Drone video shows several boats that were washed ashore by Hurricane Milton in Florida.
made landfall as a Category 3 storm at 8:30 p.m. ET yesterday near Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota. The storm has since moved out to sea.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said this afternoon that five people were killed in tornadoes in St. Lucie County, up from the four confirmed earlier this morning, bringing the new total of deaths around the state to 10.Pinellas County has lifted the mandatory evacuation order issued before Hurricane Milton, but is asking residents to avoid unnecessary travel.
At least four deaths have been confirmed in St. Lucie County on the state’s Atlantic coast, where tornadoes touched down. At least two people were killed in St. Petersburg during the storm, police said. At least three people died in Volusia County, according to the sheriff.Photos and videos showed homes submerged in murky floodwaters, residents attempting to evacuate on small boats, roads shredded to pieces and debris scattered in all directions.St.
The latest death toll comes after Volusia County Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood confirmed that three people had died in the county. He also said that downed power lines, debris and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions, advising affected Floridians to shelter in place until local officials say it's safe to go out.
About half a million homes are currently out of power, the mayor said, but she believes those will get back up."I really think it’s due to Hurricane Helene," she said."When people get to see firsthand the power of Mother Nature, it’s very impactful, literally and figuratively. And so I think that people heeded that warning and got out and were able to stay safe.
The stadium’s playing field and stands could be seen in that overheard footage, through where panels once were.More than 3 million in Florida are without power, according to PowerOutage.us. On a county level, many are more than 50% without power, according to Whisker Labs sensor data.A raft of warnings and alerts were lifted or downgraded as Hurricane Milton moved out to sea this morning, the National Hurricane Center said in a 8 a.m. ET update.
The sheriff's department shared images and videos on social media of its teams beginning rescue operations and responding to flooding and downed trees.Following Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan spoke about the effects of the storm and said that “probably” more than 60% of the city has no electricity.
The county said in a statement that first responders and utility crews were conducting response and recovery efforts after two confirmed tornadoes touched down yesterday beginning at around 4:30 p.m. The St. Lucie Medical Examiner confirmed four fatalities as a result of these tornadoes, the statement said.
She said during a news conference this morning the fact that Tampa didn’t see the predicted storm surge, “saved a lot, that’s what we were really worried about,” but added that the risk of flooding was not over. "Hurricane Milton has been one of the more intense storms I’ve experienced as a Florida resident," said Brian Martin, 22, from the city of Casselberry, Seminole County.
But it said a tropical storm warning for all of the Florida Keys and from the Palm Beach-Broward county line southward had been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Martin County and Lake Okeechobee. "With the increased amount of rain, with the threat of flash flooding happening, you need to stay put. Don’t go out, try to make sure you’re as safe as possible."Hurricane Milton continues to produce strong winds across the east coast of Florida, as its center nears Cape Canaveral, the National Hurricane Center said in a 4 a.m. ET update.
The five people, including three trauma patients, were transported to hospitals, while others with minor injuries were treated on the ground. Among the worst hit areas are coastal counties including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota, as well as inland Hardee County where almost all the 9,600 tracked energy connections are down.
Meanwhile, a hurricane warning is in effect for Florida's west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay, and for the Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach. “This is just an example of our new normal, as storms become more powerful, they are moving more quickly and they’re really testing our infrastructure," Ken Welch told"Alex Wagner Tonight" on MSNBC last night.
The center of the storm was around 40 miles south-southwest of Orlando, and it was moving east-northeast at around 16 mph as it crosses the state, the agency said in a 1 a.m. advisory. Video posted to social media showed both incidents, with some of the roof of Tropicana Field seemingly ripped off. The crane collapsed at a construction site, the city said.Video appeared to show roof damage at the stadium. “Indeed, they did lose some of the roof at the Tropicana,” Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Jason Dougherty said on MSNBC early Thursday local time.
The hurricane will cross the central part of Florida overnight into Thursday and then leave the state and enter the Atlantic on Thursday, the NHC said.The county where at least two people died in a tornado today is in"100% rescue mode" with members of the Florida National Guard and local law enforcement officers working on the ground to help victims, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said.
Just when I thought the wind gusts from this storm could not get any stronger, I appear to have been proven wrong. That wind speed would make the hurricane on the high end of a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. NBC News meteorologist Angie Lassman explained what their crew experienced: first, a drop in pressure and extreme calm as the eye passed over the area. Once the eye passed, though, Llamas and his crew experienced the worst Milton has to offer.
The effects of Milton triggered tornadoes across Florida as it approached the state’s Gulf Coast. There have been 19 confirmed tornado touchdowns statewide, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. First responders have said they are unlikely to conduct rescues in the middle of the storm, which means anyone who did not evacuate will now have to wait out the hurricane.
As the storm developed, record warm seas in the Gulf of Mexico aided its intensification. Later, it grew in size as it underwent a process of eyewall replacement.Intense wind and rain swirled around storm chaser Ben McMillan as he shouted over loud gusts live on NBC News in Bradenton, where Milton is raging.
The center of Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm, was around 5 miles north of Sarasota, and it was moving east-northeast at 15 mph, “People after Helene realized that it really isn’t a joke to say that there’s going to be storm surge,” Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert said. In Tampa, about 73 miles north of where Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, ferocious gusts are blowing.
With no rain or wind, drivers could be seen doing donuts, racing and driving toward nearby barrier islands.About 10 people were injured in Wellington after a reported tornado today as Hurricane Milton approached Florida, the town manager said. There were 19 confirmed tornado touchdowns in Florida today as the hurricane approached, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “Numerous counties have reported tornado damage,” he said.Heavy rain and extreme wind warning will continue for all areas north of Sarasota, contributing to wind gust up to 96 mph.
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