At least 15 people have died in Milton’s path of destruction – which brought destructive storm surge to parts of Florida’s western shore and deadly tornadoes to its east – and the state is anticipating more casualties, Gov. Ron DeSantis has said.
The storm represents a more than 1-in-1000 year rainfall event in some areas, such as St. Petersburg .More than three million homes are without power as Florida begins to assess Hurricane Milton’s aftermath.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm made landfall as a Category 3 storm at about 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) in Siesta Key, Sarasota County.
At one point, the storm became a Category 5 and spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday as a Category 4 before decreasing in intensity as it inched closer to Tampa Bay, Florida. The Category 3 storm arrived on Florida’s coast two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered the same area.
The aftermath of Hurricane Milton so far
Local authorities reported four deaths from a senior community in St. Lucie County, where one of the storm’s outer band tornado offshoots struck. As authorities assess the damage, more fatalities are expected. The storm spouted out at least 150 tornadoes in its bands, and some struck before it made landfall.
Areas of Sarasota, Fort Myers, and other cities across the Gulf Coast of Florida have seen flooding of more than ten feet. Sarasota County saw the worst storm surges as waters up to ten feet high tore through the county.
As the storm went inland, the sky was reportedly thick, dark gray, and purple. At its worst, Hurricane Milton’s winds were reported at about 120 mph, which is enough to knock over trees, flip cars, and damage roofing.
Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said in a press conference Thursday morning that more than 40 rescues are underway in the afflicted areas, as well as many search and rescue operations. Crews have been rescuing stranded residents who did not evacuate the area. DeSantis expressed optimism, however, stating that the storm’s forecasted damage had not been realized.
“Thankfully, it was not the worst-case scenario. The storm did weaken before landfall, and the storm surge has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helene,” DeSantis said.
Indeed, Hurricane Milton’s aftermath is expected to be less severe than that of Helene, which left more than 200 dead. However, there is no way to know for sure until the damage has been completely assessed and reported.
“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” DeSantis said in the press conference.
The storm moved across Florida for eight hours before it finally reached the Atlantic. By the time Hurricane Milton left Florida, its winds were reported to be around 80 mph. According to the NHC, however, the outer bands of the storm could still cause damage.
“Heavy rainfall across the central to northern Florida peninsula through this morning continues to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding along with moderate to major river flooding,” the NHC said in an advisory.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
