Floridians woke up to devastation on Thursday after Hurricane Milton slammed into the state’s Golf Coast, leaving multiple dead and 3million without power.
Milton was downgraded to a Category 3 storm before it hit Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, at around 8.30pm local time on Wednesday according to the National Hurricane Center.
It then moved across Central Florida, bringing flooding and high winds, before traveling out over the Atlantic Ocean where it will dissipate.
At least six deaths have been reported in the state, four caused by tornadoes and two others in the city of St Petersburg that have yet to be explained.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday morning that Hurricane Milton was not ‘the worst case scenario’ but tornadoes did cause significant damage.
He told reporters that the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet — less than in the worst place during Helene.
The storm was downgraded to a Category 1 on Thursday as it left the state and moved into the Atlantic ocean.
However, officials have warned that the danger is not over and people should remain in their homes as storm surges are expected following the storm
Hurricane Milton formed eerie skull-like face moments before approaching Florida
Stu Ostro, senior meteorologist at the Weather Channel, shared the eerie photo on X, displaying it next to a similar image of hurricane Matthew in 2016.
Hurricane Milton’s aftermath in images
A vehicle in the flooded waters in St. Petersburg where residents, who live in a nonevac and high elevation area, unexpectedly had water in their home after it spilled from a retention pond Wednesday night from Milton.
Mallory Tollett, 12, comforts her dog Maggie after a suspected tornado went through her family’s property along Southeast Azimuth Way as Hurricane Milton bands move through Port Salerno, Florida.
Matt Schafer uses a water hose to clean the mud off of the floor at the Celtic Ray Public House restaurant/bar in Punta Gorda after it was inundated with flood waters when Hurricane Milton
President Biden sends message to those impacted by Milton
President Biden posted a video message on Thursday morning as Floridians woke up to Hurricane Milton’s aftermath.
Biden praised first-responders and officials risking their own lives to help rescue others.
‘Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rebuild,’ Biden said.
Troopers share update on dog left chained to fence as hurricane approached
Florida troopers said a dog abandoned on the road in Tampa was taken to the vet and received a clean billof health.
An unidentified Florida Highway Patrolman rescued the dog on Wednesday as the area was staring to flood.
Homes along Florida’s coasts lie in ruins as neighborhoods have been left drowning in storm surge and streets are choked with debris and devastated by torrential downpours with as much as two inches accumulating per hour.
More than three million homes and businesses were without power Thursday morning as the first casualties were reported even before Milton made landfall around 8:30pm EST.
The wreckage continues as residents scour the areas assessing the irreversible damage caused by one of the strongest hurricanes in American history and the ninth of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
At least two deaths reported in St Petersburg
Two deaths have been reported in St Petersburg, but it’s unclear what role the storm played in the fatalities.
Police chief Anthony Holloway said one death was medical and the other was ‘someone found in a park.’
Another four deaths were reported due to tornadoes in St Lucie.
Flood watches in effect for 12million Floridians
While Hurricane Milton has passed through Florida, central and western Florida remain in danger of flooding, according to officials.
A flood watch is still in effect for the counties of Charlotte, Lee, Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Sarasota, DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter.
In Naples, water levels reached more than 5.2 feet over normal high tides – the second-highest on record.
Meanwhile St Petersburg, seen below, saw over 18 inches of rain just on Wednesday – the city’s rainiest day on record.
Trump sends best wishes to fellow Floridians then campaigns for re-election
Former president Donald Trump sent a message to Floridians following Hurricane Milton’s landfall Wednesday night.
Trump said he was ‘deeply saddened by the devastation being reported.’
‘it sounds like it’s as bad as it gets,’ he added, though Governor Ron DeSantis has said the storm was thankfully not the ‘worst case scenario’ expected.
Trump then pivoted to campaigning, saying ‘hopefully on January 20th you’re going to have somebody who’s really going to help you like never before.’
Images show Milton’s devastation in Florida
While the storm was not as forceful as feared, tornados sparked by high winds brought devastation to several Floridian cities and towns.
Entire homes were pulled from the ground in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, where locals were surveying the extent of the damage Thursday morning.
The island had already been severely affected by Hurricane Helene just a week prior.
Harrowing footage shows Tampa police rescuing family after tree falls on their home
Tampa police got 15 people including children to safety after a tree crashed into their home during Hurricane Milton.
Police received a 0911 call from the residents of the single-story home Wednesday night.
Officers who were taken shelter two miles away responded to the house during a break in the storm.
Shocking video shows what happens when you drive during a hurricane
A policer officer in DeLand was driving amid the storm when a tree fell on a vehicle in front of him in a terrifying moment caught on dashcam.
The footage shows the tree’s branches smashing most of the car’s windshield on impact.
The police department sais the vehicle’s driver was thankfully not injured, but it was a reminder for people to stay off the roads.
DeLand is about 34 miles from Orlando in central Florida, and a three-hour drive from Sarasota county, where Milton made landfall Wednesday night.
Tampa resident Mohammed Nijem recently went viral after local news outlet Spectrum Bay News 9 shared an image to X, formerly Twitter, of the extreme preparations that he took ahead of Hurricane Milton.
Mohammed placed six enormous straps around his one-story home in a bid to keep it from washing or blowing away when the storm hits.
Rescues underway in Florida after Milton’s landfall
Officials are conducting dozens of rescues in Florida on Thursday following Hurrican Milton’s landfall overnight.
Police rescued several people trapped in an apartment building in Clearwater Thursday morning, as seen below.
Meanwhile Tampa police rescued over 135 residents from an assisted living facility that had been affected by the storm surge.
However, the Tampa Bay area appeared to have escaped without the catastrophic flooding that had been feared.
Georgia welcomes Floridians fleeing Milton
A social media account for residents of the Peach State shared footage of all the Florida tags currently in town.
Georgia has been receiving Floridians who were forced to evacuate their homes ahead of Hurricane Milton.
The terrifying moment Anderson Cooper gets hit by flying debris live on air while covering Hurricane Milton
The reporter, 57, was covering the catastrophic disaster live for CNN in Bradenton, just a few miles from Siesta Key, when he the piece of debris smacked him in the face.
He quickly recovered while shouting: ‘Woah! That wasn’t good. We’ll probably go inside shortly.’
Sex offenders turned away from Hurricane Milton shelters, must go to jail instead
Flager County sheriff Tick Staly told sex offenders they woult not be allowed in shelters and directed them to stay in the local jaij for their protection during Hurricane Milton.
‘Anyone who comes in [a shelter] will be checked to make sure they’re not a fugitive, not a sex offender,’ the sheriff said on Wednesday.
‘We will accommodate you in the lobby of that [jail] building. You’ve probably seen it before,’ Staly said about sex offenders who had to evacuate their homes.
However, Marion County took a different approach and set up a separate shelter for those on the sex offender registry.
First Milton deaths confirmed
Four people were killed by tornadoes that touched down in St. Lucie County, Florida, on Wednesday, local officials said.
St. Lucie County sits on Floria’s east coast, with the killer twisters striking a retirement community.
Further details on the identities of those killed or how they died have yet to be shared.
Orlando Melbourne International Airport badly damaged by Milton
Orlando’s second main airport had a 30 by 40 foot hole ripped in its roof by Hurricane Milton.
Melbourne International Orlando airport saw part of its skylight ceiling collapse into the terminal building around 2am Thursday, FloridaToday reported.
Dramatic footage captured the moment the panels came tumbling onto the floor.
Melbourne was closed at the time, having halted commercial flights Wednesday morning in anticipation of Milton.
Bosses are planning urgent repair work and hope to have the airport reopened by 9am on Friday.
Melbourne International mainly serves domestic airlines flying to other east coast destinations.
Some flights from the UK do land there due to its proximity to the Port Canaveral cruise terminal.
The city’s main airport – Orlando International Airport – is also closed and did not appear to sustain any major damage.
Its bosses have yet to announce a reopening date.
This is the shocking moment Florida residents caught in Hurricane Milton opened their car door to find an agitated alligator snapping at the tire.
Locals were left hysterical as their car became swamped in fast moving water and attacked by ‘a big f**king alligator’.
Wildlife experts have warned that animals may be affected by the storms and driven into populated areas, left disoriented and more aggressive from the stress.
Terrifying force of Milton is revealed after Cat 3 hurricane made landfall
Milton made landfall in Siesta Key as a Category 3 Wednesday at 8pm EST with winds
The storm surge peaked at 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County.
Pinellas and Hillsborough counties saw as much as 17 inches of rain in some parts in just six hours, with officials issueing a flash flood emergency.
Overnight, several high wind gusts were reported: 92 mph in Marineland, 83 mph near Ponce de Leon Inlet, 73 mph on South Hutchinson Island, 84 mph at Daytona Beach International Airport, 77 mph at a NASA weather station at Cape Canaveral and 62 mph at Melbourne International Airport.
At least four deaths were reported in St. Lucie County on Florida’s Atlantic Coast when an unconfirmed tornado flattened a retirement community
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deployed more than 130 officers who’ve teamed up with many others for search and rescue operations, which are ongoing Thursday morning.
Milton powered east-northeast across Florida to the Atlantic Ocean and offshore early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an 8 a.m. ET update.
It weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved through the state early Thursday.
A woman walks along a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Osprey, Florida.
The best way for people to stay safe, according to the FWC, is to stay alert and give wildlife their space. They have also suggested anyone avoid helping or rescuing wildlife during or after a storm if it would put them in danger.
Severe weather conditions can often displace and disorient wildlife, due to high winds, and flooding can allow more access to unusual areas.
Disorientation and stress caused by storms and hurricanes can often lead wildlife to act differently and potentially more aggressively than their typical nature.
Paradise Island destroyed by Milton
The town of Matlacha and Pine Island were devastated by tornadoes brought by Hurricane Milton on Wednesday.
Officials say they responded to several structure failures after several tornados slammed through the coastal area.
Images from the scene showed debris and pieces of buildings thrown on the streets, with firefighters responding to a home on fire.
Police have told people to stay off the roads as multiple power lines and poles are down.
The devastation has left Matlacha cut off from the rest of the state and not accesible by car.
Matlacha is a fishing village with a population of about 500 near Cape Coral and Fort Mayers.
A Royal Caribbean passenger has vowed to never cruise again after a hellish voyage during Hurricane Milton.
Kim Eberhardt says the unfortunately-named Harmony of the Seas suffered ‘turbulence and thrashing’ as it sailed through the Gulf of Mexico towards Honduras and Costa Maya.
‘It was just rocky. It was rough rocky.’ Eberthardt told WVUE.
The cruise, which departed from Galveston in Texas on Sunday, canceled two of its planned stops.
Eberhardt says the vessel was ‘swerving around in the water’ while its captain tried to avoid the worst of Milton.
The Harmony of the Seas is now sailing towards calmer waters off the Mexican paradise isle of Cozumel ahead of its return to Galveston on Sunday.
Passengers have been offered future cruise credits to make up for the weather disruption – but Eberhardt doesn’t want them.
‘We have no desire. I just feel like at this point — I will fly somewhere,’ she said.
Kim Eberhardt is pictured about her Royal Caribbean cruise from hell, which was severely disrupted by Hurricane Milton
Eberhardt says the cruise from Galveston in Texas around the Gulf of Mexico suffered very rough conditions as Milton blew in
An onboard map shows the awkward route the ship’s captain had to take to avoid the worst of the weather
