Hurricane Milton strikes Florida: What happened and what’s next?

EXPLAINER

Milton made landfall in Florida’s Siesta Key, leaving more than three million people without power.

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane. It was downgraded to Category 1 as it cruised through central Florida, causing rainfall and power cuts, before emerging into the Atlantic Ocean.

Milton’s devastation came less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged the Gulf Coast on September 26, killing at least 225 people.

Here is more to know about Milton’s landfall and its impact.

When and where did Hurricane Milton make landfall?

Milton made landfall at about 20:30 EDT (03:00 GMT) on Wednesday near Siesta Key, a barrier island town in Sarasota County on Florida’s west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

After originating as a tropical depression on October 5, Milton quickly grew into a Category 1 hurricane on October 6. By Monday, it rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

It had downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 195km/h (120 miles per hour) as it hit Siesta Key slightly earlier than expected on Wednesday.

830pm EDT Oct 9th: Doppler radar data indicates that the eye of #Hurricane #Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida.

Max sustained winds at landfall are estimated at 120 mph.

Landfall TCU: https://t.co/YUc7mT6LuJ pic.twitter.com/fEODy4AvHJ

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 10, 2024

How did Milton make landfall in Florida?

Before Milton hit Florida, the state was hit by tornadoes and rainfall.

Some 90 minutes after Milton made landfall, it downsized to a Category 2 hurricane.

What impact did Milton have as it crossed the state?

• Power cuts: Electricity was lost and cellular connection is also at risk of being lost. As of 06:46 EDT (10:46 GMT) on Thursday, more than 3.2 million people in Florida are without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks power supply. Areas around the West Coast were particularly impacted. You can check the status of power in your neighbourhood using Florida Power and Light (FLP) company’s Power Tracker.
• Tornadoes: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that at least 19 tornadoes hit different counties in Florida starting Wednesday morning. One hit the Everglades wetlands and crossed Interstate 75, which is part of Florida’s highway system. Another tornado hit Fort Myers in Lee County, snapping trees and destroying a gas station’s canopy.
• Heavy rainfall: Downpour in parts of southern Florida brought the risk of flash floods. The rain started on Wednesday morning when Gulf Coast city St Petersburg received 422 mm.
• Destruction of houses: About 125 homes, several of them mobile homes and homes in senior citizen communities, were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, according to Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
• Deaths: While information about deaths caused by the hurricane and related weather events is uncertain, NBC news reported at least two deaths in a retirement community in Fort Pierce on Florida’s eastern coast.
• Storm surge: The risk of storm surges mounted as Milton approached and warnings were issued for parts of Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coastlines.

What is a storm surge?

A storm surge refers to an abnormal rise in water level in the sea. It is caused by water being pushed offshore by strong cyclonic winds.

Storm surges can be very destructive; the waves can flow inland and damage or destroy houses or other infrastructure along the coast.

(Al Jazeera)

What emergency resources and rescue efforts are in place?

Florida authorities have ordered evacuation for about 7.2 million residents in 15 Florida counties.

DeSantis said about 9,000 National Guard personnel and 50,000 electricity grid workers were deployed in Florida to assist in recovery efforts. The Florida governor added that search-and-rescue teams would head out as soon as the storm passes.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) continues to publish warnings and safety measures online. On Thursday, NWS posted an advisory on X saying “NEVER drive around barricades into floodwaters,” adding that more than 50 percent of flood deaths are vehicle-related.

A flash flood emergency was announced for Tampa Bay, including the cities of Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater, according to the NHC.

(Al Jazeera)

What is the status of Hurricane Milton now?

As of 06:46 EDT (10:46 GMT) on Thursday, Milton is a Category 1 hurricane with a maximum sustained wind speed of 140km/h (87 mph). It is now in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of Cape Canaveral in Florida’s Brevard County.

What happens next?

On Thursday morning, heavy rainfall continued to raise the prospects of major flooding, the NHC warned at 05:00 EDT (09:00 GMT) on Thursday in an X post.

Rainfall of 200-350 mm is expected across central to northern portions of the Florida peninsula on Thursday, according to the NHC.

The NHC also posted at 05:00 EDT (09:00 GMT) that damaging gusts of winds would continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeastern Florida. It asked residents to remain indoors and away from windows.