Hurricane Milton live updates: Death toll rises after monster storm strikes Florida with tornadoes, flooding, wind
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 11 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.
‘Temporary base camp’ at Tropicana Field baseball stadium to be relocated
A temporary camp for first responders that was intended to be set up at the Tropicana Field baseball stadium has had to be relocated, following damage to the stadium’s roof.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had said earlier in the week that there were plans for the ballpark – home to the Tampa Bay Rays – to serve as a “temporary base camp” to support debris cleanup operations and temporarily house some first responders. But those plans were changed as the storm neared, amid concerns that the roof simply would not survive Milton's wrath.
“They were relocated,” DeSantis said at a Thursday morning news conference. “Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things. The roof on that ... I think it's rated for 110 mph and so the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana. There were no state assets that were inside Tropicana Field.”
He added that no injuries at the stadium were reported.
The Rays said no official determination about damage inside the facility would be made until officials say conditions are safe to venture into the area. There also was no immediate word on how long the roof replacement may take, or if the team will make alternate arrangements for the 2025 season.
DeSantis says Harris has ‘no role’ in Hurricane Milton preparation process
“The fact of the matter is they put out a story saying I didn’t take [her calls]. I didn’t even know she was trying to reach me, but she has no role in this process,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told CNBC on Thursday morning.
“And I’ve been dealing with these storms in Florida under both Trump and Biden. Neither of them ever politicized it. And, in fact, all the storms I’ve dealt with under this administration, although I’ve worked well with the president, [Harris] has never called in Florida. She has never offered any support,” he continued.
“So what she’s doing is she’s trying to inject herself into this because of her political campaign. So as the governor here who’s leading this, I don’t have time for those games. I don’t care about her campaign.”
There were 14 people inside of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium when it was hit by Milton
Tampa’s Tropicana Field was damaged by Hurricane Milton just months after the St. Petersburg City Council approved a new Rays stadium project.
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.
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