Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category-3 storm on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, bringing winds of over 100 mph, heavy rain, and tornadoes across the state. Tampa was spared a direct hit.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph as it hit near Siesta Key at 8:30 p.m. Siesta Key is a beach community south of Tampa with a population of 5,500.
Over 1.5 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, with the highest number of outages in Hardee, Sarasota, and Manatee counties.
Before landfall, tornadoes touched down across the state, causing destruction and fatalities. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce was severely affected.
Tampa Bay area faced a potentially deadly storm surge, with flash flooding reported in the region. Heavy rains were causing flooding inland as the storm moved across the state.
Approximately 125 homes were destroyed even before the hurricane made landfall, with many being mobile homes in communities for senior citizens.
Milton weakened to a Category 2 storm after landfall, but the impact was still significant. The storm hit a region still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which caused heavy damage and fatalities.
Evacuation warnings were issued across multiple counties, with mandatory orders in place for 15 counties affecting 7.2 million people. Authorities warned that anyone staying behind should be prepared to fend for themselves.
Disney World shuts down
As the storm approached, airlines canceled flights, theme parks closed, and gas stations ran out of fuel. Governor DeSantis deployed resources to assist with evacuation and response efforts.
Despite warnings and evacuation orders, some residents chose to stay and ride out the storm, risking their safety.
Published – October 10, 2024 09:43 am IST
