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.
St Petersburg, Florida sees month’s worth of rain in one hour
St Petersburg has seen between 5-7 inches of rainfall in one hour, a month’s worth of rain.
Hurricane Milton's rains and wind expected to thrash Florida through Thursday
Hurricane Milton will continue to bring "devastating rains and damaging winds" across the central Florida peninsula throughout Thursday before exiting the state late in the day for the Atlantic Ocean, the National Weather Service said.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 105mph (165kmph) at 11pm Wednesday, according to the weather service, and storm surge warnings were in effect for parts of Florida's western and eastern coastlines.
The weather service said Boca Grande, Florida, could see a surge as high as 13 feet (4 metres) above ground if it hits at the same time as high tide.
The service also said tornadoes were possible through early Thursday morning over parts of central and eastern Florida.
Roof blown off Tropicana Field stadium
Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appears to be badly damaged.
Photos show that the fabric that serves as the domed building's roof had been ripped to shreds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside the stadium.
The Rays' stadium was not being used as a shelter, but the Tampa Bay Times reported that it was being used as "a staging site for workers" who were brought to the area to deal with the storm's aftermath.
The stadium opened in 1990 and initially cost $138 million. It was due to be replaced in time for the 2026 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
Record-breaking number of tornado warnings in Florida
Florida has broken its record for the most tornado warnings issued in a single day.
The National Weather Service generated 111 warnings as of 9.30pm UK time.
The highest number of tornado warnings previously issued in the state was 69, a record set on 10 September 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma.
Tree crashes into Fox News reporter’s car during Hurricane Milton
Tree crashes into reporter’s car as Hurricane Milton tears through west Florida
Fox Weather’s Robert Ray and his crew were given a bit of a shock after a Bradenton pine tree fell into their car
Biden calls Hurricane Milton 'storm of the century' in warning to Florida
Ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, Joe Biden urged Floridians to heed local officials and brace for “the storm of the century”.
“To the people of Florida and all affected states, we’ve got your back,” Mr Biden said. “We’ve got your back, and Kamala and I will be there for as long as it takes to rescue, recover and rebuild.”
He also used his address late on Wednesday to criticise Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his "onslaught of lies" relating to Milton and the earlier Hurricane Helene.
“The last few weeks, there’s been a reckless, irresponsible, relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies that are disturbing people,” Mr Biden said from the White House, “It’s ridiculous, and it’s got to stop.”
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