund?
According to CBS12.com, Pearson said six to 12 tornadoes hit area in a 20-minute span.
...
Milton struck Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota known for its white-sand beaches and home to about 5,500 residents, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The community is about 70 miles south of Tampa.
While Tampa did not take a direct hit, Milton continued to produce life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding in the area.
More From Newsweek Vault: 5 Steps to Build an Emergency Fund Today
The Tampa Bay area remains under a Flash Flood Emergency, with St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Airport reporting 16.61 inches of rain so far. Residents in low-lying areas are urged to evacuate as conditions continue to worsen.
Heavy rains were also likely to cause flooding inland along rivers and lakes as Milton traverses the Florida Peninsula as a hurricane, eventually to emerge in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
More From Newsweek Vault: Checking Account vs. Savings Account: Which is Best for Your Finances?
Milton Tracks Across Florida
As of 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Milton was located about 75 miles southwest of Orlando, Florida, and 100 miles west-southwest of Cape Canaveral, moving east-northeast at 16 mph, according to the latest National Hurricane Center (NHC) update.
Maximum sustained winds have decreased slightly to 105 mph as the hurricane moves further inland, but it continues to bring devastating rains and damaging winds across central Florida. Heavy rainfall remains a major concern, with totals of 8 to 14 inches expected, and localized amounts reaching up to 18 inches. This has led to life-threatening flash and urban flooding across the region.
The storm has produced dangerous winds across a wide area, adding to the challenges for emergency response teams. A sustained wind of 92 mph, with a gust of 107 mph, was recently reported at a station in Venice, while Tampa International Airport recorded a sustained wind of 58 mph with a gust of 82 mph.
In Bartow, a gust reached 94 mph, highlighting the intense conditions as Milton continues its track across the Florida peninsula. While the storm surge warning has been lifted north of Anclote River, significant surge dangers remain for other parts of the west coast, including Tampa Bay, which is still under a Flash Flood Emergency.
...
Residents are being urged to evacuate from flood-prone areas as conditions are expected to remain hazardous overnight.
Joe Biden Briefed After Milton Landfall
Tonight, following Hurricane Milton's landfall, President Joe Biden was briefed by Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on the initial impacts of the hurricane on the Florida Peninsula. According to a press release from the White House, the president will continue to receive updates from this team.
Flash Flood Emergency Declared in Tampa Bay as Hurricane Milton Downgrades to Category 2
A Flash Flood Emergency—the highest level of flood warning—has been declared for the Tampa Bay area as Hurricane Milton slams into Florida, unleashing relentless rainfall and fierce winds.
The emergency covers Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, where catastrophic flooding has become a major concern.
St. Petersburg's Albert Whitted Airport alone has recorded 16.61 inches of rain, turning streets into rivers and submerging low-lying areas.
At Least 2 Million Customers Without Power as Hurricane Milton Hits Florida
Over 1.9 million Florida customers lost power Wednesday night as Hurricane Milton struck the state, according to PowerOutage.us. Major providers, including Tampa Electric, Florida Power & Light Company, and Duke Energy, reported significant outages as the hurricane made landfall about 68 miles south of Tampa.
The highest number of outages were in Hardee County, as well as neighboring Sarasota and Manatee counties, according to the Associated Press.
Tornadoes in the hurricane's rain bands downed some power lines earlier in the day. Florida energy companies had warned customers to prepare for outages. Duke Energy Florida said it had positioned resources outside the hurricane's path to respond to outages as soon as conditions allowed.
Florida has over 11.5 million power customers, according to PowerOutage.us.
Tampa Bay Avoids a Direct Hit from Milton
While Tampa avoided a direct hit, Hurricane Milton continued to produce life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding in the area, home to over 3.3 million people. The region has historically been spared from a direct hit by a major hurricane for more than 100 years.
Milton, which has already caused rain, gusty winds, and tornadoes, is now endangering communities still recovering from the deadly Hurricane Helene that made landfall two weeks ago in the Big Bend region to the north.
National Hurricane Center forecasters have warned that Milton, having increased in size, is "expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane" when it makes landfall.
...
Police Chief Issues Stark Warning to Floridians
Floridians refusing to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton have been warned to write their names on their leg for identification purposes, as authorities brace for the storm's impact.
William Tokajer, the police chief of Holmes Beach, issued the stark warning to residents, telling them, "If you don't leave, you're on your own."
"Take a pen and write your name and social security number on your leg so that we have a contact if we find you," Tokajer told CNN on Tuesday. "Because this is not going to end well."
More From Newsweek Vault: 5 Steps to Build an Emergency Fund Today
According to news outlet FOX4, the advice was repeated by Sheriff Bill Prummell of Charlotte County, Florida,
In a news conference on Oct. 8, Prummell reportedly said "If you choose to stay, find yourself a permanent marker. Write your name, your date of birth, and your next of kin on your arm, so we know who you are and who to contact."
He added: "This is no joke."
More From Newsweek Vault: What Is an Emergency Fund?
DeSantis Warns Floridians: 'You Can't Just Hunker Down'
Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents on Florida's barrier islands to evacuate as Hurricane Milton nears, warning that staying home could be dangerous. "Just know that if you get 10 feet of storm surge, you can't just hunker down with that," DeSantis said.
More From Newsweek Vault: Online Banks vs. Traditional Banks: Learn the Differences
"If you're on the southern part of this storm, you are going to get storm surge," he added. "It's churning massive amounts of water, and that water is going to come out. Man, if you're anywhere in the eye or south, you are going to get major storm surge."
...
Storm Surge Predictions
"We've seen a lot of questions about, 'well I live on a creek,' or 'I live on a river, is it really going to get 10 to 15 feet where I live?,'" Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said in a briefing early Wednesday.
"That storm surge is going to start at 10 or 15 feet near the coastline and then it's going to travel," she said. "And storm surge likes to go on the path of least resistance. So those of you that live near a river, that live near a creek, those river banks, their water will come up."
"We do not want you staying in your home if you're anywhere near a body of water," Tapfumaneyi said.
"This is going to be an intense disaster for Sarasota County," she added. "Evacuate now if you have not done so already."
Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane's center.
Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet was forecast for Georgia communities including St. Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
Evacuation Zones for Florida's West Coast
Gov. DeSantis says 'you still have time to evacuate if you are in an evacuation zone'
"The roads and the interstates, they are flowing," he said, but added that traffic conditions could deteriorate as the day goes on Wednesday.
Shortly before noon Wednesday, officials in Pasco County, home to more than 500,000 people in bedroom communities for Tampa and St. Petersburg, said they were getting ready to take buses off the roads.
"This is your last chance if you need to get to a shelter," the Pasco County Public Information Office said in a written statement. "After that, you'll need to find a way to the shelter or be prepared to ride out the storm."
The county has six shelters open for anyone in mandatory evacuation zones.
Florida Still Reeling from Helene
Attorney General Ashley Moody said the state is still reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit only two weeks ago, adding that bodies are still being found along the coast of people who could not outlive the storm surge.
Sen. Rick Scott reportedly said during the same press conference: "Nobody up here can save your life if you put yourself in harm's way."
Attorney General Moody's office has been contacted via phone outside of working hours.
Update: 11:23 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines