Florida, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Hurricane Milton surged through Florida on Thursday after making landfall on the state’s west coast the previous evening, unleashing deadly tornadoes, demolishing homes, and plunging nearly 2 million customers into darkness.
The tempest made its initial landfall at approximately 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, boasting maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kph) near Siesta Key, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
By early Thursday, wind speeds had decreased to a perilous 90 mph (150 kph), relegating Milton to a Category 1 hurricane status. However, it continued to bring heavy rains and damaging storm surges as it progressed towards Florida’s Atlantic Coast. At that time, the hurricane was situated about 10 miles (17 km) northwest of Cape Canaveral, home to NASA’s Space Force Station.
Tragically, at least two fatalities were reported at a retirement community in Fort Pierce following a suspected tornado, as noted by NBC News, citing St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson. His department has yet to provide further details.
A flash flood emergency was declared for the Tampa Bay area, encompassing Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, with the hurricane center reporting that St. Petersburg had already received 16.6 inches (422 mm) of rain on Wednesday alone.
The eye of the storm struck Siesta Key, a barrier island town with a population of approximately 5,400, located about 60 miles (100 km) south of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, which is home to over 3 million residents.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed optimism that Tampa Bay, previously regarded as a likely target, might escape significant damage. Nonetheless, Milton left its mark, tearing off the roof of Tropicana Field, the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.
In St. Petersburg, strong winds toppled a large construction crane, sending it crashing onto a deserted street. DeSantis noted that while the worst of the anticipated storm surge was likely avoided due to the storm making landfall prior to high tide, forecasters still warned that seawater could rise as high as 13 feet (4 meters).
Milton also spawned at least 19 tornadoes, according to the governor, resulting in damage across numerous counties and the destruction of approximately 125 homes, predominantly mobile residences.
In Fort Myers on Florida’s southwest coast, resident Connor Ferrin assessed the devastation to his home, which had lost its roof and was inundated with debris and rainwater after a tornado struck abruptly. “All this happened in an instant; these windows just blew out,” he recounted. “I grabbed my two dogs and ran under the bed, and that was it. Probably one minute total.”
