Hurricane Milton Hits Florida: Widespread Destruction, Power Outages, and Fatalities

 

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Siesta Key, Florida, at around 8:30 PM, unleashing torrential rain, flooding, tornadoes, storm surges, and powerful winds. The storm battered the region for eight hours before moving back over the ocean north of Cape Canaveral as a weakened Category 1 hurricane.

Severely impacted areas included Sarasota, Fort Myers, St. Petersburg, and St. Lucie, along with other cities along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm surge warnings remained in effect from Florida’s east coast to Georgia’s Altamaha Sound.

The immediate aftermath of Hurricane Milton saw widespread devastation. Authorities reported downed trees, flooding, destroyed homes, damaged roads, and major disruptions to power and water systems. By Thursday morning, nine deaths had been confirmed, although search and rescue operations had barely begun.

Officials have warned that around 11 million people face potential flash floods, with parts of the state experiencing record rainfall. St. Petersburg, for instance, recorded 18 inches of rain, while St. John’s County dealt with widespread flooding that rendered many roads impassable.

Early reports indicated that about 125 homes, primarily in senior communities, were destroyed. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 3.3 million Florida residents remained without power. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that the hurricane also spawned numerous tornadoes across the impacted areas, particularly in St. Lucie County, where four fatalities were reported.

Before Milton made landfall, the National Weather Service in Miami issued 53 tornado warnings, with seven tornadoes confirmed.

Although the predicted storm surge wasn’t as catastrophic as expected, some areas, like Sarasota County, experienced surges between 8 to 10 feet. Governor DeSantis acknowledged the storm's severity but noted that it wasn’t the worst-case scenario. He compared it to Hurricane Helene, which caused a more devastating storm surge.

Storm surges, caused by powerful winds pushing ocean water inland, remain one of the greatest threats during hurricanes, leading to severe flooding, erosion, and destruction of property.

Hurricane Milton was the second deadly storm to hit Florida in two weeks, reflecting a growing trend of increasingly severe hurricanes due to climate change. Rising sea levels and warmer ocean temperatures, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, are fueling stronger storms, especially in the Gulf of Mexico.

Researchers warn that hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly than before, with Category 4 and 5 storms, which have winds exceeding 131 mph, becoming more frequent. As experts continue to study the links between climate change and hurricane intensity, storms like Hurricane Milton serve as a reminder of the escalating danger posed by the climate crisis.