Hurricane Milton has made landfall on the west coast of Florida, near Siesta Key, as a Category 3 storm with winds sustained at 120 mph (195 kph), on Wednesday evening. It was expected to hit further north, but it arrived earlier and further south than forecasted, giving some hope that regions such as Tampa Bay might stay out of the worst part. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis showed some optimism, particularly about the storm surge, which could reach up to four meters.
The storm was moving at such an alarming rate that many had little time to evacuate, and by this morning, Milton had already spawned 19 tornadoes that left varying degrees of damage to a number of counties and destroyed more than 125 homes, most of which were mobile homes. Still, no fatalities had been reported as of Wednesday evening. The National Hurricane Center continues to characterize it as “extremely dangerous,” issuing threats of a life-threatening storm surge, powerful winds and possible flash floods in Central Florida.
Milton is forecast to dissipate after passing across the Florida peninsula, but storm surge threats persist for the Atlantic coast of the state as it enters the ocean again. In addition, many communities throughout Florida are evacuating millions of residents who have already experienced the destructive power of Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. Around a quarter of the state’s gas stations had no fuel on Wednesday, and search-and-rescue teams and National Guard troops stand ready to respond once weather improves.