 "Milton pounds Florida: Winds at 160 kmph, 41 cm rainfall leave 2.8 million without power, several dead")
Hurricane Milton made a landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday around 8:30 pm (EDT). Accompanied by life-threatening storm surge, ferocious winds, and flooding rains, Milton brought to a coast that was already devastated by Helene a couple of weeks ago.
Milton made a landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida. It then pounded cities with winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) after producing a barrage of tornadoes, but sparing Tampa a direct hit.
The Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) in its first bulletin said, “Doppler radar data indicates that the eye of Hurricane Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida."
The NHC further said that the cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (205 kph) as it crashed ashore 8:30 pm (EDT) near Siesta Key, a prosperous strip of white-sand beaches that’s home to 5,500 people about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa.
As per The Weather Channel “numerous tornadoes” were touching down in central and southern Florida.
Nearly 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, a report by The Associated Press quoted Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, as saying.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsJust before the landfall Governor Ron DeSantis said it was too late and too dangerous to evacuate anyone so people had to stay put and weather the storm wherever they were.
“So the storm is here. It’s time for everyone to hunker down,” he told a press conference just before Milton’s arrival.
“Stay inside and stay off the roads. Flood waters and rushing storm surge are very dangerous,” the governor added.
The airports in Tampa and Sarasota were closed until further notice.
Videos explain horror of Hurricane Milton
Scary footages from Florida showed the storm’s intensity following Hurricane Milton.
Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, seemed to have been severely damaged by the storm. The fabric that serves as the domed stadium’s roof was ripped to shreds by strong winds.
Multiple cranes were also toppled in the storm, the weather service said.
Residents of St. Petersburg have complained of not getting water from their household taps as a water main break led the city to shut down service.
It's astonishing that #Hurricane #Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field.
— Thomas MORE (@ThomaMore) October 10, 2024
Fortunately, the stadium was not filled with people at the time, but unfortunately, this means one major shelter is now out of commission.
Also, Lieutenant Dan is still alive and riding out the storm. pic.twitter.com/virTnE7S2w
Wow! My cousin sent this to me by a neighbor of his of the tornado that struck Wellington, FL from earlier today. Incredible speed & power that tornado possessed. #HurricaneMilton #flwx pic.twitter.com/QnF8hRQTQo
— Thee 🌪ornadorologist (@tornadorology) October 9, 2024
Inside Hurricane Milton, @saildrone reported wave height of 28.12 feet and wind gusts as strong as 75.95 mph while 40 nautical miles from the center of the storm. This research represents a collaborative endeavor to better understand the role of the ocean in hurricanes. pic.twitter.com/gmaUopPEWj
— NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Lab (@NOAA_AOML) October 9, 2024
🌀Hurricane #Milton is leaving behind devastating impacts across Venice, FL: Storm surge flooding, power flashes, and hurricane force winds. #flwx #hurricane
— Jordan Hall (@JordanHallWX) October 10, 2024
pic.twitter.com/jdgty35jnh
🇺🇸🌪Hurricane #Milton in Florida triggers an avalanche of tornadoes before its passage. pic.twitter.com/ErylPCnnm1
— 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐎𝐌𝐒𝐀 | 🇪🇺🇫🇷🇵🇱🇺🇦 (@tweet4Anna_NAFO) October 9, 2024
Milton snatches power from people
Soon after the hurricane made landfall, it left nearly three million Floridians in the dark.
As per poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports, storm knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 2.8 million homes and businesses without power as of early Thursday.
The most significant outages are in Sarasota County, where Milton made landfall, and nearby Manatee and Hardee counties.
Outages are expected to climb as the storm’s tropical storm-force winds move inward across the state.
From Category 3 to 2 & then 1: Milton wreaks havoc in Florida
About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm after the wind speed decreased.
By late Wednesday, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph (165 kph) and storm surge warnings were in effect for parts of Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coastlines.
Later, around 1 am Thursday, Hurricane Milton’s winds weakened further to 90 mph, making it a Category 1 storm, but a flash flood emergency over parts of Florida continued, the NHC said.
The center of the storm was around 40 miles south-southwest of Orlando, and it was moving east-northeast at around 16 mph as it crosses the state, the agency said in its advisory.
Flash flood warning
Meanwhile, the CNN report said that a considerable flash flood warning has been issued for nearly 2 million people and includes Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
In Tampa, about 6 inches of rain have already fallen with up to eight more inches forecasted for the next few hours.
Drains, sewers and canals are starting to overflow, pushing water into the streets, the report said.
However, in Tampa, an upgraded flash flood emergency, the highest level of flood warning, has been issued according to the National Weather Service.
‘Multiple fatalities’ in St. Lucie County
A report by CNN quoted Sheriff Keith Pearson as saying that there have been “multiple fatalities” in St. Lucie County, Florida, after a tornado outbreak hit the area.
St. Lucie County is on Florida’s Atlantic coast, about 140 miles east of Sarasota, on the Gulf Coast.
Milton strikes Florida which still reels from Helene
Milton slammed into a Florida region which is still reeling from Hurricane Helene that caused heavy damage to beach communities with storm surge and killed a dozen people in seaside Pinellas County alone.
Hurricane Helene, about two weeks ago, had flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South.
What’s next?
Hurricane Milton is said to retain its strength as it tracks across central Florida through Thursday morning. Cities including Lakeland, Kissimmee, Orlando and Cape Canaveral are all in the forecasted path.
Milton is now expected to rip through inland areas to the Atlantic Ocean, with tourist hub Orlando – home to Walt Disney World – in its path.
Gusts of wind and torrential rain, due to Hurricane Milton, frightened people who took shelter wherever they could.
The streets in the city of Sarasota, near Siesta Key, wore a deserted look.
Third storm of the year
Three hurricanes have slammed into Florida this year: Francine, Helene and now Milton.
Such a condition has only appeared in five other hurricane seasons since 1871 – more than 150 years of history.
As per hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach, the last time three hurricanes struck Florida in a single season was 2005. It also occurred in 2004, 1964, 1886 and 1871.
No season on record has had more than three hurricanes strike Florida.
A report by AFP mentioned scientists as saying that global warming has a role in intense storms as warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, providing additional energy for storms, which exacerbates their winds.
With inputs from agencies
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