Hurricane Milton left a lethal mark on Florida, claiming the lives of a minimum of 4 individuals because it swept throughout the state on Wednesday night time earlier than transferring into the Atlantic Ocean. The Class 3 storm made landfall in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa, unleashing torrential rain, fierce winds, and a sequence of damaging tornadoes.
Whereas Milton spared Tampa a direct hit, it introduced widespread devastation to close by areas, with heavy flooding and harm reported throughout Sarasota County. The storm’s path diverted southward in its remaining hours, stopping what might have been a catastrophic storm surge in Tampa. Nonetheless, Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the scenario remained harmful as water ranges continued to rise.
“The storm was vital however fortunately, this was not the worst case situation,” DeSantis mentioned in a Thursday briefing, cautioning that Sarasota County had nonetheless skilled a storm surge of as much as 10 toes, inflicting vital harm.
Emergency officers urged residents within the hardest-hit counties, together with Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Lee, to stay indoors as crews labored to revive energy and clear blocked roads. Over 3.2 million properties and companies had been left with out electrical energy, and extreme flooding remained a menace. Storm surge and tropical storm warnings prolonged northward into Georgia and South Carolina.
Earlier than making landfall, Milton had already begun wreaking havoc. Tornadoes spawned by the storm tore by southern Florida, with one significantly lethal tornado hanging St. Lucie County. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Workplace confirmed 4 fatalities within the Spanish Lakes Nation Membership, a group of principally cell properties. Round 125 properties had been destroyed, many occupied by senior residents.
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Milton’s landfall adopted within the wake of Hurricane Helene, which ravaged components of Florida two weeks earlier and left over 200 individuals useless throughout the southern U.S. In areas nonetheless recovering from Helene, municipalities labored across the clock to take away particles in anticipation of Milton’s arrival.
DeSantis highlighted the state’s intensive response, with 9,000 Nationwide Guard members deployed, together with 50,000 utility employees from throughout the U.S. to assist restore energy and clear particles. “Sadly, there shall be fatalities,” DeSantis mentioned, acknowledging the storm’s lethal toll.
As Florida continued to take care of the aftermath, main points of interest like Walt Disney World, Common Orlando, and SeaWorld remained closed on Thursday.
