Hurricane Milton Hits Florida's West Coast, Leaving Millions Without Power

 

A weakening but still highly destructive Hurricane Milton struck Florida's west coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm, knocking out power to over 2 million homes and causing significant damage with "catastrophic" winds.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Milton made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, around 8:30 p.m. ET, bringing deadly storm surges to many areas along Florida's Gulf coast, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Fort Myers.

Though the storm lost some strength as it approached land, Milton had spent two days building up in the Gulf of Mexico as a Category 5 hurricane, making it one of the strongest storms to hit the U.S. in recent history.

This marked Florida’s second direct hurricane strike in less than two weeks. Just 12 days prior, Hurricane Helene had ravaged the state's panhandle and continued its path toward Georgia and the Carolinas. Many areas still recovering from Helene suffered more damage as Milton landed with winds exceeding 120 mph.

A flash flood emergency was issued for the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday night, with St. Petersburg receiving over 16 inches of rainfall. Further south, in Fort Myers, tornadoes spawned by Milton's outer bands caused destruction, ripping roofs from houses and causing damage to several counties. Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that about 125 homes, mostly mobile, were destroyed by the tornadoes.

More than 2 million homes and businesses across Florida lost power, and evacuation orders had been issued days earlier for millions in vulnerable coastal areas. DeSantis urged residents to shelter in place, warning that it was no longer safe to evacuate.

Tampa’s mayor, Jane Castor, gave a grim warning to those who refused to evacuate, stating that staying could turn their homes into their graves. Meanwhile, Holmes Beach police chief William Tokajer suggested that holdouts mark their bodies with identifying information for safety.

President Joe Biden referred to Hurricane Milton as “the storm of the century,” urging everyone to follow safety advice from local officials, emphasizing that lives were at stake. He also dismissed false claims by Donald Trump that federal recovery funds were being diverted to immigrants, calling the accusations "ridiculous."

Hurricane Milton is expected to remain a hurricane as it crosses Florida toward the east on Thursday, passing through Orlando before heading into the Atlantic Ocean. The NHC warns that the storm will bring heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and river flooding across Florida.