The storm made landfall near Siesta Key, south of Tampa Bay.
At least 19 tornadoes were confirmed, destroying homes in multiple counties.
The hurricane weakened as it reached Florida’s east coast.
The state was prepared for search-and-rescue missions.
At least 19 tornadoes were confirmed, destroying homes in multiple counties.
The hurricane weakened as it reached Florida’s east coast.
The state was prepared for search-and-rescue missions.
Hurricane Milton surged into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after carving a path of destruction across Florida, spawning over a dozen tornadoes, wrecking homes, and killing at least four people. However, it did not result in the feared catastrophic seawater surge.
Governor Ron DeSantis expressed relief that the worst-case scenario was avoided, while acknowledging significant damage. The anticipated storm surge in the Tampa Bay area, which had triggered severe warnings, largely did not materialize.
The four fatalities occurred in St. Lucie, on Florida’s east coast. County spokesperson Erick Gill confirmed that two deaths were in the Spanish Lakes Communities, a retirement area where multiple tornadoes struck on Wednesday afternoon. The locations of the other two fatalities remained unclear.
As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, 19 tornadoes had been confirmed in Florida, around the time Milton made landfall, according to DeSantis. The National Weather Service reported 45 tornadoes throughout the day, mostly in central and eastern parts of the state.
More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. Some had been waiting for days after Hurricane Helene caused outages nearly two weeks ago.
The hurricane ripped a hole in Tropicana Field’s fabric roof, home to the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, but no injuries were reported. The stadium served as a staging area for responders, with thousands of cots set up on the field.
“One of the blessings for us is that we did not see that predicted storm surge. That saved a lot,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor during an early morning press conference.
In the Tampa area, local news footage showed downed trees, debris scattered across roads, and damaged power lines. Some neighborhoods experienced flooding, though the full extent of damage will only be known once assessments are made, Castor added.
Steven Cole Smith, 71, an automotive writer living seven miles from the Gulf Coast in Tampa, described the frightening experience of the storm. “We really didn’t have anywhere else to go,” he said, explaining why they stayed despite evacuation orders. He scavenged for supplies, fuel, and generator essentials. Fortunately, Tampa was spared a direct hit, he added.
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw reported that emergency crews responded to numerous overnight calls for help, including a rescue of 15 people, including children, trapped in a house after a tree fell on it.
A construction crane in St. Petersburg collapsed onto an empty street during the storm.
Although river flooding remained a concern after up to 18 inches of rain fell, Tampa’s levels were still below those seen after Hurricane Helene. FEMA head Deanne Criswell, speaking from Tallahassee, said Sarasota County, just south of Tampa, experienced the most storm surge damage.
“The evacuation orders saved lives,” Criswell emphasized, noting that more than 90,000 residents took shelter.
In Fort Myers, resident Connor Ferin witnessed the destruction of his home after a tornado tore off the roof, leaving debris and rainwater everywhere. “All this happened in an instant,” he said. “I grabbed the dogs and ran under the bed. It was over in probably a minute.”
Hurricane Milton struck Florida’s west coast Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph. While still dangerous, the storm weakened from a rare Category 5 as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico. By Thursday morning, Milton had reduced to a Category 1 storm as it reached Florida’s east coast.
Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, a barrier island with 5,400 residents off Sarasota, roughly 60 miles south of Tampa Bay. Tornadoes destroyed around 125 homes, mostly mobile homes, according to Governor DeSantis. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson estimated 100 homes were destroyed in his county, where around 17 tornadoes struck, according to NBC.
Following Hurricane Helene’s impact two weeks earlier, evacuation orders were given to 2 million people ahead of Milton’s arrival, with millions more residing in the storm’s path.
The southern U.S. continues to deal with the devastating effects of both Helene and Milton, with damage expected to reach billions of dollars.
By Thursday morning, 2,209 U.S. flights were canceled, according to FlightAware, mostly from airports in Orlando, Tampa, and southwest Florida. Major airports in Florida, including Tampa, Palm Beach, and St. Pete-Clearwater, remained closed, except for emergency operations, the FAA reported.