Floridians woke up to devastation Thursday after Hurricane Milton slammed into the state’s Gulf Coast, leaving several dead and 3 million people without power.
Milton was downgraded to a Category 3 storm before hitting Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, around 8:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Four people were killed by the tornadoes in St. Lucie County, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday morning that Hurricane Milton was not “the worst case scenario” but that tornadoes did cause significant damage.
He told reporters that the worst of the storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet high — less than the worst spot during Helene.
The storm was downgraded to Category 1 on Thursday as it left the state and moved into the Atlantic Ocean.
However, officials have warned that the danger is not over and people should stay in their homes as storm surges are expected after the storm
Sex Offenders Who Turned Away From Hurricane Milton Shelters Should Go To Jail Instead
Flager County Sheriff Tick Staly told the sex offenders they would not be allowed into shelters and ordered them to remain in the local jail for their protection during Hurricane Milton.
‘Everyone who comes in [a shelter] will be checked to make sure they are not a fugitive, not a sex offender,” the sheriff said Wednesday.
‘We will accommodate you in its lobby [jail] building. You’ve probably seen it before,” Staly said of sex offenders having to evacuate their homes.
However, Marion County took a different approach and set up a separate shelter for those on the sex offender registry.
First deaths confirmed in Milton
Four people were killed Wednesday by tornadoes that touched down in St. Lucie County, Florida, local officials said.
St. Lucie County is located on Florida’s east coast, where killer twisters hit a retirement community.
Further details about the identities of the dead or how they died have yet to be shared.
Orlando Melbourne International Airport severely damaged by Milton
At Orlando’s second major airport, Hurricane Milton tore a 30-by-40-foot hole in the roof.
Melbourne International Orlando Airport saw part of the skylight ceiling collapse in the terminal building around 2 a.m. Thursday. FloridaToday reported.
Dramatic footage captured the moment the panels fell to the floor.
Melbourne was closed at the time, having halted commercial flights on Wednesday morning while waiting for Milton.
Bosses are planning urgent repair work and hope the airport will be open again by 9am on Friday.
Melbourne International mainly serves domestic airlines flying to other destinations on the east coast.
Some flights from Great Britain land there due to its proximity to the Port Canaveral cruise terminal.
The city’s main airport, Orlando International Airport, is also closed and does not appear to have suffered any major damage.
Bosses have not yet announced a reopening date.
This is the shocking moment Florida residents caught out by Hurricane Milton opened their car door to see an excited alligator snapping at the tire.
Locals went into hysterics when their car was submerged in fast-moving water and attacked by ‘a big damn alligator’.
Wildlife experts have warned that animals could be affected by the storms and driven into populated areas, left disoriented and more aggressive by the stress.
Milton’s terrifying power is revealed after the Cat 3 hurricane makes landfall
Milton made landfall in Siesta Key Wednesday at 8:00 PM EST as a Category 3 with wind
The storm surge peaked at 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County.
In Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, as much as 17 inches of rain fell in just six hours in some parts, with officials declaring a flash flood.
Several strong wind gusts were reported overnight: 90 mph at Marineland, 83 mph at Ponce de Leon Inlet, 75 mph at South Hutchinson Island, 84 mph at Daytona Beach International Airport, 75 mph at a NASA weather station in Cape Canaveral and 100 km/h. at Melbourne International Airport.
At least four deaths were reported in St. Lucie County on Florida’s Atlantic coast when an unconfirmed tornado leveled a retirement community
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has deployed more than 130 officers working with many others for search and rescue operations, which are underway Thursday morning.
Milton moved east-northeast through Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean and offshore early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an 8 a.m. ET update.
As it moved through the state early Thursday, it weakened to a Category 1 storm.
A woman walks through a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Osprey, Florida.
The best way for people to stay safe, according to the FWC, is to stay alert and give wildlife space. They have also suggested that everyone should avoid helping or rescuing wildlife during or after a storm if it would put them at risk.
Severe weather can often displace and disorient wildlife due to high winds, and flooding can allow greater access to unusual areas.
Disorientation and stress caused by storms and hurricanes can often cause wildlife to behave differently and potentially more aggressively than their typical nature.
Paradise Island destroyed by Milton
The town of Matlacha and Pine Island were devastated Wednesday by tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton.
Officials say they responded to several structural failures after several tornadoes struck the coastal area.
Images from the scene showed debris and pieces of buildings thrown onto the street as firefighters responded to a house on fire.
Police have ordered people to stay off the roads because several power lines and poles are down.
The destruction has left Matlacha cut off from the rest of the state and no longer accessible by car.
Matlacha is a fishing village with about 500 inhabitants near Cape Coral and Fort Mayers.
Cruise ship passengers undergo a hellish ordeal in Milton
A Royal Caribbean passenger has vowed never to cruise again after a hellish journey during Hurricane Milton.
Kim Eberhardt says the unfortunately named Harmony of the Seas encountered “turbulence and blows” as it sailed through the Gulf of Mexico toward Honduras and Costa Maya.
“It was just rocky. It was rough rocky.” Eberthardt said WVUE.
The cruise, which departed Sunday from Galveston, Texas, canceled two of its scheduled stops.
Eberhardt says the ship “swung around in the water” as the captain tried to avoid the worst of Milton.
The Harmony of the Seas is now heading towards calmer waters off the Mexican paradise island of Cozumel before returning to Galveston on Sunday.
Passengers have been offered future cruise credits to compensate for the weather disruption, but Eberhardt doesn’t want them.
‘We have no desire. I just feel like I’m going to fly somewhere at this point,” she said.
Kim Eberhardt is photographed on her Royal Caribbean cruise from hell, which was severely disrupted by Hurricane Milton
Eberhardt says the cruise from Galveston, Texas around the Gulf of Mexico was in very rough conditions when Milton blew in
A map on board shows the tricky route the ship’s captain had to take to avoid the worst weather
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