Hurricane Milton live updates: At least nine dead as Florida wakes up to survey damage from floods, tornadoes
Multiple fatalities have already been reported as Hurricane Milton continues to wreak havoc as it moves off Florida’s east coast
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At least nine people have died after Hurricane Milton devastated portions of Florida, leaving residents waking up to survey the damage.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, bringing multiple tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.
Four people in St Lucie County retirement village have been killed by tornadoes brought on by the hurricane after a dozen twisters spawned in the region within 20 minutes.
Ferocious winds caused a crane to collapse into the The Tampa Bay Times in St Petersburg, while the roof of Tropicana Field baseball stadium has been left in disrepair.
More than 3.3m homes and businesses in Florida have been left powerless, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted.
Evacuation alerts were blasted out to millions, with Bradenton Police Chief Melanie issuing a bleak prognosis for those who neglected advice. “What we’ll probably be finding in the morning are bodies,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Thursday morning.
After landfall, Milton has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and is moving off Florida’s east coast – with residents still battling against brutal winds and storm surge.
Elon Musk’s offer of ‘free internet’ to Hurricane Milton victims isn’t quite what it seems
Elon Musk is offering free internet to victims caught up in Hurricanes Milton and Helene through his company Starlink – but it comes with a catch.
Musk said on Wednesday that the rollout of Space X’s Starlink services – which claim to enable anyone impacted by a natural disaster to access internet connectivity – has been “accelerated” for people in areas affected by the hurricanes.
“This is being provided free of charge by SpaceX and TMobile to help those in need,” Musk said.
Rhian Lubin has the full story.
Elon Musk’s offer of ‘free internet’ to Hurricane Milton victims isn’t what it seems
Musk said the rollout of Space X’s Starlink services has been ‘accelerated’ for people in areas affected by the hurricanes
Pinellas County lifts evacuation order
Pinellas County lifted its mandatory evacuation order of zones A, B, C and mobile homes late Thursday morning. Many locations may not have power or water and roads have not yet been cleared of debris.
“The County is still asking residents to avoid any unnecessary travel because there are numerous hazards on the roads and many intersections are without power. Crews can clear roads and restore utility services sooner if they can move about freely,” the county said.
Man plants Trump flag on pier in middle of deadly Hurricane Milton winds
Man plants Trump flag on pier in middle of deadly Hurricane Milton winds
A man braved deadly Hurricane Milton conditions to plant a Donald Trump flag on a pier in Florida. The individual was filmed on a CCTV camera in Naples as intense winds created huge waves on the coast. He successfully secured the Trump flag on the pier’s structure before leaving the scene. Hurricane Milton has devastated portions of Florida causing “multiple deaths” and officials predicting that more bodies will be found upon sunrise. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night (9 October) near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, bringing multiple tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge. “Multiple deaths” were confirmed after dozens of tornadoes spawned in St Lucie County, county Sheriff Keith Pearson said.
Stunning images show crane damage to ‘historic’ Tampa Bay Times office building
St. Petersburg Mayor says Milton brought about 18 inches of rain, damage to the city’s drinking water systems
“We’re actively working to restore those services to residents as quickly as we can,” Mayor Ken Welch said Thursday.
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