Hurricane Milton brought heavy rain and tornadoes, causing severe flooding and several deaths in Florida.

Fort Myers, Florida, devastated by Hurricane Milton. Source: WGRZ-TV

According to CNN, Hurricane Milton has weakened to a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 90 mph. The center of the storm is expected to pass over the eastern coast of Florida before early morning on October 10 (local time). Rain and wind will gradually decrease as the sky brightens.

Previously, Hurricane Milton maintained winds of up to 160 km/h, causing authorities in Tampa, Florida to announce the suspension of emergency services.

The sky in Florida turned purple as Hurricane Milton made landfall. Photo: CNN

“We have had to shut down all emergency services because it is too dangerous to put emergency responders out on the streets at this time,” said Barbara Tripp, the city’s police chief, noting that at least 400,000 people in the city were without power.

About three hours after making landfall, Hurricane Milton was still “causing heavy rain and damaging winds in parts of central Florida,” the US National Hurricane Center said, according to CNN.

Flooding in Fort Myers, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

A flooding emergency remains in place in the Tampa Bay area. Heavy rain is expected to continue for several hours.

Dangerous winds of more than 100 mph were recorded Wednesday night, wreaking havoc around Tampa and other parts of west-central Florida, near where Hurricane Milton made landfall, according to meteorologist Brandon Millier.

Tampa Bay Ray Stadium in Tampa, Florida, had its roof blown off by Hurricane Milton. Source: X/Guardian.

Hurricane Milton continues to move inland, flooding roads and howling winds through the Tampa Bay area. “It’s hard to keep my footing. Even behind very tall, concrete buildings, I’m being tossed around like a lightweight on the streets of Bradenton,” hurricane chaser and meteorologist Ben McMillan told CNN.

A man takes advantage of a break in the rain during Hurricane Milton to kayak on a flooded road. Photo: USA TODAY

In Tampa, winds were so strong that they pushed vehicles and swept debris and fallen tree limbs onto the road. CNN correspondent Boris Sanchez described hearing trees crackling around him and seeing blue and green flashes in the sky — signs of blown transformers.

The water level reached the axle of a nearby car. The eye of the storm is moving east across central Florida, but because it’s such a large storm, it has more than one eye, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

A box truck is knocked over by hurricane winds in a Florida parking lot. Photo: USA TODAY.

This means that while the main eye of the storm may have passed over some coastal areas, the outer bands of the storm will still sweep across the Tampa Bay area for hours, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

Officials in Martin County, Florida, say multiple people were injured and dozens of homes were damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall, bringing strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous tornadoes.

A flooded underground parking garage in Port Charlotte, Florida. Source: X/CNN.

According to CNN, Martin County recorded many injuries, including serious injuries, but no deaths were recorded.

More than 1.5 million households lost power and 125 homes were destroyed in Florida due to Hurricane Milton, Reuters reported. The outages were most severe in Hardee County, the city of Sarasota and Manatee County.

President Biden discussed Hurricane Milton closely with Florida officials. According to CNN, Mr. Biden spoke by phone with Florida officials including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert, and Congressmen Gus Bilirakis and Kathy Castor.

Heavy rain and strong winds were recorded in Tampa, Florida. Source X/Guardian.

“The President asked officials to call directly if additional assistance is needed for rescue, response and recovery. Mr. Biden also emphasized standing side by side with officials and the people of Florida before and after the storm hit,” the White House said in a statement, according to CNN.

A power pole is knocked down by strong winds in Fort Myers, Florida, as Hurricane Milton makes landfall. Photo: Reuters

According to new information, Hurricane Milton has weakened to Category 2. According to CNN, the storm’s sustained winds are 177 km/h. Milton will remain at hurricane level until at least the morning of October 10 (local time). The storm’s impact extends hundreds of kilometers from the eye of the storm.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff confirmed “multiple fatalities” as a result of the tornado, CNN reported. It is not yet clear how many people have died.

Hurricane Milton causes severe damage in the St. Petersburg area. Source: X/The American Conservative.

Fort Myers, Florida is experiencing severe flooding. “The winds have been relentless through Fort Myers and we’re starting to see the worst of the flooding tonight,” CNN reported.

The 230mm of rain that fell in St. Petersburg, Florida, in three hours was recorded as “unprecedented in 1,000 years”. This means that the amount of rain that fell in the area in three hours due to Hurricane Milton is equivalent to three months of rain.

Flooding in Taylor St, Florida due to Hurricane Milton. Source: X/Guardian.

More than 1.1 million Florida households are without power after Hurricane Milton made landfall. The outages are widespread. According to CNN, the number of households without power doubled in just one hour.

The impact in an area of ​​Florida before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Source: X/WYZE.

After Hurricane Milton made landfall, Florida’s emergency services warned residents to be extremely cautious. “People should continue to shelter in place and remain vigilant,” the Florida Department of Emergency Management said.

Deadly dangers and extreme weather conditions will continue through October 10 (local time) as the storm moves across many areas of the state.

Satellite image of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida.

The mayor of Tampa, Florida, announced that the city is directly affected by Hurricane Milton. “The next few hours are going to be the most difficult for Tampa,” Mayor Jane Castor told CNN. According to Castor, Milton did not cause as much storm surge, but it is still more dangerous than Hurricane Helene, which made landfall two weeks ago.

“The storm is moving very quickly,” the mayor said. “We are getting hit by significant winds.”

According to CNN, the storm will continue to cause dangerous large waves, heavy rain causing flooding and destructive strong winds both near and far from where the storm’s eye makes landfall.

Wind and high waves begin to batter the St. Petersburg, Florida area. Photo: AFP.

Milton will maintain Category 3 strength as it moves across the Florida mainland through the morning of October 10 (local time). According to Reuters, although it has been downgraded to Category 3, the storm is expanding in size and will still be an “extremely dangerous major hurricane.”

Milton is the fifth hurricane to hit the United States this year. It reached the Earth’s limit for hurricane strength but weakened as it approached land.

Hurricanes that made landfall in the US this year included Beryl as a Category 1, Debby as a Category 1, Francine as a Category 2, and Helene as a Category 4.

According to CNN, the number of hurricanes hitting the US this year is equal to the period 2021 – 2023 combined.

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