Hurricane Milton aftermath: Millions without power as deaths, flooding reported
TAMPA, Fla. - Hurricane Milton moved through Florida on Thursday after slamming into the state as a Category 3 storm – causing at least four deaths, flooding, and millions of people without power.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph when it made landfall near Siesta Key, south of the Tampa Bay region, the National Hurricane Center said. Later, as it moved through the state, it weakened to a Category 1 storm.
Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday night near Siesta Key, Florida. (Credit: NOAA)
While it caused a lot of damage and water levels may continue to rise for days, Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Thursday it was not "the worst case scenario."
The storm brought up to 18 inches of rain to some parts of the area, according to the governor.
DeSantis said the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet — lower than in the worst place during Helene.
"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."
RELATED: Hurricane Milton threatens to scatter Florida’s toxic phosphate waste
President Joe Biden urged everyone impacted by Hurricane Milton "to stay inside and off the roads."
"Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions," Biden's official presidential Twitter account posted on Thursday. "Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it’s safe to go out."
Milton’s intensity made it the fifth-strongest cyclone on record in the Atlantic Basin, only falling short of records held by Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988) Labor Day (1935) and Rita (2005), according to FOX Weather.
Here's what to know:
Milton spawns tornadoes: At least 4 killed
Hurricane Milton: Massive, deadly tornado outbreak
Florida officials confirmed deaths after a tornado outbreak, ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. Nearly 100 tornado warnings were issued in South Florida, and "multiple" people were killed. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3 storm, eventually downgrading to a category 1 storm. Milton continues to push through the state, and is expected to reach the opposite coast by daylight. Colin McCarthy of MyRadar joins Austin Westfall on LiveNOW from FOX.
The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard by tornadoes, with homes destroyed, and four people killed, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.
Before Milton even made landfall on Wednesday evening along 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 by tornadoes, with homes destroyed, and four people killed, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.
Search and rescue efforts were underway on Thursday.
"We have lost some life," St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News early Thursday.
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.
Milton: Millions of power outages across Florida
The hurricane knocked out power across a large section of Florida.
More than 3.3 million homes and businesses were without electricity as of 9 a.m. ET, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
Milton tears open Tropicana Field's roof, cranes collapse
WATCH: Tropicana Field roof torn off, crane crashes into building
Damage in Florida is widespread as Hurricane Milton continues to push through Florida. Viral videos show the roof of Tropicana Field torn off by the storm. Tropicana Field is home to the Tampa Bay Rays, and it served as the homebase for thousands of emergency responders who set up camp ahead of Hurricane Milton. The city says nobody was injured when the roof ripped off the stadium. Officials are asking people to avoid the area. New video from Mike Boylan, storm chaser who runs 'Mike's Weather Page,' shows more destruction in St. Petersburg, Florida. A construction crane in downtown St. Petersburg came tumbling down as Hurricane Milton lashed the city. Video shows the crane on the ground surrounded by debris after it plummeted to the ground at 400 Central Avenue.
Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged early Thursday. 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.
A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)
The stadium is located in St. Petersburg, about 50 miles south of Siesta Key where the hurricane made landfall. It 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.
Multiple cranes were also toppled in the storm.
A crane sits on the street after crashing down into the building housing the Tampa Bay Times offices after the arrival of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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 the summer of 2025.
Milton will continue bringing rain, wind on Thursday
As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed.
Storm surge warnings were issued for much of the east-central coast of Florida and northward into Georgia, and tropical storm warnings were in place along the coast into South Carolina.
Officials in the hard-hit Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.