Hurricane Milton live updates: Florida surveys ‘tragic’ damage in wake of monster storm, dozens of 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 14 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.
Six 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.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell meets with Florida officials
HCA Florida Healthcare facilities remain closed in Milton’s wake
Here’s what’s open and what’s closed.
St. Petersburg Mayor to hold press conference at 5 p.m. EDT
DeSantis warns Floridians Atlantic hurricane season isn’t over
“We’re not out of hurricane season yet. I don’t want to scare anybody, but the reality is [that] hurricane season goes through November,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday afternoon.
DeSantis said that there’s usually a diminished chance for a major hurricane later into October. October is the third-most-active month of the season for tropical activity in the Atlantic Basin, according to FOX Weather.
“It’s possible something could happen in the later part of October,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s likely but, it’s just - that is a possibility.”
The Atlantic season runs through November 30. Hurricane Milton was the Gulf’s strongest late-season storm on record, and the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005.
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