Hurricane Milton packed a powerful punch, leaving a path of destruction. There was widespread damage in Florida, with countless homes ripped apart and millions left without power. In the hours since Milton moved on, there have been plenty of intense recues, like a 14-year-old pulled from deep floodwater after he was left clinging to debris. Chris Jose and Julia Bagg report.
Hurricane Milton brought powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a category 3 storm.
It weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved through Florida early Thursday. Power outages were widespread and deaths have been reported from severe weather.
The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph when it roared ashore in Siesta Key, south of the populated Tampa Bay region, the National Hurricane Center said. High winds, heavy rain and flooding hit areas including densely populated Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers.
It caused at least 11 deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit. Five of the deaths were in St. Lucie County and at least four of those were tornado-related. Two people died in St. Petersburg and three died in hard-hit Volusia County, according to NBC News.
A person also died in Citrus County when a tree fell on a vehicle.
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Entertainment elite donate toward hurricane relief efforts
Hollywood power couple Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds have given $1 million in relief efforts for Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot announced the donation from the “Gossip Girl” star and her “Deadpool” husband in an Instagram post Thursday.
They’re the latest celebrities to make a seven-figure donation after megastar singer Taylor Swift gave $5 million earlier.
Residents rescued from assisted living facility in Tampa
More than 100 residents were rescued from an assisted living facility in Tampa, according to a social media post Thursday morning from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue were out with amphibious equipment and the marine unit rescuing residents, Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the video.
It shows deputies in nearly waist-deep water outside the facility and residents with walkers being carried away on boats. The video shows flooded streets and parking lots and rescue workers with a boat floating next to a partially submerged flight of stairs helping an apartment building resident in a life jacket wrap up her cat.
Chronister can be seen offering to take a person in a home surrounded by flood waters to dry ground.
“This is extraordinary to see this type of flooding, especially in this type of area. The University of South Florida area is normally a dry area,” Chronister said in the video. “To see this unprecedented flooding, I can only imagine how scary it was.”
Tiny barrier island off Fort Myers gets hit by tornado and the effects of hurricane
The tiny barrier island of Matlacha just off Fort Myers got hit by both a tornado and surge from Hurricane Milton, with many of the turquoise, salmon and lavender buildings sustaining serious damage.
Several collapsed or are knocked off their pilings. Utility poles are snapped and there was no power Thursday morning. The fishing and tourism village also got severely hit by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago and Ian two years ago.
Ninety-year-old Tom Reynolds spent Thursday morning sweeping out the four feet of mud and water the surge deposited in his two-story home and collecting the large chunks of his home’s aluminum siding that had been ripped off by the tornado. Fortunately for Reynolds and others working outside Thursday, the temperatures were in the low 80s (mid-20s Celsius) and Milton had sucked away all the humidity.
The tornado, he said, had “picked up a car and thrown it across the road.” A house had been blown into another street, temporarily blocking it. Some structures caught fire.
Reynolds, who founded the glass and mirror company his son now runs, said he lost many of his power tools – he had stored them high in his shed, but the surge knocked it over.
He said plans to clean up his house, which he built three decade ago, get it fixed and stay.
“What else am I going to do?” Reynolds said.
Bradenton Beach chief relieved to see his town for the first time after Milton
BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — It was a “sigh of relief” when Police Chief John Cosby came across the bridge from the mainland to Anna Maria Island at 4:30 a.m. Thursday and didn’t see his community underwater.
“Very close to 100%” of residents evacuated this town ahead of Hurricane Milton, he said, after Hurricane Helene battered this barrier island community just two weeks ago, covering the streets with piles of sand like snowbanks from a blizzard.
“So far, knock on wood, we’ve had no injuries and no deaths in our community,” from Hurricane Milton, he said.
While wind from Milton battered already damaged homes and knocked at least one multi-story home off its pilings, the projected storm surge didn’t hit here, he said.
Piles of debris from Hurricane Helene still line the streets here. Mattresses, refrigerators, stacks of plates — some scattered but others sitting in their heaps — created a mess, but not the barrage of hurricane-driven missiles so many residents had feared.
Biden pledges federal support for storm-battered Sarasota
SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert said in a statement that she spoke with President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Alpert said the call was unexpected and that Biden promised her federal support in the recovery from the storm.
“He understands ... it will take a lot from the federal government to help us recover in Sarasota,” Alpert said. “We’re grateful for the support and thank President Biden for reaching out.”
The city said in a statement that crews are working to clear roadways and assess the damage caused by the storm.
Workers start clearing Bradenton Beach of storm debris
BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — City workers were feeling grateful not to be wading through deep floodwaters as they picked up storm debris Thursday morning in this beach town on Anna Maria Island.
Just two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene battered homes and businesses and blew in piles of sand four to six feet high along Bradenton Beach's streets.
Residents had feared that the loss of the sand along the beach here may have left it more vulnerable to further erosion from Hurricane Milton, in this community where wooden beach bungalows still stand among newer two- and three-story houses.
Jeremi Roberts of the State Emergency Response Team said the piles of sand may have helped shield homes here from further damage from Milton.
Sarasota assesses damage while asking residents to stay put and conserve water
SARASOTA, Fla. — Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche said in a video statement on social media that the damage from Hurricane Milton doesn’t appear as bad as initially feared and the search and rescue operations are underway.
“My ask is please don’t rush home right now, we’re still trying to assess what’s going on,” Troche said. “We still have downed power lines, we still have trees in the roadway.”
The city of Sarasota said in a statement that residents are urged to continue to shelter in place as the storm surge is expected through Thursday afternoon and to conserve water because of numerous broken water lines in the city.
Florida's governor says his state was spared 'the worst case scenario'
Hurricane Milton was a significant storm but not “the worst-case scenario," Florida's governor says.
Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Thursday 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 Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” he said. “The storm was significant but thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario.”
Water levels in many Florida rivers are forecast to continue rising, he said. Because of the amount of water flooding happen not just now but in the subsequent days, he said.
Milton wind speeds still a serious threat into the morning
Milton powered east-northeast across Florida to the Atlantic Ocean and offshore early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an 8 a.m. update.
That kept Milton at Category 1 hurricane strength.
Category 1 storms, though not considered “major” hurricanes, are still devastating. The catastrophic Hurricane Katrina made its initial landfall along the southeast coast of Florida in 2005 as a Category 1 and was one of the deadliest and most costly storms to hit the mainland U.S. as it strengthened.
Sustained winds differ from gusts, which were reported as high as 102 mph in some parts of Florida during the early hours of Milton. Gusts are sudden bursts in wind speed, are typically higher than sustained winds and last only a few seconds at a time.
Overnight, several high wind gusts were reported, including 84 mph at Daytona Beach International Airport; 77 mph at a NASA weather station at Cape Canaveral; and 62 mph at Melbourne International Airport, the hurricane center said.
Tornadoes ahead of Hurricane Milton killed 4 people, St. Lucie County says
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Tornadoes ahead of Hurricane Milton killed four people, St. Lucie County officials said.
Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida Wednesday morning. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.
Four people were killed in tornadoes there, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Significant damage from Milton is reported in west-central Florida
PLANT CITY, Fla. — There was significant damage in west-central Florida, including in the community of Plant City, an official said.
“One of the most profound things I’m seeing is the flooding. We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” City Manager Bill McDaniel said in a video posted online Thursday morning. “It’s absolutely staggering, what we’re seeing out there. Last night, members of our police and fire department performed rescues of 35 individuals from flooded structures here.”
Plant City has about 40,000 people. McDaniel added, “The police and the fire departments have their hands full. we’re bringing out crews to clean up the tree debris and get our roadways clear.”
Rescue teams are out in full force in the South Daytona area
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Hurricane Milton brought flooding to Florida’s Atlantic Coast early Thursday.
In Volusia County, where Daytona Beach is located, high water rescue teams were out in full force in the South Daytona area, sheriff’s officials said.
Tampa officers rescue 15 people from a home damaged by a falling tree
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police officers rescued 15 people from a one-story home that was damaged when a tree fell as Hurricane Milton was passing through.
“The swift actions taken by these officers during a break in the storm bands provided this family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty,” Tampa police Chief Lee Bercaw said.
The residents were taken to a nearby shelter as bands from the hurricane were still passing through Tampa. No one was injured.
Many roads in Fort Myers area are underwater or blocked by fallen trees
FORT MYERS, Fla. — In Lee County, where Fort Myers is located, the local sheriff’s office noted that many roads were either underwater or blocked by fallen trees, downed power lines or other debris.
Some areas in Lee County had 3 feet of water covering roads.
A draw bridge just east of Matlacha, where about 600 people live on a barrier island, is partially blocked by a house, sheriff’s officials said. The Matlacha area was also devastated by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Rescue teams move people to safety in the Tampa area and work to reopen roadways
TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has started rescue operations in at least one neighborhood.
“Our teams are on the ground, moving people to safety,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a post that crews have been responding to calls since early Thursday.
“Our cut teams are out cutting trees, trying to open up some of the roadways. There are downed powerlines and trees everywhere. Please stay indoors. We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” he said.
Officials in hard-hit Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, also are urging residents to stay where they are.
Travel is dangerous after Milton moves through, sheriff's office warns
SARASOTA, Fla. — In Sarasota County, “first-in” emergency crews were reporting downed power lines and trees in roadways, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post early Thursday.
Some bridges in the county were not passable after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota. The sheriff’s office urged residents and business owners to stay off the roads to allow emergency and utility crews time to work.
“The storm may have passed but it is still dangerous to be traveling this morning,” the sheriff’s office said.
Milton moving off the east coast of Florida
The center of Hurricane Milton was moving off the east coast of Florida early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center said. Milton was expected to continue to move away from the peninsula and to the north of the Bahamas.
As the storm barreled northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, all hurricane and tropical storm warnings were discontinued for the state’s west coast.
Storm surge warnings remained in effect for parts of the Florida west coast, and along the state’s east coast to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings were also in effect for much of the state’s east-central coast.
At least 3 million customers without power due to Milton
Hurricane Milton’s tear of destruction across central Florida left more than 3 million homes and businesses without power around 4 a.m. EDT Thursday, according to PowerOutages.us.
Energy companies serve more than 11.5 million customer accounts across the state, according to the website.
Milton’s high winds and intense rains continued into Thursday morning. Florida's central Gulf Coast was hardest hit by the outages, including Hardee, Sarasota, Hillsborough and Manatee counties.
Hurricane Milton weakens to Category 1, but danger remains in Florida
MIAMI — The National Weather Service says the storm’s maximum sustained wind speed was 90 mph (145 kph) at about 1 a.m. Thursday as it passed east of Lakeland, Florida, on its way across the central peninsula.
The weather service uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to estimate potential property damage caused by a hurricane’s sustained wind speed. A Category 1 hurricane is considered to have very dangerous winds that topple shallow-rooted trees, snap tree limbs and damage the exterior of well-constructed frame homes. They can also cause extensive damage to power lines.
Hurricane Milton was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall Wednesday evening. That rating means devastating damage is expected to occur, including roofs torn from well-constructed homes, trees uprooted, and electricity and water systems unavailable for days to weeks.
High wind speeds are not the only dangers caused by hurricanes. Hurricane Milton spawned several devastating tornadoes that wreaked havoc on Florida communities Wednesday afternoon. Heavy rainfall and storm surges also caused dangerous flooding in some coastal areas.
Multiple collapsed cranes reported in St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The National Weather Service says it has received reports of multiple collapsed cranes due to high winds in St. Petersburg, about 50 miles south of Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue confirmed one collapse late Wednesday about six blocks from the city's pier. There were no reports of injuries.
The crane was at the site of a 515-foot-tall luxury high-rise building under construction that is being billed as one of the tallest buildings on the west coast of Florida. It was scheduled to be completed in summer 2025.
Taylor Swift donates $5 million to help hurricane relief efforts
Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot announced the singer's donation for people impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in an Instagram post Wednesday thanking her for “standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” Babineaux-Fontenot wrote. “This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”
Milton shreds Tropicana Field's roof
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged Wednesday night. Television images showed 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 2028 season with a $1.3 billion ballpark.
St. Lucie County sheriff says tornadoes killed residents
Before Milton even made landfall Wednesday evening on Florida’s Gulf Coast, tornadoes were touching down across the state. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, destroying homes and leaving some residents dead.
“We have lost some life,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News. He did not say how many were killed.
Search and rescue efforts underway in Florida, officials say
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Officials say search and rescue efforts are underway in Florida after dangerous tornadoes ripped through the region.
About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane made landfall, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson posted a video to Facebook showing a 10,000 square-foot iron building that had been twisted into a crumpled heap by a tornado. The structure was where the sheriff’s office kept its patrol cars, but luckily no one was inside when it fell, Pearson said.
Siesta Key where Milton landed is a prosperous area with picturesque beaches
SIESTA KEY, Fla. — Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota, is a prosperous strip of powdery, white sand beaches and picturesque sunsets, celebrated with a drum circle on Sundays.
Florida International University professor Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. “Dr. Beach,” named Siesta Beach the United States’ best beach in 2017, and MTV’s “Siesta Key” gave audiences a reality-show view of the place in recent years.
Many of Siesta Key’s about 5,500 residents are of retirement age.
Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm
Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday along Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm, bringing powerful winds, dangerous storm surge and potential flooding to much of the state. Milton drew fuel from exceedingly warm Gulf of Mexico waters, twice reaching Category 5 status.
The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph when it roared ashore near Siesta Key, Florida, at 8:30 p.m., the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. High winds, heavy rain and flooding hit areas including densely populated Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers.
