Milton Was Deadly, but Not ‘Worst-Case Scenario’
A resident tows an air mattress with people on it through streets flooded because of Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
T.J. Muscaro
Last Updated:
TAMPA, Fla.—After more than a week of watching, worrying, and speculating, Floridians came face to face with Hurricane Milton.
There was damage in Milton’s wake, as well as tragedies. At least 10 people lost their lives because of the storm.
For most, however, it was a hurricane that wasn’t as bad as expected.
As the storm inched across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida gaining strength, residents were told to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Many along the state’s Gulf Coast were still sorting through debris from Hurricane Helene, two weeks earlier.
Milton appeared merciless. The National Hurricane Center predicted that it would make landfall as a borderline Category 4 storm, pummeling Tampa Bay before trekking across the heavily populated Interstate 4 corridor and remaining a strong Category 1 hurricane as it entered the Atlantic.
People of the Tampa Bay region—near the middle of the state on the western coastline—were told to expect an unprecedented 10 feet to 15 feet of storm surge. A wall of water more than 10 feet high also was expected to the immediate north and south.
Officials declared mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told her constituents in a televised address that if they stayed in those evacuation zones, they would die.
But Milton landed south of Tampa, and that changed everything.
It was still a major hurricane, and its outer bands spun off scores of tornadoes. One twister in St. Lucie County, on the state’s east coast, killed four.
Milton threw as much as 8 feet to 10 feet of storm surge into Sarasota County. It dumped as much as 18 inches of rain in some areas, causing flash flooding. Its winds caused significant infrastructure damage, including the destruction of the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.
On the morning after Milton hit, more than 3.2 million people were without power. By the early afternoon, 106 people had been rescued, and more than 80,000 people were taking refuge in nearly 300 shelters spread across the state.
“What we know for sure is we avoided that worst-case scenario that we were planning for,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN on the morning of Oct. 10.
A man collects debris caused by a tornado in Cocoa Beach, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)
Spared From the Worst
Prior to Milton’s arrival, reports of the storm’s intensity had Marcos Gleffe of Englewood second-guessing his decision to ride it out at home. But as the storm peeled away from Florida’s east coast and churned into the Atlantic Ocean early on Oct. 10, he found himself breathing a sigh of relief.“I had screen damage, which was expected,“ Gleffe, 41, told The Epoch Times. ”My daughter’s playground tipped over. My neighbor’s playground tipped over. Other than that, except for us not having power, I think we got spared the worst of it.”
While his wife and daughter fled to eastern Tennessee, he stayed behind to ensure that their elderly neighbors would have a helping hand if things took a turn for the worse.
“I’m happy I was able to be here, just in case something happened, but I’m also happy that ... I’m not needed for anything,” Gleffe said. “My neighbors are all fine.”
Englewood lies about 12 miles south of Venice, where Milton rolled ashore. The unincorporated community is split between northwestern Charlotte County and southwestern Sarasota County. Gleffe lives on the Charlotte County side, just a couple of miles from the Gulf.
A man walks past vehicles in streets flooded by Hurricane Milton in the southeast Seminole Heights section of Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
“We were at the bottom of the eye when it hit the Sarasota and Tampa areas, where they got the worst of it,” Gleffe said.
Now, he and his family are trying to figure out their next steps.
His wife and daughter will be traveling home “at some point,” according to Gleffe. But with no time frame for when their power will be restored, he’s not sure when that will happen.
Officially, hurricane season ends on Nov. 30. So he knows that Milton might not be the last storm to threaten the Sunshine State this year.
“If there’s another one that’s probably coming up, [I may] just tell my wife, ‘Yeah, just stay in Gatlinburg,’” Gleffe said.
Milton’s Eye On Venice
Just before making landfall on the evening of Oct. 9, Milton took a sharp turn to the east near Siesta Key. That meant the effects on Tampa Bay would be less than predicted by the National Hurricane Center.Residents of Venice were suddenly told that they may get 10 feet to 15 feet of storm surge as the back of Milton’s eye came ashore. That kind of surge puts ocean water in living rooms and sometimes covers homes completely.
The center of Milton’s eye crawled across Lakewood Ranch and Venice at about 9 p.m. EDT on Oct. 9. In the calm of the eye, screaming wind gusts were replaced with a gentle breeze and a calm that some called “eerie” or “surreal.”
Boats along Tarpon Center Drive in Venice, Fla., show the strength of Hurricane Milton in the storm's wake, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
Then the back of the storm’s eye—which carries the brunt of the hurricane’s surge—made its way ashore. After hours of howling winds, battering rain, and fretful uncertainty, the rising sun allowed Venice residents to see clear skies and scattered debris.
Area evacuees with medical needs took cover at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. On-duty staff bunkered with their families to ride out the worst of the storm. When they were told it was safe to leave, some gathered outside, overjoyed by early reports that flooding appeared far less extensive than anticipated.
Much of Venice experienced 5 feet to 7 feet of surge instead of 10 feet to 15 feet.
Residents near Venice Beach who had stayed put were out early cleaning up debris. Beachside condominiums in the area had flooded ground floors and damage from wind.
Hurricane-force winds battered the roofs of homes in Nokomis, ripping off sections of wood support beams and leaving them in piles like toothpicks.
Some mobile homes in Nokomis, Fla., sustained significant damage from Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
The northern eyewall of Hurricane Ian had pounded that community just two years before. Some residents were still recovering and rebuilding from the previous storm.
Helene Debris Stays Put
Tampa Bay suffered less harsh effects than predicted, but the region still endured a night of extreme wind and heavy rain.Many homeowners near Tampa’s waterways hadn’t been concerned about the wind. They were worried about Milton’s forecasted storm surge.
Helene had surrounded Jason Burgess’s home in the South Tampa neighborhood with stormwater and brought 8 inches of flooding inside. But during Milton, his home was spared.
Burgess had also worried about the mountains of debris piled up on curbs in his community after Helene. Would Milton simply spread it again, he had wondered.
State and local agencies had carried away as much as possible before Milton’s arrival. However, many narrow streets still had mountains of debris left uncollected. Authorities warned that the assortments of glass, hardwood, metal, and plastic could become deadly shrapnel in Milton’s powerful winds.
As the sun rose on the morning after Milton’s rampage, streets were cluttered with downed tree limbs, pieces of rooftops, signs, and awnings. But the piled-up debris largely had stayed in place.
“I did expect to have some of that stuff blowing across our yard, and maybe ... hitting our windows or something,” Burgess said.
More inland, staffers on the hurricane “ride-out team” at ZooTampa at Lowry Park were out assessing the damage, too.
The 63-acre nonprofit “sustained damage due to the high winds associated with the storm and is currently without power,” the zoo’s communications director, Sandra Morrison, told The Epoch Times.
Flamingos huddle together while being moved to safety ahead of Hurricane Milton at ZooTampa in Tampa, Fla. (Courtesy of ZooTampa)
But ahead of the storm, zookeepers had coaxed large animals into their night houses and moved smaller animals and birds inside, too. Special care was taken to guide a flighty flamboyance of flamingos to a safe area in the 67-year-old park.
“Most importantly,” Morrison said after the storm, “our team members and all 1,000-plus animals entrusted in our care are safe.”
‘Wasn’t as Bad as We Were Expecting’
In Lakeland, about 35 miles east of Tampa, damaged street lights and traffic signals littered State Highway 17, forcing motorists to negotiate their way through intersections.Sean Ryder spent part of the morning after Milton collecting aluminum shards dislodged from his home in Highland Village Mobile Home Park.
He was awake when the storm tore off the roof between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.
“It sounded like it was just being ripped, just ripped right off,” Ryder said.
Sean Ryder looks through the mangled remains of the roof of his home in the Highland Village Mobile Home Park near Lakeland, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (John Haughey/The Epoch Times)
Daylight revealed the damage.
The roof had been peeled away and planted partially on his neighbor’s home.
As part of the community’s maintenance crew, he got right to work on a cleanup project with no clear end in sight.
In downtown Lakeland, Scott and Gina Sweezey stopped at Molly McHugh’s Irish Pub, one of the only businesses open.
“It wasn’t as bad as we were expecting,” Scott Sweezey said.
Their Lakeland home never lost power, he said.
About 35 miles east of Tampa, motorists navigate intersections with damaged traffic signals in Lakeland, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (John Haughey/The Epoch Times)
The Sweezeys expected a quick return to normal for their Central Florida community.
“It’s mostly trees down [but] nothing structural [in terms of damages],” he said. “It looks like all the buildings did well.”
State Response
Damage assessments, power restorations, and search-and-rescue missions continued throughout the day on Oct. 10.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said those efforts weren’t expected to deplete hurricane response resources.
“It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be a lot of damage,” DeSantis said the morning after the storm. “It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be a lot we’re going to have to contend with. But, just in terms of what we were prepped for, I think we will probably have an abundance of resources [after handling the aftermath of Milton].”
The Associated Press, Stacy Robinson, and Nanette Holt contributed to this report.
After 2 Hurricanes, FEMA Will Urgently Need Funding From Congress, Mayorkas Says
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas addresses the 36th annual candlelight vigil to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty on the National Mall in Washington on May 13, 2024. (Andrew thomas/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Oct. 10 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will need more funding as soon as possible following hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Helene dealt widespread damage across the southern United States, doing its worst in western North Carolina, after making landfall late last month. Milton slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a category 3 hurricane late on Oct. 9, and officials have not fully surveyed the extent of the damage.
In a news conference at the White House, Mayorkas said he believed FEMA has enough funding to deal with the aftermath of both storms, when answering questions from reporters.
“We have the resources to respond to the immediate needs of individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” Mayorkas said.
“That being said, we will need additional funds, and we implore Congress when it returns to, in fact, fund FEMA as is needed.”
Mayorkas then called on Congress to swiftly pass a measure to fund FEMA’s disaster response “to deliver assistance to people,” adding, “We will need funding very rapidly.” Congress is currently on recess and is scheduled to return on Nov. 12.
The homeland security head had previously suggested FEMA didn’t have the long-term funding needed, but said similarly that the agency would be able to attend to the immediate needs of Helene’s victims. His comments sparked criticism from some Republican lawmakers, who claimed on social media that FEMA was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on illegal immigrants, citing an April announcement from the agency.
Some North Carolina residents have reportedly claimed that FEMA has blocked off roads and not provided enough relief in Helene’s aftermath. The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify those claims.
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell told ABC News on Oct. 6 that such accusations are “not helpful” and are “demoralizing to all of the first responders that have been out there in their communities helping people.”
FEMA also set up several pages on its website, including a “rumor response” section that addresses concerns people may have regarding its handling of Helene.
“FEMA’s disaster response efforts and individual assistance is funded through the Disaster Relief Fund, which is a dedicated fund for disaster efforts. Disaster Relief Fund money has not been diverted to other, non-disaster related efforts,” the agency said in one of the rumor response statements.
Meanwhile, Criswell said FEMA has “enough funds to absolutely get through the response” for both Helene and Milton, but might run out of cash without additional funding.
“We don’t have enough money to continue throughout the rest of the year,” she told Fox News, adding that her agency has been “able to anticipate last year, this year, and even going into next year, that we are not going to have enough to pay all of the recovery bills.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also responded on Oct. 9 to a rumor that FEMA would prevent certain people from returning to their homes after evacuating ahead of Milton. He rebutted those claims, noting that his administration is leading the response in Florida.
“We live in an era where if you put out crap online, you can get a lot of people to share it and you can monetize that. That’s just the way it is,” DeSantis said at a news conference, adding that “in the state of Florida none of that stuff would ever fly.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
1 Million in Florida County Without Cell Service
36 days ago
In central Florida’s Polk County, 1 million people are without cellular reception, according to Florida Chief Financial Officer and Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis.
“I’m outraged by the lack of pre-staging of assets by @Verizon in Polk County. This is Hurricane Michael [2018] all over again. 1M people are without cell service after Hurricane Milton. Unacceptable. We need that network up and running asap for our first responders. Can you hear me now?” Patronis posted on X.
A man cleans debris inside a gas station store in Lakewood Park, Florida, after a tornado hit the area and caused severe damage as Hurricane Milton swept through Florida on Oct. 10, 2024. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)
Floridians Will Need to Request Relief Separately for Helene, Milton
36 days ago
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said on Thursday that claimants seeking relief for hurricane damages will need to submit separate requests for Helene and Milton.
“If somebody has had impacts from both Helene, as well as Milton, I actually need them to apply for both scenarios, for both of those incidents, because they will be eligible for different funding and additional funding, as a result of having double damages,” she said during a press conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Residents need to be specific when it comes to requesting relief, and not mix up the storms.
“The caution that I give is making sure that, as people are applying for one, that they’re listing the dates as it relates to that one. Because… we will see some bounce back, and we’ll have to get more information if you apply for Milton, but you’re listing damages from Helene,” Criswell said.
Milton Could Cost Insurers $50 Billion: Fitch Ratings
36 days ago
Insurance losses from Hurricane Milton could range from $30 billion to $50 billion, Fitch Ratings said on Thursday.
If accurate, that estimate would constitute the second largest insured loss since Hurricane Ian in 2022, which cost insurers $60 billion.
The devastation left by Milton is poised to push total industry insured losses for 2024 over $100 billion for the fifth consecutive year, according to Fitch.
This heightened level of catastrophe losses will likely limit any potential for rate declines in property catastrophe business in 2025 as (re)insurers maintain underwriting discipline,” the agency said in a statement.
It’s not good news for Florida’s struggling insurance industry, though it is better than the projection of $60 billion to $100 billion in losses offered by analysts at Morningstar DBRS on Wednesday.
Fitch does not expect Milton to affect the credit of rated property and casualty insurers and global reinsurers due to strong capital levels.
Speaker Johnson Says Congress Is Prepared Provide More Disaster Funding
36 days ago
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on Thursday that Congress stands ready to approve additional relief funding to help rebuild the areas in the path of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“Congress is fully prepared to provide additional disaster relief funding as soon as states submit their damage assessments,” he said.
President Biden said on Thursday he wants members of Congress to return from their October hiatus to pass emergency funding legislation, but Johnson has, so far, not called members to reconvene.
Johnson urged the Biden administration to more rapidly disburse funds for hurricane relief, saying it “must do a better job of getting more resources out the door.”
Johnson said he and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Ted Budd (R-N.C.) had met with residents, first responders, and local officials in North Carolina, and were ready to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has enough funding for hurricanes Milton and Helene, but will “very rapidly” require more funding after this.
DeSantis Praises ‘Resilience’ in Aftermath of Hurricanes
36 days ago
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised the “resilience,” “grit,” and “determination” of Floridians in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“You face two hurricanes in a couple of weeks—not easy to go through—but I’ve seen a lot of resilience throughout this state,” he said.
“When you’re a Floridian, you kind of just know that these are things that can happen and you roll with it and you just kind of deal with it,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of grit, I’ve seen a lot of determination and I’m very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly.”
An aerial view shows destruction at the Spanish Lakes country club in Fort Pierce, Fla., in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. (John Falchetto/AFP via Getty Images)
St. Petersburg Airport Gets Nearly 19 Inches of Rain
36 days ago
St. Petersburg Airport on Florida’s Gulf Coast got 18.87 inches of rain as a result of Hurricane Milton, according to the National Weather Service as of 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 9.
Other airports in the state were also affected.
Tampa International Airport got 11.73 inches of rain while Orlando Executive Airport measured 6.87 inches.
In terms of rainfall, following St. Petersburg Airport, Baskin received the second-largest amount with 17.19 inches, Ormond Beach got 16.04, and Pinellas Park 14.38 inches.
These airports were closed ahead of the storm and are expected to reopen in the coming days.
People walk through flooded streets in the Southeast Seminole Heights section of Tampa due to Hurricane Milton in Florida on Oct. 10, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
DeSantis Says at Least 340 People, 49 Pets Have Been Rescued
36 days ago
Rescue operations are in full swing following the devastation from Hurricane Milton, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on Thursday.
“As of this afternoon, at least 340 individuals and 49 pets have been rescued. Florida National Guard, Florida law enforcement and urban search and rescue teams are continuing to work throughout the day,” he said.
DeSantis said 125 more rescue operations, involving police and first responders in 26 counties, were criss-crossing the state.
1.1 Million FPL Customers Still Without Power
36 days ago
Roughly 40 percent of the Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) customers who lost power due to Hurricane Milton have had their power restored, the company announced.
FPL is the nation’s largest electric utility, serving some 5.9 million customers across Florida. About 1.8 million of them lost power as Milton tore across the center of the state on Wednesday night.
As of 2 p.m. Thursday, those outages had dropped to fewer than 1.1 million as more than 730,000 FPL customers had power restored.
“Today, our crews, which consist of roughly 17,000 men and women from 41 states, are on the job. They will remain on the job 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” FPL CEO Armando Pimentel said at a press conference in Wellington, where a tornado hit ahead of Milton’s arrival.
Pimentel noted that a slew of tornadoes were reported by the National Weather Service on Wednesday.
Reminding residents to stay safe, he said FPL linemen are trying to do the same while they work to restore power.
“The most important thing to do is, let’s give them room,” Pimentel said. “If you don’t have to be out on the road, don’t be out on the road. If they’re around your property, let’s give them room to operate.”
In total, more than 3 million homes and businesses across the state remain without power.
Pentagon Sends Military to Aid Hurricane Recovery Effort
36 days ago
The Department of Defense (DOD) has stepped forward to assist in the recovery effort after Hurricane Milton, a Pentagon spokesman announced at a press conference on Thursday.
“As of this morning, the Florida National Guard has activated more than 6,500 guardsmen and mobilized 500-plus high water vehicles, 26 helicopters, and more than a dozen watercraft,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
“Another 3,000 National Guardsmen from 19 states are also ready to support,” he said, emphasizing the national character of the recovery effort.
Ryder said that 250 personnel from the Army Corps of Engineers were already in place, assisting with debris removal, flood management, and clearing obstructions from waterways.
He also said the DOD is working to assist in North Carolina, having deployed 1,500 National Guards, and members of the 18th Airborne Corps to that state.
Broken branches are scattered around a banyan tree on W Venice Ave. in Venice, Florida, during the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
Florida Theme Parks to Reopen Friday
36 days ago
Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Orlando will reopen on Oct. 11 after temporarily closing ahead of Hurricane Milton.
All of the theme parks are located in Orlando.
Milton Downgraded to Post-Tropical Cyclone
36 days ago
The National Hurricane Center announced on Thursday afternoon that Milton had weakened below hurricane strength, and is now classified as a post-tropical cyclone.
As of 2 p.m. ET the storm had moved 200 miles east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, traveling at about 21 mph with wind gusts of 75 mph.
Milton is expected to continue to weaken over the next few days as it travels northeast over the Atlantic.
A storm surge warning remains in effect for the Flagler/Volusia County Line stretching north to Altamaha Sound and St. Johns River, Georgia.
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Biden: Wait for the All-Clear Before Returning Home
36 days ago
President Joe Biden called on Florida residents who evacuated their homes before the hurricane not to return until they get the green light from authorities.
“There's still very dangerous conditions in the state, and people should wait and get an all-clear by the leaders before they go out,” he said.
Biden noted that life-saving measures have made a difference.
Trump: ‘You Are Not Alone’
37 days ago
Former President Donald Trump expressed his condolences on Thursday to those in Florida who were affected by Hurricane Milton.
In a video message shared to his Truth Social platform, the 45th president said he was “deeply saddened” by the reported losses of life and property.
“We feel so sorry for you, and we want God to be with you, and we know God is with you. Our hearts go out to each and every one of you,” Trump said.
“To those who’ve lost so much, know that you are not alone. We’ve seen you stand tall against storms before, and you will stand tall now.”
The deadly storm claimed the lives of at least 10 people and left millions without power.
Trump, a Florida resident, housed 275 Florida linemen at his Trump National Miami Doral hotel free of charge as they prepared to respond to the storm.
Praising Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his management of the crisis, the Republican presidential nominee said: “We will rebuild, we will recover, and we will come back stronger, bigger, better than ever before.”
Men work on cleaning-up after the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Gulfport, Fla., on on Oct. 10, 2024. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Death Toll Reaches 10 From Hurricane Milton: Mayorkas
37 days ago
Ten people have died in Hurricane Milton, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Our understanding is that those fatalities were caused by the tornadoes, but I just want to introduce a little bit of tentativeness to that, because of the fluidity of the situation,” he said.
Mayorkas added that the number will likely change.
“It is our job to make sure that that number doesn't climb through valiant search and rescue efforts, but we are dealing in the immediate aftermath of a terrible hurricane and many, many tornadoes ancillary to it,” he said.
Boats along Tarpon Center Drive in Venice, Florida, were damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
Mayorkas Gives Update on Milton Aftermath
37 days ago
More than 3 million people are without power as a result of the hurricane, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Structures have been severely damaged or collapsed, and tragically, we know that lives have been lost,” he said.
At least 10 people have died as a result of the storm, he said.
Power has been restored to 5 million people of the 5.1 million that lost power, he said.
Mayorkas said that the administration has the resources to help people recover from the hurricane.
“We have the resources to respond to the immediate needs of individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton,” he said.
Nonetheless, Congress will need to appropriate more funding, he said.
A man collects debris caused by the destruction of the tornado's path in Cocoa Beach, Fla.,on Oct. 10, 2024. (Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)
DeSantis Provides Update on Hurricane Recovery
37 days ago
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined the cleanup plan after Hurricane Milton at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. The governor made it clear that much work remained, but he also praised the diligence of the emergency workers.
“People have been working 24/7, particularly on the west coast of Florida,” he said.
Before the storm hit, DeSantis put in place 50,000 “prestaged” linemen throughout the state who were able to spring into action repairing downed power lines as soon as it was safe.
He said the repairmen had restored power to around 700,000 locations already, but 3.4 million homes and businesses still have no power.
The governor also switched the debris removal plan to a 24-hour model, noting that in one county the landfill was closed, and state workers were forced to cut the locks to open it.
He mentioned also that debris removal had hit a bureaucratic snag, since some private contractors were having trouble getting reimbursement paperwork pushed through.
“Where’s the sense of urgency?” he asked, saying he would expedite the removal and worry about the reimbursement later.
DeSantis also said the state had abundant gas supplies, but that the restock plan had not been efficient enough to handle the surge of demand. This resulted in shortages before the storm.
“We had enough fuel in the state, but just didn't have the delivery schedule to be able to replenish it immediately,” he said.
DeSantis said the state has a stockpile of 1.5 million gallons of diesel, and 1 million gallons of gasoline. To assure rapid replenishment, he says he will deputize highway patrol escorts with sirens to help truckers reach fuel tanks faster.
The Freedom Boat Club sign at the corner of Tarpon Center Drive and The Esplanade in Venice, Florida, is seen laying on its side in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
Florida Lawmakers Speak With Biden
37 days ago
Two Florida Republicans spoke with President Joe Biden following the hurricane to help ensure funds from government agencies get to those impacted.
“Just spoke with @POTUS Biden—he’s personally ensuring FEMA doesn’t cause delays with debris removal and supports the $15B in FEMA funds specifically for hurricane victims,” posted Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) on X.
She called on Congress to return for a special session to pass legislation to provide further assistance to those affected by the storm.
Luna’s district includes St. Petersburg, which was hit by the storm.
“Just spoke to @POTUS about the response & recovery to Hurricane #Milton. I told him I am 100% focused on making sure @fema, @SBAgov, @HUDgov & @USDA are fully funded & have boots on the ground until Florida is fully recovered. Florida is strong & we will rebuild even stronger,” posted Sen. Rick Scott on X.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, a fallen tree pins down a power line near Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (John Haughey/The Epoch Times)
Hurricane Milton Destroys Roof of Tropicana Field Stadium Near Tampa
The roof of the Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region, in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Hurricane Milton tore the fabric roof from Tropicana Field, used by the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, and littered the field below with debris, according to aerial photos and video footage.
The hurricane roared onshore near the Sarasota area on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), bringing winds in excess of 110 mph.
Officials with the Rays said that a handful of “essential personnel” were inside Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg as the storm hit. Footage showed the swaths that serve as the domed building’s roof were completely tattered, giving a clear line of sight inside the stadium.
Sections of the roof—some relatively small, some large enough to cover several rows of seats—fell inside the ballpark, the footage shows. No injuries at the stadium were reported.
Footage taken from inside Tropicana Field showed the roof coming apart as debris swirled around as Milton hit the area. In the aftermath of the incident, the frame that supports the fabric roof appeared to be mostly left intact.
Earlier in the week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said there were plans for the ballpark to serve as a “temporary base camp” to support debris cleanup operations and temporarily house some first responders. But those plans were changed as the storm neared, amid concerns the roof would not survive Milton’s wrath, officials said.
“They were relocated,” DeSantis told a news conference on Thursday, referring to the staff at Tropicana Field.
“Tropicana Field is a routine staging area for these things,” he said. “The roof on that ... I think it’s rated for 110 mph and so the forecast changes, but as it became clear that there was going to be something of that magnitude that was going to be within the distance, they redeployed them out of Tropicana. There were no state assets that were inside Tropicana Field.”
Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL team, was overcome with water, video footage and photos taken during the storm show. That stadium does not have a roof—unlike Tropicana Field.
In Tampa, MacDill Air Force Base, home to the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command, was evacuated on Wednesday and is still closed, officials said.
It has about 185 personnel working at an emergency operations center out of Raymond James Stadium. There were 13 KC-135 aircraft evacuated to McConnell Air Force Base, and other aircraft remained in hangars or away on military missions.
DeSantis said at Thursday’s press event that while Milton was significant, the storm did not bring the “worst-case scenario” to Florida. The worst storm surge, he said, appeared to have occurred in Sarasota County, located south of Tampa. There, 8 to 10 feet of surge was reported, he said.
“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” DeSantis said. “The storm was significant, but, thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario.”
Opened in 1990, Tropicana Field can hold more than 42,700 people. Raymond James Stadium, meanwhile, opened in 1998 and can seat about 75,000.
As of Thursday morning, Milton remained a Category 1 hurricane as the storm’s center remained east of Florida’s coastline, according to the NHC. Tropical storm warnings were still in effect for Florida, parts of southern Georgia, and parts of South Carolina as of Thursday afternoon.
More than 3.4 million homes and businesses were without power after Hurricane Milton spun across central Florida, according to the website PowerOutage.us.
Energy companies serve more than 11.5 million customer accounts statewide, according to the website. The number of people left without electricity continued to grow as the hurricane cut a path eastward across the state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FEMA Director: Florida Dodged ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ With Hurricane Milton
In this aerial view, boats are washed ashore from when Hurricane Milton passed through the area in Punta Gorda, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
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The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Florida appeared to have dodged a “worst-case scenario” during Hurricane Milton, which made landfall on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm before passing over the state.
Milton, which formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph winds several days before it slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast about 50 miles south of Tampa. But as the storm neared Florida, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded the system to a Category 3.
“What we know for sure is we avoided that worst-case scenario that we were planning for,” FEMA Director Deanne Criswell told CNN on Thursday morning. “But the fact that they prepared for the worst really made sure that they were able to respond to the impacts that they have experienced, and the biggest ones right now are the tornadoes that have been reported across the state.”
Her sentiment was echoed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who told a news conference around the same time that a “worst-case scenario” appeared to have been avoided.
“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” DeSantis said at a Thursday briefing. “The storm was significant but thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario.”
Criswell told CNN that Florida will still need federal aid from FEMA, which has been responding to destructive impacts from Hurricane Helene. But Florida will not need the same level of federal aid that it “could have needed,” she said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told reporters that Port Tampa Bay, a critical piece of Florida’s infrastructure, did not suffer major damage during the storm, while DeSantis said Port Tampa Bay “will likely be able to resume operations very quickly.”
“The port looks good, so we should be able to get fuel in and out of there,” Castor told reporters on Thursday after viewing the Tampa port from a helicopter. “There was one of the fuel containers at the port that had a roof peeled back,” she said.
“If Milton had hit on the north side, we would have been in dire circumstances.”
Hurricane Milton’s storm surge peaked at 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County on the west side of Florida, DeSantis said in the press conference at the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.
But the fabric that serves as the roof of Tropicana Field—home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg—was ripped to shreds by the fierce winds from Milton. It wasn’t immediately clear if there was damage inside. Before the storm hit, first responders were moved from a staging area there, officials said.
Aerial photos taken after Milton made landfall show that a large portion of the roof was torn off, with the baseball field and diamond visible.
As of Thursday morning, about 3.4 million customers and businesses across Florida were without electricity, according to tracking website Poweroutage.us. Outages were also reported in neighboring Georgia.
The White House said in a statement that DeSantis told President Joe Biden that officials are still evaluating the damage to his state. The White House added that Criswell would join DeSantis in surveying the damage on Thursday morning before briefing Biden on the results.
The system remained a hurricane as it passed over the state overnight, according to the NHC. As of Thursday morning, Milton’s center is now over the Atlantic Ocean just east of Florida’s coast. It is now expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm on Friday as it passes across the Atlantic south of Bermuda, NHC modeling shows.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Biden Tells Floridians: ‘Stay Inside’
37 days ago
President Joe Biden said on Oct. 10 that those impacted by the hurricane should not leave where they are.
“To everyone impacted by Hurricane Milton: I urge you stay inside and off the roads. Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions,” he posted on X.
"Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it’s safe to go out."
More Than 100 at Assisted Living Facility in Tampa Rescued
37 days ago
More than 100 residents at an assisted living facility in Tampa were rescued following the hurricane.
“This is extraordinary to see this type of flooding, especially in this type of area. The University of South Florida area is normally a dry area,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister in a video. “To see this unprecedented flooding, I can only imagine how scary it was.”
Some mobile homes in Nokomis, Florida, sustained significant damage from Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024. (Jacob Burg/The Epoch Times)
Hurricane Milton Aftermath: What to Know
37 days ago
- Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 storm, but weakened more than expected after it touched down. Ninety minutes after landfall, it had slowed to Category 2, and crossed into the Atlantic as a Category 1 on Thursday morning.
- At least 10 people have died as a result of the storm, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- Four fatalities resulted from a tornado that struck near St. Lucie County. The hurricane also spawned tornadoes near the Everglades and Fort Myers.
- St. Petersburg has reported two more deaths, one from a medical incident, another whose cause is still unknown.
- 3.2 million homes and businesses remain without power.
- Storm surges for Milton were not as bad as feared—or as bad as Hurricane Helene—but did reach 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County.
- Rainfall peaked at 18 inches in some areas, and Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that this could result in prolonged flooding over the next few days.
- 35 people were rescued in Plant City after 13.5 inches of rain caused flash flooding.
- Some residents in St. Petersburg have lost water due to a water main break. Mayor Ken Welch warned that the sewer system may have to be shut down temporarily.
- As locals assess the damage, DeSantis has made available interest-free short term loans for business owners looking to rebuild. Loan packages range from $50,000 to $150,000. “You get the cash in your hand, the repayment terms are very flexible,” he said. Apply at www.floridajobs.org/ebl
- “We will absolutely get through this,” DeSantis said at a press conference Thursday morning.
Hurricane Milton Aftermath: What to Know
37 days ago
- Hurricane Milton made landfall at Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 storm, but weakened more than expected after it touched down. Ninety minutes after landfall, it had slowed to Category 2, and crossed into the Atlantic as a Category 1 on Thursday morning.
- At least 10 people have died as a result of the storm, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- Four fatalities resulted from a tornado that struck near St. Lucie County. The hurricane also spawned tornadoes near the Everglades and Fort Myers.
- St. Petersburg has reported two more deaths, one from a medical incident, another whose cause is still unknown.
- 3.2 million homes and businesses remain without power.
- Storm surges for Milton were not as bad as feared—or as bad as Hurricane Helene—but did reach 8 to 10 feet in Sarasota County.
- Rainfall peaked at 18 inches in some areas, and Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that this could result in prolonged flooding over the next few days.
- 35 people were rescued in Plant City after 13.5 inches of rain caused flash flooding.
- Some residents in St. Petersburg have lost water due to a water main break. Mayor Ken Welch warned that the sewer system may have to be shut down temporarily.
- As locals assess the damage, DeSantis has made available interest-free short term loans for business owners looking to rebuild. Loan packages range from $50,000 to $150,000. “You get the cash in your hand, the repayment terms are very flexible,” he said. Apply at www.floridajobs.org/ebl
- “We will absolutely get through this,” DeSantis said at a press conference Thursday morning.
Tampa Airport Sustained ‘Minimal Damage’
37 days ago
Tampa Bay International Airport experienced “minimal damage” as a result of the hurricane, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
It is expected to reopen on Oct. 11, he said.
Sarasota Police Chief: Don’t Return Home Yet
37 days ago
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Toriche said that although the damage from the hurricane was not as bad as anticipated, he asked residents not to return home just yet.
“My ask is please don’t rush home. Right now, we’re still trying to assess what’s going on,” Troche said in a video posted on X. “We still have downed power lines, we still have trees in the roadway.”
Charlotte County Inundated With Storm Surge From Hurricane Milton
37 days ago
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.—As residents awoke to clear skies the day after Hurricane Milton tore through Southwest Florida, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office was out surveilling the area for preliminary damage estimates.
“We have sustained a lot of damage, flooding damage, especially in our Punta Gorda area and, of course, our bridges, barrier islands, Manasota Key, the Gulf Cove area,” Charlotte County public information officer Chris Hall told The Epoch Times.
Officials are still out assessing damage and looking for downed trees and power lines, using boats in areas that are flooded.
“We're out there just trying to figure out where everything is and concentrating our efforts where we can. Obviously, our first and top priority is search and rescue,” Hall said.
In one incident, a paraplegic senior citizen near the Port Charlotte-Englewood area was trying to evacuate with his wife as flood waters were rising. The man fell while trying to get into their vehicle and deputies got him to safety.
Hall offers a critical message to the community: Don’t go out if you don’t have to and don’t drive through standing water. Potential risks from active downed power lines remain.
A motorist drives through a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Osprey, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Record Number of Tornado Warnings Issued
37 days ago
The National Weather Service offices in Miami, Tampa Bay and Melbourne issued a record number of tornado warnings in Florida in a single day on Oct. 9. The most warnings (55) were issued for Miami.
Hurricane Ian set the previous record in 2022.
There were no tornados in Tampa Bay, but there were in Lee and Highland Counties, the Tampa Bay NWS office told The Epoch Times.
The Melbourne NWS office told The Epoch Times it does not have the number of tornado warnings although numerous tornadoes did touch down in the area. The office issued 42 warnings, though not all materialized.
The Miami NWS office told The Epoch Times that the office issued 55 warnings and the preliminary number of tornadoes to hit the area was between seven and nine.
Biden, DeSantis Speak Over Phone
37 days ago
President Joe Biden and Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke over the phone on Oct. 10 morning, according to the White House.
“@POTUS just spoke to @GovRonDeSantis and @FEMA_Deanne about the impacts of Hurricane Milton on the people of FL,” posted White House senior deputy press secretary Emilie Simons on X.
“Gov. DeSantis said they are still assessing the damage across the state & thanked POTUS for the extensive Federal support to prepare for and respond to the storm. The President reiterated that he will provide any support the state needs to speed response and recovery. FEMA Administrator Criswell will survey the impacts with the Governor this morning,” she wrote.
Simons also said Criswell will brief Biden after her assessment.
DeSantis Says Milton Storm Surge Reached 10 Feet
37 days ago
Hurricane Milton hit Florida hard on Wednesday evening, but Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that the storm surges from Hurricane Helene were worse.
Surges from Milton reached between 8 and 10 feet in Sarasota, while surges for Hurricane Helene climbed 15 to 20 feet in Taylor County, he said.
“The storm was significant, but thankfully, this was not the worst case scenario. The storm did weaken before landfall.”
DeSantis warned residents to exercise caution when cleaning up after the storm, as there were already reports of post-storm fatalities caused by downed power lines.
He also said that the heavy rainfall—18 inches in some areas—may cause flooding, “not just now, but in the subsequent days.”
Pinellas County Reopens
37 days ago
Pinellas County has reopened after shutting down following the hurricane.
“Access to the Pinellas County mainland and our barrier islands has been reopened, but there are a lot of hazards on the road, including downed power lines, trees and inoperable traffic lights,” posted the county on X.
“Don't get yourself into a dangerous situation or slow down crews from restoring safe travel,” the county said.
Florida Division of Emergency Management: Don’t Go to Flooded Areas
37 days ago
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has issued a warning: Do not go to areas that have been flooded as a result of the hurricane.
“Dangerous floodwaters are present in many areas due to impacts from Hurricane #Milton. TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN! Floodwaters are NEVER safe. They can hide many hazards like the ones below & many more,” posted the agency on X.
Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Osprey, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Florida's Pinellas County Closed
37 days ago
Pinellas County has been blocked off due to hazardous conditions following the hurricane, announced the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on X. All access points are closed until further notice.
"The barrier islands will [remain] closed," the sheriff's office said.
The county, which was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene just a couple weeks ago, includes St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
In this aerial view, boats are washed ashore from when Hurricane Milton passed through the area in Punta Gorda, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
DeSantis: Hurricane Damage Was Not Worst Case Scenario
37 days ago
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said 48 people had been rescued overnight after Hurricane Milton swept through the state.
During a Thursday morning briefing, he said the hurricane was significant but the worst case scenario “did not happen.”
DeSantis said, “We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses.”
He said 80,000 people had spent the night in shelters, 3.1 million properties were without power and many others were being evacuated from flooded areas..
DeSantis concluded the briefing by saying he was "proud" of everybody's hard work and added, "We will absolutely get through this."
A woman walks along a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Osprey, Fla., on on Oct. 10, 2024. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
4 Deaths From Tornadoes Spawned by Hurricane Milton
Max Watts walks in the parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton with coworkers, in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2024. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)
Katabella Roberts
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Multiple deaths have been reported in Florida from tornadoes, spawned by Hurricane Milton, that ripped through the state, downing buildings and trees and leaving millions without power.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed four people in the county were killed after numerous tornadoes struck the area in quick succession, wreaking devastation.
Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed to Florida’s WPBF 25 News that there had been a “loss of life” in the Spanish Lakes Country Club community in Fort Pierce but did not state exactly how many fatalities had been reported.
Search and rescue teams are on their way to the area and fire department personnel were currently going through the rubble to help recover the victims, he said.
Pearson added that Gov. Ron DeSantis’s office had reached out to the Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol and the National Guard were sending search and rescue teams to the area to help with search and recovery operations.
“This community was hit the hardest, the quickest,” Pearson said. “It’s devastating, no words can describe it,” the sheriff added.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said its 10,000-square-foot facility in Fort Pierce was also damaged during a tornado that struck shortly before Milton made landfall on Wednesday, Pearson said in a video message posted to Facebook.
The powerful storm took the iron building out “within a moment” and it collapsed on top of patrol cars parked underneath.
No one was inside the building or the patrol vehicles at the time and no injuries were reported, he said.
The sheriff stressed the dangerous nature of the storm and urged residents to stay indoors.
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday evening as a powerful Category 3 storm, bringing with it powerful winds, deadly storm surge, and potential flooding to much of the state.
The National Hurricane Center reported that the hurricane’s eye crossed the coastline at around 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, bringing with it sustained winds of 120 mph. By 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, the storm had crossed the state, and was heading out to sea, still packing hurricane-force winds.
Vehicles Overturned, Residents Trapped Under Rubble
At least 133 tornado warnings were issued across the state by the National Weather Service Wednesday, including 49 in Miami, 35 in Melbourne, and 49 in Tampa.Elsewhere, the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said Wednesday evening that it responded to multiple reports of tornadoes, associated injuries, and trapped people in the Wellington, Acreage, and Loxahatchee areas. The 911 calls started coming in just before 5 p.m. local time and continued for nearly one hour, officials said.
“Several tornado-related incidents were found in the Deer Path Lane area of Wellington and near Northlake and Coconut Boulevards in the Acreage and Loxahatchee areas,” officials said.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue said it sent at least 40 units out to the affected areas, and that firefighters had located and rescued multiple people from damaged structures and vehicles.
Some residents were trapped under rubble or stuck in overturned vehicles tossed by the strong winds, officials said.
One person was rescued from an overturned RV while five people, including three trauma patients, were transported to the hospital, the fire rescue service said. Many more residents were treated at hospital for minor injuries, officials said.
The Palm Beach County Emergency Operations Center is also aware of damage in other municipalities and has contacted the fire rescue officials in those areas, officials noted.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton has left more than three million power customers in Florida without power.
Before Milton made landfall on Wednesday, the federal government approved a disaster emergency declaration for Florida, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to free up additional resources to help disaster relief efforts associated with the hurricane.
President Joe Biden also said on X Wednesday that “thousands” of federal personnel are on the ground to help assist with disaster relief efforts while FEMA has 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water ready to deploy to those impacted by the storm.
Rescue teams, helicopters, and high-water vehicles have also been positioned “as close to the storm as possible” so they are ready to conduct life-saving missions, Biden said.
The president added that he and Vice President Kamala Harris have pledged to “be there for as long as it takes to rescue, to recover, and to rebuild.”
Caden Pearson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hurricane Milton Passes out to Sea by Cape Canaveral
37 days ago
The National Hurricane Center posted an update at 5 a.m. ET on Oct. 10 saying Hurricane Milton had passed out to sea close to the U.S. Space Force station at Cape Canaveral.
The NHC said Milton was moving northeast out over the Atlantic Ocean and was forecast to move away from Florida and pass to the north of the Bahamas later on Friday.
They advised, “Damaging hurricane-force winds, especially in gusts, will continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeastern Florida. Residents are urged to remain in an interior room and away from windows.”
Residents are rescued from an their second story apartment complex in Clearwater that was flooded from and overflowing creek due to Hurricane Milton on Oct. 10, 2024 in Florida. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
Hurricane Milton Passing Over Kennedy Space Center
37 days ago
The National Hurricane Center's 4 a.m. ET update said Hurricane Milton was passing over the location of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on Florida’s Atlantic coast.
The NHC said maximum sustained winds were 85 mph, with a gust of 92 mph being reported at a Weatherstem station in Marineland, north of Daytona Beach.
Boats rest in a yard after they were washed ashore when Hurricane Milton passed through the area in Punta Gorda, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Flood waters inundate a neighborhood after Hurricane Milton came ashore, in Punta Gorda, Florida, on Oct. 10, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Over 3 Million Properties Without Power as Hurricane Milton Weakens
37 days ago
Hurricane Milton has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it heads east across Florida, leaving more than 3 million properties without power.
At 2 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said the eye of the hurricane was 40 miles south of Orlando, traveling east-northeast at a speed of 16 mph.
The NHC said Hurricane Milton was expected to pass over the Atlantic coast around daybreak on Thursday.
They reported maximum sustained winds of near 90 mph, with higher gusts.
PowerOutage.US reported that 3,045,914 properties in Florida are without power, along with 69,355 in North Carolina. In Georgia, more than 34,000 homes are without power, as well as 14,000 in Texas and more than 8,400 in South Carolina.
At least two deaths have been reported after a tornado hit a retirement community at Fort Pierce on Florida’s east coast, NBC News reported, citing St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson.
Analysts at RBC Capital said on Wednesday before Hurricane Milton made landfall, it could result in a $60 billion loss for the insurance industry.
Over 2 Million Properties Without Power as Hurricane Milton Batters Florida
37 days ago
More than 2 million homes and businesses across Florida are without power as Hurricane Milton continues to batter the state, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.
The hardest-hit areas include Hardee County, along with neighboring Sarasota and Manatee counties, where the storm has caused widespread outages.
Boil Water Notice for St. Petersburg, City Shuts Down Water System After Major Line Break
37 days ago
A boil water notice is in effect for all of St. Petersburg after the city shut down potable water services at midnight due to a water main break caused by Hurricane Milton.
The mayor’s office said residents should boil water for all drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth until repairs are completed and water safety is confirmed.
The break, which threatens to worsen if not addressed, has already caused low pressure and service interruptions in some areas.
Crews will begin repairs as soon as hurricane conditions subside, with updates provided through the city’s emergency channels.
Storm Damages Tropicana Field Stadium Roof, Home of Tampa Bay Rays
37 days ago
Large sections of the fabric covering the Tropicana Field stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, were ripped off by Hurricane Milton on Wednesday night.
Residents and local media shared images and videos of the damage.
Despite the lifted roofing, initial reports indicate that the overall structure of the stadium and its roof has not suffered significant harm.
The frame of the Tropicana Field roof supporting the fabric is made of a lightweight but durable material stronger than glass. While the roof's fabric took a hit, the metal framework appears to be intact.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue confirmed to media outlets they have been in contact with those inside the stadium, and everyone is safe.
The Tampa Bay Rays had earlier confirmed that the stadium was not being used as a public shelter during the storm. It had been set up as a staging area for first responders before and after the hurricane, according to reports.
Storm Surge Warning Lifted North of Anclote River, Threat Remains for Much of Coastline
37 days ago
The National Hurricane Center has lifted the storm surge warning for areas north of the Anclote River, which is located just north of Tarpon Springs.
Despite this change, dangerous storm surges remain a threat for Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Florida east coast from Sebastian Inlet to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
The National Weather Service said late Wednesday night that the storm continues to pose significant threats, particularly in central Florida, where flash flood emergencies have expanded across the I-4 corridor that runs from Tampa to Orlando.
Residents are being urged to stay put, avoid driving, and be ready to move to higher ground as the situation worsens.
As of 11 p.m. ET, Hurricane Milton continues its trek inland across central Florida. This has shifted the storm’s impact zones.
Despite this change, dangerous storm surges remain a threat for Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and the Florida east coast from Sebastian Inlet to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.
The National Weather Service said late Wednesday night that the storm continues to pose significant threats, particularly in central Florida, where flash flood emergencies have expanded across the I-4 corridor that runs from Tampa to Orlando.
Residents are being urged to stay put, avoid driving, and be ready to move to higher ground as the situation worsens.
As of 11 p.m. ET, Hurricane Milton continues its trek inland across central Florida. This has shifted the storm’s impact zones.
Update: Flash Flood Warning for Tampa Bay
37 days ago
The entire Tampa Bay region continues to be under a flash flood warning as Hurricane Milton moves inland, bringing more than 16 inches of rain to parts of the region.
As of 10 p.m. ET, heavy rains and hurricane-force winds batter the Tampa Bay area, with gusts reaching up to around 105 mph. Similar conditions are reported in nearby areas like Bartow.
At its center, located 20 miles northeast of Sarasota, the storm has reached maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.
The flash flood warning includes Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater.
Hurricane Milton Pounds Florida as It Moves Inland
37 days ago
Hurricane Milton continues to bring life-threatening conditions as it moves inland along Florida's west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
By 9 p.m. ET, the hurricane’s center was about 5 miles north of Sarasota and 105 miles southwest of Orlando, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph.
The storm is moving northeast at 15 mph.
It continues to bring storm surge, strong winds, and flash flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
In St. Petersburg, the Albert Whitted Airport reported sustained winds of 64 mph, with gusts reaching 93 mph. Weather stations in Egmont Channel and Skyway Fishing Pier clocked gusts as high as 102 mph. Even inland, at the Orlando Executive Airport, gusts reached 60 mph.
Residents across central Florida have been warned to expect more dangerous conditions as the storm continues its path inland, threatening additional flooding and damage.
Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall in Florida
37 days ago
Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday evening as a powerful Category 3 storm, unleashing a life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding across the central Florida peninsula.
The National Hurricane Center reported that the hurricane’s eye crossed the coastline around 8:30 p.m. ET, with sustained winds of 120 mph. Meteorologists have warned residents in the area to brace for dangerous conditions as the storm moves inland.
Officials have urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately, warning of the potential for catastrophic flooding and widespread damage from storm surge.
Flash Flood Warning Declared for Tampa Bay
37 days ago
TAMPA–The entire Tampa Bay region is under a flash flood warning as conditions worsen ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall to the south.
Affected cities include Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Manatee, Brandon, and Oldsmar.
Hurricane Center: Milton Close to Making Landfall
37 days ago
TAMPA—Hurricane Milton is closing in on landfall according to The National Hurricane Center.
By 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 9, the storm’s center was 20 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, Florida, boasting winds of 120 mph and moving east-northeast at 15 mph.
On its current track, Milton will make landfall just south of Tampa Bay within the next hour or two, move across the peninsula overnight, and enter the Atlantic Ocean on Oct. 10. It is then expected to continue to weaken and become a post-tropical cyclone within the next 36 hours.
Life-threatening storm surge and immense rainfall is expected across the state from Pinellas County through Orange County to St. Johns County.
Meanwhile extreme wind warnings have been issued for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and winds have begun to increase significantly in South Tampa amid torrential rainfall.
The National Hurricane Center’s next full advisory is due at 11 p.m. ET.
Milton ‘In The Process of Making Landfall in Sarasota County'
37 days ago
TAMPA—Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed that Hurricane Milton is "in the process of making landfall" in Sarasota County just after 7:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 9.
Milton is still a major hurricane with 120 mph winds, but is showing signs of weakening as it moves across the state.
“At this point, it's too dangerous to evacuate safely,” he said. “So you have to shelter in place and just hunker down.”
The governor also confirmed that 116 tornado warnings have been issued and 19 tornado touchdowns have been confirmed, with several counties reporting tornado damage.
Multiple flash flood watches and warnings have also been reported.
Executive Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie said that about 125 homes have already been destroyed, due to tornado activity or otherwise. Most of the homes have been mobile homes and those in senior communities.
“If you see dangerous conditions, please report those to your local authority, so that they can help protect people and mitigate it,” he said.
Massive amounts of search and rescue equipment and personnel are standing by and the governor said they are prepared to respond immediately after the storm passes.
“Floridians, we are with you,” Guthrie said. “We will be with you. The state of Florida is leading the way on this charge. Please know that we're coming as fast as we possibly can.”
Orlando Magic Game Canceled
37 days ago
The Oct. 11 preseason game between the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans has been canceled due to the hurricane.
“The safety of our community and fans is our top priority,” said the Magic in a statement posted on X.
The NBA team said the game at Kia Center will not be rescheduled.
DeSantis: 'We’ve Been Ramping Up for This'
37 days ago
Florida is prepared for the hurricane, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“Everything we’ve asked for, we’ve gotten. We’re working constructively with President Biden, we’ve marshaled all state agencies and we’re working very constructively with our local partners,” he told CBS News.
“We know what we’re doing here in Florida,” he continued. “We prepare for it. Floridians can rest assured: You’re going to have a very robust response. We’ve been ramping up for this.”
He said that “by and large” people have listened to the orders to evacuate.
Milton Hits Tampa With Heavy Rain
37 days ago
More than 3 inches of rain have fallen in Tampa in the past few hours, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wind and rain picking up here in South Tampa as #Milton closes in! @EpochTimes pic.twitter.com/P4AdcvKGGg
— T.J. Muscaro (@FLNewsfromTJ) October 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton Hits Florida
37 days ago
Hurricane Milton has hit Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center, with winds at 120 mph.
This includes Bradenton, where winds are extreme, according to live footage.
“The northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is now spreading ashore in the Tampa/St. Petersburg metro area where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect,” posted NHC on X.
Gas Shortages in Florida as Hurricane Milton Approaches
A gas station runs out of fuel as residents evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 7. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)
Matt McGregor
Last Updated:
Gas shortages have already begun in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches the state generating up to 145 mph winds.
By Wednesday at 2:43 p.m., more than 24 percent of Florida’s 7,915 gas stations are out of fuel, according to fuel-tracker data provided by GasBuddy. That’s about 1,900 stations.
The National Hurricane Center said the Category 4 hurricane is “growing in size as it moves closer to the west coast of Florida,” delivering “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains” to be expected throughout the state.
The hurricane was downgraded from a Category 5 on Tuesday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference on Wednesday that the state has “considerable fuel reserves ahead of Milton,” and that they would be “utilized as needed following the storm.”
“We’ve already dispatched a lot of fuel in the lead-up to this, but we still have on hand 1.6 million gallons of diesel and 1.1 million gallons of gasoline,” he said.
As it stands, there’s no fuel shortage, he said.
“However, demand has been extraordinarily high, and some gas stations have run out,” he said. “To be able to help ameliorate that, the Florida Highway Patrol has facilitated 106 long-distance fuel tanker escorts with sirens getting through traffic totaling almost a million gallons of gasoline from ports in Tampa, Jacksonville, Everglades, and Manatee, and they are continuing with the fuel escorts as we speak.”
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said the hurricane will likely disrupt critical infrastructure such as fuel terminals and power plants.
Florida, which has no refineries or gasoline pipelines, is supplied by delivery trucks or ships from domestic and international sources, the EIA said.
“Inbound and outbound vessel traffic to Port Tampa Bay, where over 17 million tons of petroleum- and natural gas-related products move through in a typical year, has ceased,” the EIA said.
More than 43 percent of the state’s petroleum moves through Port Tampa Bay, the EIA said.
“The duration of the port closures and impacts from Hurricane Milton on trade movements for petroleum and natural gas remain uncertain,” the EIA said.
DeSantis said in a Wednesday press release that Hurricane Milton is traveling 190 miles southwest of Tampa “with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph.”
“Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon,” DeSantis said.
Milton follows Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on the Florida panhandle on Sept. 26, digging a destructive path up through western North Carolina, where many residents have yet to recover.
Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, dropped 40 trillion gallons of water on multiple southeastern states from Sept. 24 to 29. Winds reached 140 mph. The death count is currently at 227, but officials expect that number to rise.
Almost 294,000 Floridians Without Power
37 days ago
There are 293,524 Floridians without power as of 7 p.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.us.
More than 39,000 are without power in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located. In Palm Beach County, that number is 21,540, while in Manatee and Polk Counties, 14,912 and 12,602 customers are, respectively, without power.
Milton Eyewall Reaches Shore, Tampa Bay Under Extreme Wind Warning
37 days ago
TAMPA—Hurricane Milton’s northern eyewall started to spread onshore of Florida’s Gulf Coast just south of Tampa Bay, at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 9.
Just 35 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, Milton has begun its onshore run as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
The National Weather Service issued an extreme wind warning for residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“An extreme wind warning is in effect for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL until 9:30 PM EDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds,” the National Weather Service announced on X.
“Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!”
The National Hurricane Center reported that sustained winds of 55 mph and a gust of 71 mph was recently reported at the WeatherFlow station at the Skyway fishing pier.
NHC Warns of Incoming Storm Surge Flash Flooding
37 days ago
TAMPA—As Hurricane Milton’s landfall inches closer, the National Hurricane Center warned people on Florida’s Gulf Coast that the storm surge threat is about to get underway with water levels rising rapidly.
“In the next few hours, we're expecting a large area of destructive storm surge with inundation of 10 feet or greater above ground level along portions of the West Central Coast of the Florida peninsula,” said National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan during a 5:45 p.m. briefing.
As much as nine feet of storm surge is still expected in Tampa Bay, and as much as 13 feet of surge could hit the coastline of Sarasota between Anna Maria and Boca Grande.
That will be accompanied by damaging waves.
Hurricane Milton is still expected to make landfall as a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of around 120 mph. It is expected to cross the Florida peninsula and enter the Atlantic Ocean as a hurricane. Storm surge of up to five feet is expected on the east coast.
Along with the damaging storm surge, Brennan also warned of devastating hurricane-force winds (74 mph or greater) along portions of the west coast, heavy rains all along the I-4 corridor across the state.
“From Tampa to Orlando to Daytona Beach, [we’re] expecting widespread rainfall totals of six to 12 inches, isolated totals as high as 18 inches in these areas,” Brennan said. “Some places have seen six plus inches of rain already, and we haven't even seen Milton center make landfall.”
That heavy rain is expected to continue to cause flash flooding across that same area, from St. Petersburg to Melbourne.
Brennan also said that the tornado threats in the outer bands will remain ongoing into the night.
133 Tornado Warnings Issued in Florida
37 days ago
The Florida branch of the National Weather Service has issued 133 tornado warnings, the agency posted on X.
There were 49 such warnings issued each for Miami and Tampa and 35 for Melbourne.
NOAA Reports 28-Foot Wave Near Eye of Hurricane
37 days ago
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration detected a 28.12-foot wave with winds as high as 75.96 mph on Wednesday—all 40 nautical miles from the eye of Hurricane Milton.
NOAA posted the discovery on X.
Biden Provides Update on Hurricane Milton, Advises People to Find Shelter
37 days ago
President Joe Biden provided an update on Hurricane Milton, which is expected to hit Florida’s west coast late Wednesday. Speaking from the White House late afternoon, Biden warned that the storm is expected to be the most destructive in more than a century.
“Currently, Milton is a category 3 with wind speeds up to 220 miles per hour. But no one should be confused,” Biden said. “It's still expected to be one of the most and worst destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century.”
Biden said storm surge is still expected to be up to 13 feet, hence urged Floridians “to listen to local officials and follow all the safety instructions.”
“At this point, evacuation is probably difficult, so I encourage people to look for safer shelter,” he said.
He added that the federal government has sent thousands of federal personnel to the area as well as 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water.
Before closing his speech, Biden also criticized the negative comments about the federal government’s response efforts, calling them “outrageous” and “un-American.”
DeSantis Responds to Claims FEMA Can Keep People From Their Homes
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday responded to claims on social media suggesting that federal officials will not allow residents back in their homes after Hurricane Milton, which is now a Category 1 storm and is expected to move east over the Atlantic Ocean later Thursday.
The governor denied those claims, saying that his administration is in charge of the hurricane response, not the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It’s not clear where those rumors originated.
“We live in an era where if you put out crap online, you can get a lot of people to share it and you can monetize that. That’s just the way it is,” DeSantis told the news conference, adding that “in the state of Florida none of that stuff would ever fly.”
“FEMA is not leading this show, we are leading this show here in the state of Florida,“ he said. ”We’re marshaling whatever assets are available to us, we’re leveraging that.”
DeSantis said that there will not “be anything where FEMA is ever going to be able to keep you from your home,” before adding a word of caution.
“Be careful about the nonsense that gets circulated, and just know that the more titillating it is, the more likely somebody is making money off it,” he said. Those people don’t care “about the well-being and safety of the people that are actually in the eye of this storm, it’s all just trying to monetize what they’re doing,” the governor continued.
A page on FEMA’s website says that the federal agency “cannot seize your property or land” after a natural disaster or after a person applies for federal disaster assistance.
“If the results of the inspection deem your home uninhabitable, that information is only used to determine the amount of FEMA assistance you may receive to make your home safe, sanitary and functional,” the FEMA page says.
Hurricane Milton made landfall Category 3 storm on Wednesday evening, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm was once a Category 5 but has since weakened, although it is still considered a “major” hurricane.
The storm prompted the evacuation of millions of people along Florida’s Gulf Coast this week. Officials had warned that people living in storm surge-prone areas along the coast should flee or risk death.
Power outages as of Thursday morning are rampant. More than 3 million Floridians lack electricity, according to Poweroutage.us.
FEMA’s response, meanwhile, has been criticized by Republicans in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which caused significant devastation in western North Carolina. Republicans have noted that the agency in April allocated over $600 million in funding for illegal migrants after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters last week that FEMA is running out of funding.
There have also been reports from North Carolina residents who have claimed that FEMA has blocked off roads or has not provided enough relief in Helene’s aftermath. The Epoch Times has been unable to independently verify those claims.
The director of the agency Deanne Criswell has pushed back on the criticism by telling ABC News on Sunday that such statements are “not helpful” and are “demoralizing to all of the first responders that have been out there in their communities helping people.”
On Tuesday, Criswell said that FEMA “have enough funds to absolutely get through the response” for both Helene and Milton, but might run out of cash by the end of the fiscal year.
“We don’t have enough money to continue throughout the rest of the year,” she told Fox News, adding that her agency has been “able to anticipate last year, this year, and even going into next year, that we are not going to have enough to pay all of the recovery bills.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Florida Officials Warn of Electric Vehicle Fires Sparked by Hurricane Milton
A an electric vehicle (EV) charges at a shopping mall parking lot in Torrance, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Chase Smith
Last Updated:
Officials in Florida have warned of the fire danger posed by electric vehicles (EVs) that are inundated by floodwaters as Hurricane Milton began its assault on the Sunshine State on Oct. 9.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor reminded residents in a press conference early Wednesday that city garages were left open and urged electric vehicle owners in particular to take advantage of the upper floors in garages to avoid flood and fire risk.
“You can put your electric vehicles up high,” Castor said in the press conference. “Make sure you are elevating all those electric batteries and electric items as well because those batteries—once they start on fire—they cannot be extinguished.”
She added that some houses were lost during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago to fires sparked by saltwater flooding electric vehicles.
Prior to that storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also warned residents of the risk of fire from electric vehicles and flood waters, as contact with saltwater can short-circuit the batteries, causing a chain reaction known as thermal runaway in which heat energy is released from the battery to cause a fire.
The City of Tampa mobility department noted all parking fees were removed in anticipation of Hurricane Milton to encourage more EV users to take advantage of above-ground parking.
“During Hurricane Helene, at least two house fires were caused by electric vehicle batteries that came in contact with floodwater,” the city added in a notice to residents on Wednesday.
Tampa’s warning to its residents is an example of broader concerns of EV-related flood and fire risk, as Florida CFO and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis on Monday called on EV manufacturers to take steps to protect lives during Hurricane Milton.
“The CFO’s Division of State Fire Marshal has confirmed 48 lithium-ion battery fires related to storm surge from Hurricane Helene, with 11 of those fires associated with EVs,” the agency said in a fire safety alert to Florida residents. “Consumer items containing lithium-ion batteries include cars, scooters, hover boards, golf carts or children’s toys. The CFO also called on EV manufacturers to be pro-active by alerting consumers to place their EVs to higher ground.”
Patronis said if residents have one of these vehicles, scooters, hoverboards, golf carts or children’s toys that have been compromised by flooding, they should be unplugged and moved safely away from homes and apartments into open spaces.
“If a vehicle needs to be towed, contact a reputable tow company in your area to safely remove it from your property,” he added. “EVs and lithium-battery powered devices cannot be disposed of in a typical car lot or trash bin, so you will also want to contact your local government on the best locations for safe disposal.”
He also issued a plea to EV manufacturers in the United States to be proactive in notifying their customers of such risks.
“As I’ve stated before, these compromised vehicles and devices are ticking time bombs, and my office will continue to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials to ensure consumers and first responders are aware of these fire hazards following Hurricane Milton,” Patronis added. “After the storm, if you do have an EV that has been flooded by saltwater and it remains in your garage or near your home, please remove it immediately to a safe location so that you can worry about fixing your home, instead of rebuilding it due to fire.”
The fire marshal says to ensure safety, keep all windows and doors open to allow any flammable gasses to vent from the vehicle’s passenger compartment.
Other tips include, if stored indoors, moving the vehicle outside if possible; otherwise, keeping the area well-ventilated.
Do not charge the vehicle, and disable it by chocking the wheels, placing the gearshift in park and disconnecting the ignition key or 12V battery.
Avoid contact with high-voltage batteries, especially if there are signs of damage or overheating; and always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for your specific vehicle.
Tesla, one of the most popular EV manufacturers, issued guidance on its website for owners who have or may encounter a flooding event. The company recommends moving EVs to higher ground ahead of potential “submersion events” and immediately stepping away and contacting first responders if one notices “fire, smoke, audible popping/hissing or heating coming from your vehicle.”
Even in the absence of those signs, owners are urged to call their insurance companies if water has reached the vehicle’s battery so it can undergo a safety inspection. For Tesla owners, Tesla Service will offer an inspection, and Tesla Roadside Assistance can tow the vehicle to a safe 50-foot distance away from any structures or other vehicles.Similar issues came to light after Hurricane Ian in 2022, when Patronis said many EVs were disabled.
“As those batteries corrode, fires start,” he said at the time. “That’s a new challenge that our firefighters haven’t faced before. At least on this kind of scale.”
EV fires after hurricanes were first reported following Superstorm Sandy in New Jersey in 2012.
Allen Zhong and Jacob Burg contributed to this report.
National Hurricane Center Suspends Hurricane Watch in Some Areas
37 days ago
The National Hurricane Center lifted the hurricane watch for several areas in Florida as Hurricane Milton showed some signs of weakening late Wednesday afternoon.
The affected areas are Dry Tortugas Island, the east coast of Florida north of Ponte Vedra Beach up to the mouth of the St. Marys River, and Florida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to the south of Bonita.
The tropical storm watch north of Edisto Beach has also been canceled.
Hurricane Milton was downgraded to Category 3 shortly before the announcement, but much of Florida remains under warning ahead of the expected 11 p.m. landfall.
The storm has sped up a bit and is now traveling around 17 mph, with wind strength at around 120 mph.
Storm surges are now expected to top out at 12 feet instead of 15 feet, but rainfall is still predicted to reach 18 inches in some areas.
Floridians Use Last Hours Before the Storm to Brace for ‘Historic’ Hurricane Milton
Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall Wednesday night on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
John Haughey
Last Updated:
TAMPA, Fla.—Millions of displaced evacuees are bunkered inland. And more than 50,000 electrical linemen; 34 search-and-rescue teams; and thousands of National Guard soldiers, law enforcement officers, and first responders from more than 20 states are entrenched, poised to face a monster unlike any seen in Florida for decades.
As of mid-afternoon Oct. 9, the outer bands of Hurricane Milton were battering central Florida with increasingly heavy rains and thunderstorms sprouting strings of tornado alerts, the opening salvos of what will be a long night’s journey to a day that dawns on a violently reshaped landscape.
Milton at 7 p.m. was a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expected Milton to make landfall as an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight somewhere in southern Sarasota County, about 40 miles south of Tampa Bay.
On Oct. 9, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents still holding out in flood zones and surge areas that time was running out for them to get to safer ground.
“You still have time to make the decision to ensure your safety,” he said. “You do not have to get on the interstate and drive to Georgia. You don’t have to drive to Pensacola. You can go to a local shelter, which would be likely tens of miles away.”
Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said 149 general shelters are open across the state. They can accommodate more than 200,000 residents, and as of 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, the total shelter population was approximately 31,000 people.
DeSantis said state officials have not yet picked an exact time when people should shelter in place because “it just depends on where you are and what the conditions are.” However, he said that conditions will worsen throughout the day.
“I would advise probably just [going] into the shelter right now, rather than trying to get on the interstate,” he said.
President Joe Biden urged Floridians in Hurricane Milton’s path to follow the safety instructions of local officials as the storm nears landfall.
“It’s looking like the storm of the century,” Biden warned in a live broadcast from the Oval Office on Oct. 9.
“I know it’s really tough to leave behind your home, your belongings, everything you own, but I urge everyone in Hurricane Milton’s path to follow all safety instructions as we head to the next 24 hours. It’s a matter of—literally—a matter of life and death.”
The NHC said Milton “is expected to still be a major hurricane ... likely to be a category 3 or 4 strength at landfall.”
Even though there will be some decay in wind force as the storm tears across Florida, NHC said that “Milton is anticipated to move off the east coast of Florida on Thursday still as a hurricane.”
The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, has not been directly hit by a hurricane for more than 100 years. Spans of central Florida to its east, along Interstate 4 from Lakeland to Daytona, have not seen winds topping 100 miles per hour since 2004’s Hurricane Charley.
Many areas on the state’s Gulf Coast, including Tampa, remain swamped from Hurricane Helene’s storm surge. Streets in some communities are lined with debris—potential missile hazards when Milton comes ashore.
Horses evacuated from the path of Hurricane Idalia peek out from their stalls where they were sheltered at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala on Aug. 29, 2023. (Courtesy of Liberty Holt)
Outside Tampa’s mandatory evacuation zones, residents gathered at Pach’s Place on the morning of Oct. 9 for breakfast.
Owner Cathy Maes told The Epoch Times that her objective was to make sure that people in the neighborhood, people staying in the adjoining Tahitian Inn, and local Tampa police officers had a warm meal.
Even as the most powerful storm to possibly ever hit Tampa Bay approached, Pach’s Place regulars found their way to their usual tables, and the morning’s conversations filled the air with a sense of normalcy.
Maes said she was not surprised at all by the amount of regulars who were there.
Thursday, Oct. 10, will be the first day she has closed her restaurant since she purchased it from her mother in 2018. She even kept her doors open during COVID-19.
“It pains me,” she said, “but for the safety of my crew, I just can’t do that. They love me and I love them, and that’s why they love me, because I don’t make it risky for them.”
But she told The Epoch Times that once the storm passes, her cafe community will come back together, and staff and patrons alike will be ready to help each other recover from yet another storm.
She told The Epoch Times that the home of one of her waitresses got flooded during Hurricane Helene, and that the community not only came together to help clean out her home, but also raised thousands of dollars in a GoFundMe to help her get back on her feet.
“One by one, we'll go and do whatever we can, and it’s beautiful, and we do it with a joyful heart,” Maes said. “Everyone’s happy to just be able to help financially, some physically, but we help with all kinds.
“So we‘ll wait till Friday to see what everyone needs. And it’ll just take one scenario at a time. That’s all we can do.”
All Creatures, Large and Small
All creatures, large and small, were hunkering down as the storm approached.ZooTampa closed on Oct. 7, two days ahead of Milton’s anticipated landfall.
Keepers worked to execute their hurricane plans to make animals as ready as possible to ride out the storm in safety. The zoo plans to reopen on Oct. 11.
Larger animals were moved to their night houses, which are built to withstand major storms, ZooTampa Communications Director Sandra Morrison told The Epoch Times. Smaller mammals and birds were tucked away in other buildings.
During the storm, a “ride-out team” was planning to stay on-site to care for the animals.
This summer, ZooTampa earned special certification from the National Weather Service for being storm-ready. The facility reported that it was the first Florida zoo not affiliated with a theme park to receive the recognition.
A little way north, in Ocala, the World Equestrian Center opened yet again to equine evacuees.
“We don’t have a final count yet, but should be around 2,500 horses that we were able to accommodate,” Leah Tong, marketing director, told The Epoch Times.
“Our equine operations team has been working tirelessly all week to process reservations and ensure owners are finding their stalls. We are prepared and ready to ride out the storm.”
Ahead of Milton, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told animal-concerned residents how to help wildlife in the storm’s path.
“The best way people can stay safe and help wildlife under storm conditions is to be alert and give wildlife their space,” spokeswoman Lisa Thompson wrote in an email to The Epoch Times. “People should not attempt a wildlife rescue during or after a hurricane or tropical storm if that would place them in a potentially dangerous situation.”
She wrote that after the storm, “if you come across wildlife that you suspect may be injured or orphaned, you should note the location and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area.” And if you cannot reach a rehabilitator, you can contact the FWC Regional Office in your area for further guidance.
People who see injured, sick, orphaned, or dead sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, panthers, or bears always are asked to call the agency’s wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
Across the state, animal shelters in low-lying areas had been moving their furry residents to higher ground.
The Alachua County Animal Resources staff posted on social media: “We are completely blown away by the overwhelming response we received to our storm foster plea! We sent out over 60 animals today. ... We can NEVER thank you, our community, enough for stepping up and helping us EMPTY THE SHELTER!”
A “very small handful of dogs” remained, and staff said they still hoped to find foster homes for those animals before closing.
Workers board a window in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 8, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)
Waiting for Milton
As Milton barreled toward southwest Florida on Oct. 9, tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, Georgia, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane’s center.In Jacksonville Beach, on the far east end of Milton’s projected romp across Florida, resident Judi Spann and her husband are riding out the storm just four blocks from the shore, but they said they aren’t too worried about the three to five feet of storm surge anticipated for that area.
“Amazingly, we are technically not in a flood zone, so that is good for us,” Spann told The Epoch Times.
She noted that during past storms, when their area was expected to flood, they evacuated, only to return and find their house untouched.
This time, since Jacksonville is falling north of Milton’s projected path, the couple are staying put.
“What we’ve done to prepare is we have our generator, and we’ve gassed that up,” Spann said. “We’ve filled both of our cars with gas. We have extra gas tanks that we’ve filled up, in case the power does go out for a long period of time.”
While the generator won’t power their whole house, it should be enough to keep their refrigerator and freezer running, along with their cell phones and a few lights.
They have also stocked up on emergency supplies, drained some of the water from their pool, and brought in all of their outdoor furniture.
Now, they’re just hoping for the best—for themselves and their fellow Floridians.
She said she’s particularly worried for those on the Gulf and barrier islands who were forced to evacuate ahead of the storm. The possibility that they could return and find that their homes are gone—“that’s just a horrible feeling,” she said.
The sun dips and storm clouds gather over Sarasota Bay just west of buildings on the campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota on Aug. 18, 2023. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)
Sarasota Bracing
That’s a possibility faced by many in the Sarasota area, where Milton is projected to come ashore with a storm surge that could reach up to 15 feet.The New College of Florida, situated right on the coastline, could also sustain severe damage.
In anticipation of the deadly deluge, the college evacuated its entire campus on Oct. 7. The only staff who will stay for the storm are campus police, according to New College Communications Director Nathan March.
“After the storm subsides, critical staff will return and assess the campus and form the plan for restoring operations,” March told The Epoch Times. “The most important thing is all students, faculty, and staff have had time to ensure their physical safety for the storm.”
The logo of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seen at its headquarters in Washington in this file photo. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Storm Surge of Rumors
DeSantis had to pause during an Oct. 9 update to address a deluge of rumors and false information. Local and state emergency management officials have been battling misinformation as they attempt to keep residents accurately informed about Hurricane Milton’s approaching menace.He cautioned people to dismiss false claims, such as a rumor of “collusion” between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and a security team that will not let people back into their homes after the storm has passed.
Not only is that untrue, DeSantis said, but FEMA plays no role in such decisions. The state, not the federal government, is completely in charge of responding to natural disasters.
The governor signed an executive order last week that specifically states that anyone evacuated has “a right to immediately return to your home following the storm” as “a default,” he said.
“This is your private property,” DeSantis said. “This is your home. You have a right to go back. So that’s in our executive order.”
According to DeSantis, this rumor is concerning because it encourages people not to evacuate.
“I think most people are wise to this,” he said. “We live in an era where if you put out crap online, you can get a lot of people to share it, and you can monetize that. That’s just the way it is. But if you’re hearing things, something that’s just outrageous, just know in the state of Florida, none of that stuff would ever fly. So you don’t have to worry about that.”
Similar waves of misinformation have plagued Helene response and recovery efforts, most notably in western North Carolina, where FEMA has been accused online of all sorts of misdeeds and actions, even of using helicopters to stop private groups from bringing supplies to suffering people.
None of it is true, FEMA Region 10 Director Willie Nunn, the senior agency official in the Southeast, told The Epoch Times.
“We do not have any air assets or ‘FEMA helicopters,’” he said as he prepared to board a flight from South Carolina to Tallahassee, where he’ll be stationed in the state’s emergency management center.
FEMA is not a first responder in an emergency, Nunn explained. The federal agency’s role is to provide support in preparation and in the response, and then to coordinate the recovery efforts.
“We work with the state, whatever request they have, the agency will meet it,” he said, adding that FEMA will pre-position anticipated supplies and resources by coordinating with the state about where those evacuations will be.
“So we can look at where they are deploying so we can be pre-postured,” he said. “We are in lockstep with the state.”
If there are bottlenecks in getting supplies and assistance to disaster zones, the responsible parties are not federal agents but those in charge—local and state emergency management officials.
Nunn said that when people hear or read things on social media about FEMA, they should keep two things in mind.
“One, if it’s not helping people before, during, or in the aftermath,” then FEMA is not involved, he said. “Second, listen to local officials that you trust.” Those trusted officials know what is happening, not the federal government in Washington, he said.
The agency has set up several “rumor control” tags on its website, including Rumor Response.
Wayne Sallade, former emergency management director for Charlotte County, Florida, said combating misinformation in an emergency is part of the job.
“Well, let’s understand one thing: All disasters are local until such time that the local emergency managers say the locals can no longer handle it,” said Sallade, who lectures on emergency management through Colorado Mesa University. “Let’s use Buncombe County, [North Carolina], for an example. It was quickly understood this was beyond their capability to respond, and that it fell upon the state to respond.”
Some of the criticism levied at FEMA in North Carolina underscores how the state, not the federal agency, spearheads emergency response.
Sallade said there’s a difference between North Carolina’s response and Florida’s response to Helene because Florida was better prepared and knew the storm would hit. No one had any idea the storm would do what it did in western North Carolina, he said.
“I do think there is a lot of misinformation out there,” he said. “FEMA, they’re not first responders. It’s not their role. FEMA is being vilified and some of it isn’t fair.”
Sallade said he knows “FEMA people” who are “not even wearing their shirts because they become targets.”
“It’s one of those things you have to swing through the punches,” he said.
“I know Florida is as prepared as it can be. DeSantis has been a remarkable responder. He’s always been ahead in this game. He and the state are showing it again.”
“When you do this for 30 years, you can’t just walk away and go cold turkey,” he said, noting he has 50,000 Facebook followers tracking Hurricane Milton with him.
DeSantis, during his Oct. 9 morning update, repeatedly emphasized that the state is leading the response and that the state is making any and all decisions in guiding that response.
As the governor, his authority under an emergency declaration means that all responsibility is on his shoulders alone.
“I know there’s been a lot of stuff about what FEMA has done in other states,” DeSantis said. “I don’t know, but I can tell you, in Florida, we are leading this train. FEMA is not leading this show. We are leading this show.”
More Than 120,000 Power Outages Reported, Mostly in Florida’s East Coast
37 days ago
TAMPA—More Than 120,000 power outages were reported in Florida by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
But even though Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast, most of the outages are currently on the east coast.
Indian River County holds the highest percentage of total utility customers without power, with over 17,000 outages, according to poweroutage.us.
St. Lucie County currently has the highest number, with around 21,000 customers out of power. Both counties have confirmed at least one tornado touchdown as Florida’s Atlantic coast continues to face severe conditions from Milton’s outer bands.
Thousands of power outages were also reported across Okeechobee, Glades, Highlands, and Martin counties.
On the Gulf Coast, more than 15,000 customers in Hillsborough reported power outages, but this number has recently decreased from more than 16,000, suggesting that power restoration efforts are already underway. Manatee County is recording more than 8,000 outages, and Pinellas County has more than 12,700.
Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis accumulated 50,000 linemen from across the country in order to respond to expected power outages from the hurricane.
FEMA Chief Headed to Florida
37 days ago
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Florida on Wednesday to lead the agency’s response to Hurricane Milton.
At a news conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, Criswell told reporters that FEMA’s regional administrator, Robert Saaman, would remain there to help with Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“I want to assure the people of North Carolina that while we watch Hurricane Milton approach the coast of Florida, you can be assured that no resources are going to be taken from North Carolina,” Criswell said.
As for those in Milton’s path, Criswell advised them to “prepare for catastrophic impacts.”
“This is going to be a serious storm—one that could forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene,” she said at an earlier briefing.
“Please continue to listen to your local officials and seek safety immediately. We do not need to lose any lives as a result of this storm.”
More than 1,000 FEMA personnel are already stationed in Florida as the state’s Big Bend region continues its recovery from Hurricane Helene.
Milton Downgraded to Category 3, Tornado Warnings in Effect Across South Florida
37 days ago
TAMPA—Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 3, according to the National Hurricane Center.
With its eye spotted 100 miles southwest of Tampa as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the storm’s maximum sustained winds had reduced to 125 mph.
However, tropical-storm-force conditions still extend into the Florida Peninsula, with a mesonet site in Fort Myers Beach recording a gust of 68 mph.
Milton’s outer bands also continue to generate tornadoes across southern Florida and flash flood warnings for both areas of Northeastern Florida like St. John’s County and parts of the Gulf Coast like Pinellas County.
The National Hurricane Center still puts the time of landfall after 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
The next full advisory on Hurricane Milton is scheduled to be released at 5 p.m.
Hurricane Milton advances towards Florida in a view from Dragon Endeavor docked with the International Space Station on Oct. 9, 2024. (Matthew Dominick/NASA/Handout via Reuters)
Flash Flooding Spreads in Northeast Florida
37 days ago
TAMPA—While Hurricane Milton still hasn’t made landfall on Florida’s west coast, its outer bands have spread across the state, causing flash flooding in St. John’s County in Northeast Florida.
The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville issued the flash flood warning after receiving reports of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall of up to 6 inches in the area. It also said that “flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.”
Spotted near St. Augustine shores, areas affected by this flash flooding will be Hastings, Elkton, Spuds, and Dupont Center.
Flash flooding from lower levels of rainfall was also reported elsewhere in Northeast Florida, including Flagler, Eastern Putnam, and Clay counties.
Areas affected include Palm Coast, Palatka, Flagler Beach, Bunnell, Crescent City, Pomona Park, Andalusia, East Palatka, Marineland, San Mateo, Crescent Beach, Satsuma, Beverly Beach, Espanola and Lake Como.
The estimated impact is expected to be flooding of urban areas, small creeks and streams, highways, streets, underpasses, low-lying areas, and poor drainage.
St. John’s County emergency management reminded its residents on Facebook: “NEVER drive through flooded roads. Just 6 inches of water can knock over and drown an adult. Just 12 inches of water can carry away a vehicle.”
Oscar Garcia (R) with his family stands outside his house after getting hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2024, as Hurricane Milton approaches. (Chandan Khanna//AFP via Getty Images)
DeSantis Says Those Who Mistreat Pets During Hurricane Will Be Held Accountable
37 days ago
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Tampa on Wednesday rescued a dog that was left tied to a fence off I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd.
The troopers found the dog as floodwater had risen to its chest in the deluge of rain brought on by Hurricane Milton.
“Do NOT do this to your pets please,” FHP Tampa said in a post on X.
The rescue video garnered a direct response from the governor.
“It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a post on X.
Hours later, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles posted an update on the dog’s condition.
“The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health,” the agency said.
Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tonight on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
Live Feeds of Hurricane Milton as It Approaches Florida
Vehicles move through a partially flooded street in Dunedin ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall tonight in Florida on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
Jackson Richman
Last Updated:
Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall in the Tampa area late Wednesday, in what Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said will be the “storm of the century.”
The National Hurricane Center noted that Milton appeared to be growing in size as it approached Florida’s west coast. It is currently a Category 4 hurricane and is expected to weaken slightly to a Category 3 when it makes landfall.
Milton is expected to bring violent storm surges with flooding as high as 15 feet in some areas.
The strong winds have also produced multiple tornadoes, and experts are predicting collateral wind damage in a wider-than-expected area as Milton makes landfall.
Below are live looks as the storm approaches.
Traffic cameras in affected areas, courtesy of The Associated Press:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMvZaapg9UY
Hurricane tracker and live footage of Clearwater Beach, St. Petersburg, and the University of Tampa, courtesy of PBS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JhtuIMcWpk
Live looks in impacted areas, courtesy of Fox 9:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiqaaiseH2I
Fox Live Now with live coverage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T25BNn58b84
YouTuber and space enthusiast Launch Pad with live feeds in St. Petersburg and other areas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmZUAe9u5kc
A live view from Jimmy Crow’s Nest, a bar in Clearwater Beach:
https://www.youtube.com/live/8D8jN3wde6E
CNBC is streaming live traffic footage alongside radar and press conference updates:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzQ7_n8sp1M
A four-way view from beaches on Florida’s west coast, courtesy of YouTube channel Livestream Events:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Yu9hC5MokCA?si=pDbYi3TYL3czrhd2
Live views from Tampa and other affected areas, courtesy of YouTube channel Cruise Ships Live:
https://www.youtube.com/live/HbkR1n6QZDQ
A Satellite View with live radio updates, courtesy of YouTube channel Livestream Events:
https://www.youtube.com/live/UC5qUJATOco?si=WSoDxvbj0otM1tlJ
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
National Weather Service Issues Shelter-in-Place Warning
37 days ago
The National Weather Service sent out a shelter-in-place warning at 2:07 p.m. on Wednesday to Floridians bracing for the impact of Hurricane Milton.
The warning was issued as wind speeds have increased, causing several tornadoes to spring up across the Florida West Coast. Milton is bearing down on the state as a Category 4 hurricane with wind forces of 130 mph.
The shelter-in-place guidance also means that the time for evacuation assistance has passed in many areas, as emergency workers will now take time to tend to their own families and ride out the storm.
Jeremy Beal of St. Petersburg reacts as waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tonight on Oct. 9, 2024. (Bryan R. Smith /AFP via Getty Images)
‘FEMA Is Ready’ to Respond to Hurricane Milton, Administrator Says
37 days ago
During a White House press briefing on Wednesday, U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell said the “entire federal family” is standing by and ready to respond to areas impacted by Hurricane Milton.
“I want to deliver a very important message to the people of Florida, this is going to be a catastrophic storm. It is going to be a potentially deadly storm. Please listen to your local officials, as they will be giving you the best information about what you need to do where you are located,” Criswell said.
She said Milton is expected to bring deadly storm surge, intense winds, flooding, and additional tornadoes after portions of South Florida witnessed multiple spinning throughout various counties during the morning and afternoon.
President Joe Biden has approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration for Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. At Biden’s direction, Criswell sent “an additional 1,200 search and rescue personnel, six Incident Management Assistance Teams, multiple power assessment teams, and dozens of medical facility assessment personnel into the area.”
“We've also staged over 500 ambulances, and the search and rescue teams include high water vehicles and air assets as well as boats to support those life-saving activities in the first hours after the storm passes … we've also pushed millions of meals and liters of water into Florida to support those immediate needs,” Criswell added.
She emphasized that these resources will not diminish the ongoing response and recovery efforts in the states impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Milton Grows Larger as It Approaches Landfall
38 days ago
The National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday afternoon that Hurricane Mlton is “growing in size” as it approaches Florida’s West Coast. The storm is currently a Category 4 hurricane, with a maximum wind force of 130 mph.
Milton is moving north-northeast at around 16 mph and is expected to be “an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast.”
The report, issued at 2 p.m., said “life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains” are expected across central and southwest Florida.
An earlier report noted that Milton will make landfall around 11 p.m., giving the storm little time to weaken before it hits.
Hurricanes typically weaken when they hit land, but Milton is expected to cross Florida and exit the state’s East Coast at hurricane strength.
Dennis Kraus shows his children waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tonight on Oct. 9, 2024 in Florida. (Bryan R. Smith /AFP via Getty Images)
Storm Surge Arrives Along Florida’s Southwest Coast
38 days ago
The storm surge from Hurricane Milton has begun to arrive along Florida’s southwest coast hours before it is set to make landfall.
Footage from the National Weather Service showed the waves rolling in at Naples Pier on Wednesday afternoon and the water levels steadily rising at what should have been low tide.
High tide will be at 7:20 p.m.
Naples is projected to see up to 8 feet of storm surge before Milton has passed. But the stretch from Sarasota down to Boca Grande is expected to bear the brunt of the deluge, with surge estimates for that area ranging up to 13 feet.
How Some Apple iPhone Users Can Stay Connected During Hurricane
38 days ago
As cell services are inevitably interrupted while Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida today, certain Apple iPhone users can still send text messages and contact emergency services via satellite without a WiFi connection.
The feature is available in iPhone 14, 15, and 16 models equipped with Apple’s iOS 18 operating system.
To enable satellite messaging, users first need to go to Settings, then General, and Update to ensure the phone is updated with the latest software. Users also need to enable iMessage before going out of range.
Contacts must also have phones with iOS 18 to receive messages via satellite.
Once your phone goes out of normal signal range, you will get a message asking if you’d like to enable satellite messaging services. Your iPhone will then tell you where to point the device to reach a satellite connection, but you’ll need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon.
Users may experience delays while sending and receiving messages, as it is not as fast as cellular or WiFi. To send or accept a message, open the Messages app, and you’ll be instructed where to point the device to get a connection.
Users, however, cannot send or receive photos, videos, or audio messages over satellite.
Florida CFO Says Hurricane Milton Could Cause at Least $20 Billion in Damage
Waves crash against the Malecon promenade in Havana because of the passage of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Florida’s chief financial officer warned that Hurricane Milton could cause damage totaling as much as $20 billion in the state as the Category 4 storm continues to churn toward the Florida Gulf Coast.
Milton is forecast to strike near the Tampa Bay area late on Oct. 9 or early on Oct. 10, according to forecast models from the National Hurricane Center. While it has weakened from a Category 5, officials say the storm is expected to hit the state as a major hurricane, meaning a Category 3 or greater.
Jimmy Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer and fire marshal, told Fox Business that the expected damage depends on the exact location of where the storm makes landfall.
“It really depends on how the impact and damage of the storm is. Right now, as the path of the storm that is proposed, you’re looking at somewhere north of $10 [billion], maybe $20 billion worth of insured losses,” he said on Oct. 8.
“The [insurance] carriers in the state of Florida, they have been able to raise the type of capital in order to handle the storm. We’ve got nine new companies coming into the state.”
Insurance rates for certain locations in Florida are likely to see a rise after Milton hits. But Patronis said there will be a post-Milton “rebate system in place” to help homeowners and property owners.
“The individual has to apply before March 1 in order to get that rebate back. If your home is not as [valuable] as it was pre-storm, then you shouldn’t be paying taxes on a home that was not harmed. So if your home was harmed, you will have a discount,” he said.
State and federal officials have warned that Milton could be the most destructive hurricane to hit the Tampa area, home to more than 3 million people, in more than 100 years. Officials around Tampa have warned residents in multiple counties to evacuate this week, noting that storm surge could be more than 10 feet in some locations.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference on Oct. 9 that “unfortunately, there will be some fatalities.”
“I don’t think there’s any way around that,” he said.
Insured losses could reach at least tens of billions of dollars, with the potential for more than $75 billion in losses if the storm directly hits Tampa as a Category 3 or stronger storm, according to an estimate from BMO Capital Markets.
The ratings agency Moody’s estimates that insured losses from Helene could reach up to $14 billion. Flood insurance is typically excluded from most homeowners’ policies, and the U.S. government administers most of the nation’s flood insurance. Moody’s estimates that the National Flood Insurance Program’s losses from Helene could reach $2 billion.
Also, Milton will be making landfall in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which caused havoc across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Unlike Milton’s expected path, Helene hit a much less-populated area.
Inland areas at higher elevations, especially in western North Carolina, faced catastrophic flooding, and many homeowners lacked flood insurance. That will limit the number of claims to be paid out.
Hurricane Katrina, which slammed into New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast in 2005, was the costliest storm to ever hit the United States. Insured losses measured $102 billion after adjusting for inflation, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Insured losses from Category 4 Hurricane Ian, which hit the west coast of Florida in September 2022, were estimated at more than $50 billion.
Meanwhile, the state is focused on getting search and rescue efforts underway after the storm hits Florida, Patronis told Fox Business.
“We’ve got resources in from all corners of the country, 1,200 urban search and rescue first responders preparing to deploy out as soon as the storm passes,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Verizon Waives Charges for Milton-Affected Customers
38 days ago
Verizon customers affected by Hurricane Milton will have their call, text, and data usage charges waived starting Wednesday, the company has announced.
The offer, which extends through Oct. 23, will apply to Verizon customers in the following Florida counties: Alachua, Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, DeSoto, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sarasota, Seminole, Sumter, and Volusia.
The offer will automatically be applied to the accounts of all postpaid consumers and Verizon Small Business customers in the affected areas.
“As Hurricane Milton approaches, Verizon is ready to stand by our customers before, during and after the storm,” said Leigh Anne Lanier, Verizon’s Atlantic south market president, in a statement.
“We know how critical it is to stay connected in times of uncertainty, and we hope this offer provides much-needed relief in the aftermath of the storm.”
Hurricane Milton to Land Sooner, Stronger Than Expected
38 days ago
The National Hurricane Center is predicting that Hurricane Milton may make landfall around 11 p.m. on Wednesday evening, meaning it will have less time to weaken before it hits Florida.
The storm “is expected to still be a major hurricane … likely to be a category 3 or 4 strength at landfall,” the report says.
The exact location of landfall is still unclear as the hurricane is “wobbling” on its course, but making landfall at that strength will cause significant damage wherever it lands. It is also expected to do damage outside the predicted cone of effect.
“Milton is expected to begin interacting with a front later this evening, which is likely to cause the wind field to expand on the hurricane's northwestern side. This will likely cause very strong, gusty winds to occur even to the north of where Milton makes landfall.”
Even though there will be some decay in wind force as the storm tears across Florida, the National Hurricane Center says that “Milton is anticipated to move off the east coast of Florida on Thursday still as a hurricane.”
A car drives through the heavy rain in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2024 as Hurricane Milton approaches. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Southwest Florida Counties Face ‘Considerable’ Tornado Damage Threat
38 days ago
The National Weather Service (NWS) Ruskin updated its tornado warnings for Southeastern Charlotte and North Central Lee Counties, confirming that a “large and extremely dangerous tornado was located over Palmona Park, or near Fort Myers, moving north at 25 mph.”
“This is a particularly dangerous storm. Take cover now!” NWS Ruskin wrote, mostly in all capital letters.
Authorities said that homes, businesses, and vehicles could face “considerable damage” or “complete destruction” from the tornado. It was moving toward Cape Coral at roughly 12:45 p.m.
The impacted locations include Tice, Fort Myers Shores, North Fort Myers, Tropical Gulf Acres, Suncoast Estates, Charlotte Park, Solana, and Cleveland.
Another “large and extremely dangerous tornado” was seen near Babcock Webb wildlife management area, roughly 12 miles north of Fort Myers, moving north at 25 mph, the NWS stated.
North Fort Myers, Suncoast Estates, Fort Myers Shores, and Cleveland may be impacted by the tornado.
Officials urged anyone in or near the mentioned areas to take cover immediately, if possible in a windowless interior room.
Chris Williams runs through a rain storm as he packs his car to evacuate his apartment before Hurricane Milton's arrival in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2024. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Bridges Are Now Closed
38 days ago
TAMPA—The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) began closing Tampa Bay Area bridges just after noon on Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.
FHP Tampa posted on X that both directions of the Sunshine Skyway and the Howard Franklin bridges, as well as westbound lanes of the Gandy Bridge and Courtney Campbell Causeway, are now closed to all traffic—meaning all bridge access to Pinellas County and Gulf Coast is closed.
President Joe Biden speaks during a briefing about Hurricane Milton in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Oct. 9, 2024. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden Urges Caution Ahead of ‘Storm of the Century’
38 days ago
President Joe Biden urged Floridians in Hurricane Milton’s path to follow the safety instructions of local officials as the storm nears landfall.
“It’s looking like the storm of the century,” Biden warned in a live broadcast from the Oval Office on Wednesday.
“I know it’s really tough to leave behind your home, your belongings, everything you own, but I urge everyone in Hurricane Milton’s path to follow all safety instructions as we head to the next 24 hours. It’s a matter of—literally—a matter of life and death.”
Milton is anticipated to make landfall Wednesday night along Florida’s west-central coast.
Fifteen counties are currently under mandatory evacuation orders, though others have issued voluntary orders.
Tornado Warnings Issued for Several Florida Counties
38 days ago
The National Weather Service (NWS) in both Ruskin and Miami issued tornado warnings at roughly 12 p.m. on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton’s bands tore into South Florida.
“At 12:01 PM EDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Brighton Seminole Reservation, or 7 miles north of Lakeport, moving northwest at 25 mph,” according to NWS Ruskin.
The tornadic thunderstorm is expected to remain over mainly rural portions of southern Highlands County, including Archbold, Placid Lakes, Brighton, and Cornwell.
NWS Ruskin also issued a statement warning of a confirmed tornado moving north at 35 mph near Matlacha or Isles-Matlacha Shores. The tornado is expected to approach Cape Coral and Pineland before heading toward Punta Gorda and, finally, Charlotte County Airport by 12:30 p.m.
Potentially affected areas include Saint James City, Tropical Gulf Acres, Punta Rassa, Palm Island, Placida, Rotonda, Charlotte Park, Cleveland, Burnt Store Marina, and Bokeelia.
At 11:55 a.m., a tornado-producing storm was seen near Brighton Seminole Reservation, moving north at 30 mph, according to NWS Miami. Authorities warned everyone in the area to “TAKE COVER NOW!” and to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building.
Heavy rainfall may obscure the tornado visually, authorities added.
NWS Melbourne issued tornado warnings for Southwestern and Northwestern Martin County, Southwestern St. Lucie County, and Southeastern Okeechobee County.
The agency confirmed two tornadoes—one over Canal Point moving north at 30 mph, which is expected to remain over mostly rural portions of the county, including Port Mayaca. The other is near J and S Fish Camp in Okeechobee, moving north at 25 mph.
Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg as Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tonight on Oct. 9, 2024 in Florida. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
National Hurricane Center: Milton's Winds at 145 mph
38 days ago
Winds from Hurricane Milton are at 145 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center during an update at 11 a.m. ET. This makes it a Category 4 hurricane.
The hurricane has been moving northeast at 17 mph.
There are also reports of tornados in parts of southern Florida.
An estimated 10 to 15 inches of rain is expected to cause widespread flooding.
Waves crash against the Malecon promenade in Havana due to the passage of Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, 2024. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris Warns Against Price Gouging During Hurricane
38 days ago
Vice President Kamala Harris cautioned against price gouging and fraud in the wake of Hurricane Milton.
“Let us all be clear: Americans impacted by a crisis should never be ripped off,” she said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
Harris earlier this year said that she intends to impose the first federal ban on price gouging for food, should she win the presidential election in November.
Wednesday’s statement also touted her previous anti-price gouging stance during California’s forest fires and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harris further warned that the government “will hold those taking advantage of the situation accountable.”
FDOT Prepares to Close Bridges From Early Afternoon Wednesday
38 days ago
TAMPA—Florida’s Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue warned residents that road conditions will begin to deteriorate, and key bridges will soon be closed.
“We will be deactivating emergency shoulder use at noon today, and we have to begin to demobilize the signs and the people because conditions will begin deteriorating very quickly,” he said during a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis on Oct. 9 in the state emergency operations center.
“We expect bridges and causeways to begin closing early to mid-afternoon today,” Perdue added, specifically citing Tampa Bay Area bridges like the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
Perdue said that Milton’s storm surge is expected to damage road and bridge infrastructure, and roads will be underwater even after the storm passes.
FDOT personnel expect to be quickly on the ground to assess bridges and other roadways, as well as deploy cut and toss crews to clear debris.
“Please do not drive through water,” Perdue urged residents. “It's inevitable [that] every storm season, people choose to drive through water. You have no idea what's going on underneath that water. It can be very dangerous. Please give us time to do our job.”
DeSantis, Florida Officials Issue Warnings to Would-Be Looters Ahead of Hurricane Milton
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Officials in Florida issued stark warnings to would-be looters during Hurricane Milton that they could get shot or arrested.
“Florida will not stand for looting—we will not stand for it. We will come after you,” Mark Glass, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, told reporters on Wednesday morning.
A day earlier, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that “if you think you’re going to go in and loot, you got another thing coming,” noting that Florida is a “Second Amendment state.”
“If you go into somebody’s house after the storm passes, think that you’re going to be able to commit crimes, you’re going to get in really serious trouble. And quite frankly, you don’t know what’s behind that door in a Second Amendment state,” he said during a news conference.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, meanwhile, told a news conference on Wednesday that for “criminals who think they can prey on our communities, just remember that we have extra deputies [who] are on patrol ... and we have lots of cameras.”
“Stay out of Flagler County if you think you can commit a crime,” he warned, adding that people who commit property crimes will “ride out this storm” in the “county jail.”
Similar warnings have been issued by DeSantis and other Florida officials in previous years. “This part of Florida, you’ve got a lot of advocates and some proponents of the Second Amendment. And I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say it’s probably here, ‘You loot, we shoot.’ You never know what’s behind that door,” the governor said in 2023.
In 2022, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd called on armed homeowners to shoot potential looters until they look “like grated cheese” in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida’s western coast.
There were sporadic reports of looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall along the Florida Panhandle in late September. That included at least eight men who were arrested in eastern Tennessee for burglarizing multiple homes, officials said.
Milton weakened to a Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night or early Thursday, has 145 mph winds and is expected to bring storm surge levels up to 12 feet, according to the NHC.
“We would like to emphasize that Milton’s exact landfall location is not possible to predict even at this time, particularly if the hurricane wobbles during the day and into this evening,” the NHC said in a forecast discussion.
It is threatening the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.3 million people and has managed to evade a direct hit from a major hurricane for more than 100 years. Milton is also menacing stretches of Florida’s west coast that were battered when Helene came ashore on Sept. 26.
President Joe Biden, who postponed an overseas trip so he could remain at the White House to monitor Milton, warned it “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida.”
With Milton expected to remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida, hurricane warnings were extended early Tuesday to parts of the state’s east coast.
Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane’s center.
Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet was forecast for Georgia communities including St. Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has a population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees, and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
The Associated contributed to this report.
20 States Provide Help to Florida as Milton Edges Closer
38 days ago
TAMPA—As final preparations for Hurricane Milton are completed, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a moment to thank 20 states for providing resource assistance.
“Florida now has the LARGEST staging of power restoration linemen in state history ready to go following Hurricane Milton, with over 50,000 personnel & accompanying equipment,” the governor’s communications director, Bryan Griffin, said on X.
While DeSantis did not mention those states by name—except to reiterate that some of the 50,000 linemen have come all the way from California—the governor outlined the out-of-state contributions to the Sunshine State.
Along with the record-setting number of linemen, other states are also contributing 3,000 national guardsmen, some of the 34 search and rescue aircraft on hand, and 500 additional law enforcement officers assisting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to maintain law and order after the storm passes.
“This is just what we as Americans do,” the governor said. “We've had opportunities to help other states in the past, including most recently in western North Carolina, and I think it shows the spirit that these states are stepping up and providing really valued support.”
This drone picture shows people lining up in their cars for fuel at a gas station ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in Bradenton, Florida on Oct. 9, 2024. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)
‘You Still Have Time’: Florida Officials Provide Shelter Update
38 days ago
TAMPA–With Hurricane Milton just more than 12 hours away, Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents that there is still time to evacuate and plenty of shelter space remains available.
“You still have time to make the decision to ensure your safety,” the governor said. “You do not have to get on the interstate and drive to Georgia. You don't have to drive to Pensacola. You can go to a local shelter, which would be likely 10s of miles away.”
DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, executive director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, announced that 149 general population shelters are open across the state. They can accommodate more than 200,000 residents, and as of 10 a.m. on Oct. 9, the total shelter population was approximately 31,000 people.
There are 36 county-owned special needs shelters with generators to tend to those needs, and veteran nursing homes in the cone of uncertainty have begun to allow families of their residents to shelter with them. DeSantis said all of those nursing homes are out of evacuation zones.
The state has also opened up six supplemental shelters.
Those shelters are at the following locations:
- Hard Rock Event Center, 5223 Orient Road in Tampa.
- City Furniture, 3205 South Frontage Road in Plant City.
- BayCare,1802 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.
- LifeScience, Logistics, 310 North Galloway Road in Lakeland.
- Babcock Ranch, 43281 Cypress Parkway in Punta Gorda.
- Wiregrass Ranch Sports Camp, 3021 Sports Coast Way in Wesley Chapel—this site has capabilities to service special needs.
DeSantis said Guthrie is also working to set up a seventh site.
Free uber rides are available for any residents still looking to get to a shelter using the discount code MILTONRELIEF.
For those who would want a hotel, the governor directed residents to go to an emergency accommodation module at VisitFlorida/com/Priceline and Expedia.com/Florida. He added that his administration has worked with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association on securing distress rates for hotels and waiving pet fees.
DeSantis said state officials have not yet picked an exact time when people should shelter in place because “it just depends on where you are and what the conditions are.” However, he said that conditions would worsen throughout the day.
“I would advise probably just go into the shelter right now, rather than trying to get on the interstate,” he said.
Tornado Crosses I-75 in Florida
38 days ago
A tornado has crossed I-75, according to the Miami-South Florida branch of the National Weather Service.
“TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!” the agency posted on X.
TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW! pic.twitter.com/VYhef71ulX
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) October 9, 2024
Tampa Mayor: Milton Is the ‘Storm of the Century’
38 days ago
Hurricane Milton is the “storm of the century,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
“Clock’s ticking. The time to get out, that window is narrowing, and there is going to be a point very soon where you won't be able to get out,” she said at a press conference Wednesday.
Castor went on to say that transportation, shelters, and gas stations are available to those evacuating.
“You have to get out of that surge area. So what we're looking at is a storm of the century,” she said.
People prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Milton in Brandenton, Fla., on Oct. 9, 2024. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/ AFP via Getty Images)
Sarasota County Officials Warn Residents: 'We're Going to See Storm Surge of 10 to 15 Feet'
38 days ago
Officials in Sarasota County posted on Facebook Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, warning locals to evacuate if they could, as the area will be hit hard.
Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi cautioned residents not to rely on past hurricane experience.
“We don't have anything to compare it to, because the last time we had a hurricane with this kind of impact, it was in the 1940s–80 years ago. So anything that you're comparing it to is not going to be relevant for this situation,” she said.
Although the storm path is “wobbling” and remains unclear, Emergency Services Director Rich Collins urged residents not to let their guard down.
“The impacts to Sarasota County are going to happen with this storm, even if it moves a little bit left or right, we're going to see storm surge of 10 to 15 feet, winds of up to 125 or more miles per hour, and the potential for flooding rain along the way,” he said.
Officials also said residents should expect power and cellphone outages, and that they may need to boil water for drinking if water services fail.
What to Know as Milton Bears Down on Florida
38 days ago
Hurricane Milton is clinging tight to its status as a major hurricane as it spins its way toward Florida. Here’s what to know:
- Milton is a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 miles per hour.
- Milton is projected to make landfall along Florida’s west-central coast on Wednesday night.
- Coastal areas that were sideswept by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago are poised to take a direct hit from Milton.
- Millions have been ordered to evacuate. The window to do so has now closed.
- It is likely to produce storm surge of 10 feet or more.
People buy pieces of wood ahead of Hurricane Milton expected landfall in Brandenton, Florida on Oct. 9, 2024. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)
Hurricane Milton Could Forever Change Florida’s Gulf Coastline, Says USGS
Satellite Image of Hurricane Milton (NOAA via NTD)
Jack Phillips
Last Updated:
Hurricane Milton, a strong Category 4 storm as of Wednesday morning, could forever change Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to a recent release issued by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Researchers with the USGS noted that 95 percent of Florida’s western coast sandy beaches are going to be “continuously covered by ocean water” as Milton slams into the state later Wednesday.
“This is the most severe level of coastal change,” the agency warned on Monday.
Milton’s storm surge and waves both have the potential to “cause both 100 percent of all ocean-facing beaches in Florida to experience erosion and overwash,” which means that water levels reach higher than the top of sand dunes.
“When a beach is overwashed, sand can be pushed and deposited inland, causing significant changes to coastal landscapes and blocking roadways,” the USGS said. “Overwash can reduce the height of protective sand dunes, alter beach profiles, and leave areas behind the dunes more vulnerable to future storms.”
Kara Doran, a USGS supervisory physical scientist, said that Milton’s impact on the Florida west coastline “cannot be overstated,” noting that some areas that were affected by Hurricane Helene could face more serious damage.
“Our initial analysis looking at imagery collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after Helene shows most of the west coast experienced overwash or inundation and complete erosion of dunes, so those protective dunes are no longer in place for many locations,” she added.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported Wednesday at 9 a.m. ET that Milton, with 155 mph winds, is just 2 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane and is moving to the northeast toward the Florida Gulf Coast at 16 mph.
A large area of storm surge with 10-feet inundations or greater is expected across a part of the central-western Florida coast, the NHC said, adding that people who live in areas where a storm surge warning is in effect should leave as soon as possible. Some officials, including Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, have warned this week that people who remain in those areas face the possibility of death.
The Florida Highway Patrol also said that “heavy traffic patterns are flowing northbound and eastbound on all roadways” Tuesday afternoon as people continue to evacuate in advance of the hurricane.
“For those wishing to evacuate, the time is now,” the agency said in a statement. “Otherwise, finalize your storm preparations now.”
“Now is the time to rush to complete all preparations to protect life and property in accordance with your emergency plan. Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings,” the NHC said.
While Milton will likely weaken somewhat as it nears Florida, the NHC warned in a separate discussion that “there is high confidence that Milton will remain a very dangerous hurricane when it reaches Florida, and maintain hurricane status as it moves across the state.”
Milton’s forecasted trajectory wobbled slightly Tuesday, which means it could make landfall Wednesday a bit south of Tampa Bay, according to the most recent forecast discussion from the NHC. Still, the whole region is expected to get slammed.
Meanwhile, people who don’t live near the coast but who live near a body of water are being advised to evacuate.
“We’ve seen a lot of questions about, ‘well I live on a creek,’ or ‘I live on a river, is it really going to get 10 to 15 feet where I live?’” Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said in a briefing on Wednesday.
“That storm surge is going to start at 10 or 15 feet near the coastline and then it’s going to travel,” she said. “And storm surge likes to go on the path of least resistance. So those of you that live near a river, that live near a creek, those river banks, their water will come up.”
Hurricane Milton is joining a long list of damaging storm systems that have altered Florida’s coastline, including hurricanes Irma, Ian, Michael, Matthew, and more, according to the USGS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
'Last Chance to Evacuate' Before Milton: FDEM
38 days ago
Time is running out to evacuate for those in areas projected to be impacted by Hurricane Milton, warned the Florida Division of Emergency Management Wednesday morning.
“9AM, 10/9: Now is your last chance to evacuate in response to #Milton. There are 155 shelters open throughout the state, including 7 state-operated facilities,” the agency posted on X with a link to a list of shelters.
Vehicles move through a partially flooded street in Dunedin ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall tonight Oct. 9, 2024 in Florida. (Bryan R. SMITH /AFP via Getty Images)
Tornado Watch Issued for Parts of Florida
38 days ago
A tornado watch has been issued by the National Weather Service for parts of Florida until 9 p.m. ET. Wednesday.
The affected areas include Tampa Bay, Miami, Cape Coral, Sarasota, Key Largo, Bonita Springs, Jupiter Farms, and North Port.
The warning was issued as Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall overnight on Oct. 9.
Hurricane Milton Downgraded to Category 4 Storm
38 days ago
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) gave an update at 8 a.m. (ET) on Oct. 9, and said Hurricane Milton had weakened slightly and was now a Category 4 storm.
It said the storm system was moving northeast across the Gulf of Mexico at 16 mph.
The NHC said, "On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning."
It said the maximum sustained winds were nearing 155 mph, with higher gusts.
The winds are hurricane-force up to 30 miles from the eye of the storm, and are tropical storm-force up to a radius of 125 miles.
NHC said, "Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight."
NHC Update: Milton to Remain as Hurricane Crossing Florida
38 days ago
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, in an advisory published at 4 a.m. (ET) on Oct. 9, "Milton has been maintaining its strength as a catastrophic category 5 hurricane over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico."
The maximum sustained winds are near 160 mph, with higher gusts.
They said satellite and doppler radar images indicated it had a, "compact, symmetric, and very powerful inner core."
The NHC said the eye of Hurricane Milton was moving northeastward at 14 mph and was expected to, "make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning."
The advisory went on, "There is an area of heavy rain beginning to spread across portions of southwestern and west-central Florida out ahead of Milton, and weather conditions will steadily deteriorate across portions of the Florida gulf coast throughout the day."
"There is high confidence that Milton will remain a very dangerous hurricane when it reaches Florida, and maintain hurricane status as it moves across the state. The cyclone is expected to become extratropical over the Atlantic on Friday and gradually weaken," it added.
Summary: Milton Still a Category 5 Hurricane
38 days ago
Hurricane Milton remains a powerful Category 5 storm which is expected to make landfall in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area later on Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday.
The National Hurricane Center posted an update at 4 a.m. (ET) on Oct. 9, saying, "Milton remains a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane ... forecast to make landfall on the Florida gulf coast late tonight as a dangerous major hurricane."
The Tampa Bay area has a population of around 3.3 million, making it the second-most populous in the state after the Miami area.
Milton comes only 12 days after Hurricane Helene struck Florida, before moving on to devastate Georgia and North Carolina, killing 230 people.
Work crews have tried to remove debris from Helene which could be picked up and become dangerous projectiles during Milton.
The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has deployed more than 300 dump trucks which have removed 1,200 loads of debris.
Most of Florida's west coast faces a hurricane warning as the weather system—which contains winds of around 155 mph—revolved off Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and headed north east, across the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane warnings were later extended to parts of Florida's east coast.
Milton is forecast to dump 18 inches of rain on Florida on its way east toward the Atlantic.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa and St. Petersburg, has ordered all mobile and manufactured homes to be evacuated.
Many other residents of the area have left or are leaving in a bid to avoid the worst of the storm.
But DeSantis said: “You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away. You can evacuate tens of miles. You do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
Floridians Scurry to Prepare for Second Hurricane Hit in Two Weeks
Workers board a window in Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 8, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)
John Haughey
Last Updated:
Floridians were scurrying on Oct. 8 to prepare for a second devastating hit in as many weeks. But this time they expected a storm unlike any the hurricane-hardened residents in the central swath of the state have seen in 20 years.
With Hurricane Milton barreling toward a projected Tampa Bay-area landfall—the first in a century—residents in coastal evacuation zones still inundated by Hurricane Helene’s sideswipe were being urged to flee.
But the main escape routes, Interstate 75–running from the bottom of the state to the top and beyond–and Interstate 4, which stretches across the state, intermittently left drivers at a standstill for miles.
Residents inland along Milton’s forecast track—tracing I-4 from Lakeland through Orlando and onto Daytona Beach—were hustling to hunker down in advance of winds expected to reach 110 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to claw ashore like a raging banshee unlike any in the region since Hurricane Charley in 2004.
“It’s been very taxing on our citizens to have to go through this. Just as you’re starting to pick up the pieces from Helene, now you see another monster storm bearing down,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “But we’ll get through this.”
More than 8,000 Florida National Guardsmen, the entire state police force, municipal search-and-rescue teams, and others are all assembling, ready to be dispatched to meet Milton when it comes.
And 40,000 linemen are staged or en route from as far away as California to help restore power after the storm.
“All that will be there ready to go,” DeSantis said. “So, we’re prepared for this.”
He emphasized repeatedly during media engagements throughout the day that those told to evacuate along the coast and along rivers should go to shelters.
Not having a car shouldn’t be a reason to stay in a dangerous area, the governor said. Arrangements had been made, he said, for Uber to carry would-be evacuees to safety.
“You can get free rides to and from shelters in counties with active evacuation orders,” DeSantis said. “They did this with Hurricane Helene. They’re now doing it with Hurricane Milton, Use the promo code miltonrelief. One word: miltonrelief.”
Determined to Stay
As always, some won’t leave their homes.South Tampa residents Daryl and Mary Davis told The Epoch Times they planned to evacuate Tuesday after deciding to stay put during Hurricane Helene.
An upright piano stands in a pile of debris from Hurricane Helene outside a home in South Tampa, Fla., on Oct. 8, 2024. (T.J. Muscaro/The Epoch Times).
Despite being in Evacuation Zone A—marked by Hillsborough County emergency planners as an area most susceptible to flooding—the couple said Helene was the first time their home had flooded in the 40 years they’ve been there.
“There’s nothing left in there,” she said of her home. “I mean, the air conditioner’s on. We never lost power… but literally, the floors are all stripped, and we’re kind of like, down to bare bones, and got everything up as high as we can.”
Helene’s record storm surge exceeded six feet. It put 18 inches of floodwater into the Davises’ home. Now, Hurricane Milton threatens to bring 10 to 15 feet of storm surge into the nearby bay.
“The storm doesn’t bother me at all,” her husband said. “It’s just the surge.”
But their daughter is worried.
So the Davises will split up for the storm: she will go to Orlando, and he will stay close to home and take care of their two cats.
Several neighbors chose to stay during Helene, but were evacuating this time around, they said.
If necessary, they said, they would rebuild.
“I don’t want to go any place else,” she said. “It’s fine. Forty years. I figure, maybe it’s my due.”
Getting Above the Storm Surge
Bobby Vasaturo also is staying put.He lives on the 10th floor of a downtown Tampa high-rise, he said. He can park his car on the 5th floor, well above the projected storm surge.
Vasaturo has worked at Westshore Pizza in South Tampa since 2007. It was among the few restaurants that quickly reopened after Hurricane Helene.
The restaurant had a little water damage after the first storm, he said. It had reopened for carry-out orders, but not for anything else.
The word “OPEN” was spray-painted on the pizza joint’s boarded-up windows. The plan was to remain open on Oct. 8 until 8 p.m.
Westshore Pizza, one of the few restaurants in South Tampa to partially reopen after Hurricane Helene, serves carry-out customers on Oct. 8, 2024. (T.J. Muscaro/The Epoch Times)
“We board up all the things that we’re not using and got all that done, and then we’re going to board up the last things when we walk out,” Vasaturo said.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister applauded residents who were evacuating as requested from the east and north sides of Tampa Bay.
“I see the long lines at gas stations,” Chronister said. “I see the long lines at grocery stores and supply avenues. You’re getting your essential items. You’re heeding the warnings. Thank you for doing that.”
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department (HCSO) was working with the Florida Highway Patrol to keep traffic moving along I-4 and I-75. Deputies also were maintaining a presence in evacuation zones and were providing security at shelters.
Chronister predicts everyone in Hillsborough County will feel Milton’s wrath.
“It doesn’t matter where it makes landfall, we’re going to feel the catastrophic effects: 125 to 130 mile-per-hour winds, rain of 5 to 10 inches, storm surge from 10 to 15 feet,” he said. “You must be prepared.”
Risking Death
Those refusing to evacuate from coastal areas and along rivers were risking death, DeSantis said. And he is worried, he said, about debris from Helene taking flight during Milton’s march across Florida.“Most of the buildings in Florida are able to handle [the winds of] a Category 3 storm,” DeSantis said, referring to the state’s Miami-Dade building code standards adopted in Hurricane Andrew’s wake in 1992.
But Helene’s remaining debris poses a problem.
Since the storm, local governments have been working to pick up storm debris, often with the help of contractors, DeSantis said.
An equipment operator uses an excavator to move debris from a home destroyed by Hurricane Helene to the street for removal in Steinhatchee, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2024. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)
But the effort wasn’t moving fast enough.
“This weekend, I took all of our state agencies—any truck we had anywhere in the state involved in normal missions. We diverted it over to those barrier islands. We’re doing a 24/7 debris mission,” he said.
“So we’ve been able—in 48 hours with our state assets—to do as much debris removal as any of the contractors who have been doing this for almost two weeks.”
It meant state officials “had to pry open one of the landfills in Pinellas County because it wasn’t operating 24/7 as my executive order” required, he said.
Seeking Shelter
Those in low-lying evacuation zones who hadn’t fled yet shouldn’t consider staying in their homes simply because they’ve heard some roads are clogged or fuel is scarce, DeSantis said.“You do not have to get on the interstate and drive hundreds of miles. There are shelters open all throughout the state of Florida. In your county, there are shelters that are on higher ground and that are hurricane-proof.”
Throughout Central Florida, drivers faced long lines at gas stations. And at many, bags over nozzles signaled the pumps were dry.
Cars wait in line to get into the parking lot for gas ahead of Hurricane Milton at Costco in Altamonte Springs, Fla., on Oct. 7, 2024. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
The depletion of fuel was temporary, DeSantis said during an interview on Fox News early on Oct. 8.
Trucks carrying gasoline, escorted by Florida Highway Patrol officers, were on the way.
“It’s not a supply issue. It’s a distribution issue. Because the stations are running through it faster than they normally do,” he said.
“We have a billion-and-a-half gallons that are either in Florida or en route in reserve. Our Port of Tampa is still open. It’s still going to be receiving fuel.”
Marcos Gleffe, 41, of Englewood in Charlotte County, decided not to evacuate, despite “nerve-wracking” news reports about Milton. His home sits about 80 miles south of Tampa Bay.
“I live in a really, really, old area,” he told The Epoch Times. “Most people are in their 60s. My neighbor across the street, she’s in a wheelchair.”
Gleffe is hunkering down at home. His wife and daughter evacuated to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, days ago.
As an able-bodied construction worker, he said he would much rather stay and be able to help, rather than fight the traffic trying to get back in after the storm—especially considering the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
“With all the emergency that’s happening in North Carolina and everything, we don’t know what’s going to happen, how long it’s going to take for help to get here,” he said.
Gleffe’s house is just far enough from the Gulf that he doesn’t anticipate too much flooding. The winds, however, could be brutal.
“The risk of tornadoes, 125 mile-per-hour wind gusts—it’s stressful. But at the end of the day, I feel like being here and helping out,” he said.
He figures his stocked-up supplies could last him two or three months.
Still, with every hour that Milton maintains major hurricane status, Gleffe grows more nervous.
“I’m scared,” he said. “Every minute that goes by, it feels like an hour, and I’m like: Am I making the right decision?”
A still-made bed floats in a debris-covered canal next to homes destroyed by Hurricane Helene in Suwannee, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2024. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)
The last time a hurricane was projected to hit Tampa Bay, it ended up in Charlotte Harbor not far from his city. That storm was a Cat 4 that tore up the Peace River Valley, before dropping into the Atlantic, then turning to slug the Carolinas.
Worries About Pets
Memories of Hurricane Charley were very much on the minds of people in Lakeland, about 30 miles east of Tampa, as Milton spun closer to the state. The city of 110,000 was abuzz with anxiety as residents hustled to prepare for whatever was to come.Along State Route 17 in South Lakeland, one of the nation’s fastest-growing areas, with thousands of new subdivisions and a recently completed two-year road grid alignment, many gas stations were out of fuel.
Beth Livingston of Willow Oak, a Tampa suburb, was grateful to have found the 20-pump gas station next to Walmart. She was relieved it had no more than a 10-minute wait for fuel in lines stretching onto two roads, including busy State Route 17.
A retired Warner University professor, who once hosted TamTalk on a Clearwater radio station, Livingston said her home is in an evacuation zone. But she can’t go anywhere, she said.
“We have a pet rescue,” she said. “No hotel or shelter is going to take us and all the animals.”
Research after Hurricane Katrina showed that 44 percent of respondents who didn’t evacuate said it was because they didn’t want to leave pets behind.
However, after Katrina, a federal law was passed requiring states to include pets in disaster plans.
All counties in Florida have at least one pet-friendly hurricane shelter, DeSantis said repeatedly in briefings.
Even “abandoned pets” at animal shelters in Milton’s path have been moved to “safer shelters in other parts of the state,” he said.
Hurricane Helene evacuee Maggie Nelson chats with visitors next to her horse, Trapper, outside a stall at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla., on Sept. 27, 2024. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)
But Livingston said she has too many animals and she’s not leaving them behind.
And Milton is going to be bad, she said.
Maybe it will change course, maybe not, she shrugged. It’s a hurricane. It goes where it goes.
”He’s the weatherman,” Livingston said, pointing to an uncertain sky of threaded gray, vanguards of an unfolding storm.
‘Hide From the Wind’
Central Floridians between Tampa and Daytona Beach—in cities along I-4, such as Lakeland and Orlando—have been brushed by hurricanes that hammered ashore in Ft. Myers and Punta Gorda. They’ve witnessed those that pounded the state’s Panhandle region in the north, as Helene did just two weeks ago.But it’s been at least 20 years—since Charley—since the region was forecast to take the pummeling Milton was predicted to deliver.
There is no evacuation for most in the middle of the state. There is only hunkering down and fortifying against what could be 12 or more hours of 110-mile-per-hour winds.
“You run from the water,” DeSantis said during an interview. “You hide from the wind.”
Shane Bucknor of Winter Haven wasn’t worried as he filled up his truck at Murray’s.
Shane Bucknor fills gas containers ahead of Hurricane Milton at a gas station in South Lakeland on Oct. 8, 2024. (John Haughey/The Epoch Times)
“I’m used to this sort of stuff—I’m from the islands,” he said. Before a storm, getting gas is just part of his routine. He cuts lawns as a side hustle from his construction job.
Time is money. So those with fuel can get to work sooner once the storm has passed.
If he misses some construction work, he said, “I’ll spend that time with my kids.”
But it would only be a brief pause.
“If anything, this is going to create more work for me,” Bucknor said.
Bonnie Gadsby, a longtime Lakeland resident with a new home in South Lakeland, wasn’t fretting about flooding. It was the wind that worried her.
Milton “is a little bit bigger than what we’re used to having, something not seen here since Charley,” she said. But she was confident her new home, built to Miami-Dade standards, would withstand the storm.
That won’t be the case for everyone in this neck of the woods, Gadsby said.
“We’ve had hurricanes. But nothing like this.”
No Plans to Prepare
Savannah Smith was working the counter at RaceTrac, with its 20 pumps out of gas and no indication when—or if—any fuel trucks would show up anytime soon.All daily lottery tickets have been “put up, walked away,” but can still be purchased online, she said. The store has no propane, no ice, and without gas, few customers.
Smith said she had no idea what tomorrow will bring … or the day after. That’s always a mystery anyway, she shrugged.
“Personally? No. I have no plans or preparation,” she said. “But it’s all right. I’ll deal with whatever comes, whatever happens.”
At the Wawa convenience store on Florida 17, there was much displeasure among those waiting in idling cars on access roads and along the highway when they learned there was no more regular gas.
But those at its 20 pumps know a secret that won’t last long: some pumps still have premium.
“I’ll pay the extra,” Delbert Strechtner of Lakeland said. “I have two generators and a dozen Tampa refugees at my place. The wife is shopping for an army and this is my job. I think I got off easy.”
Fellow Lakeland resident McClaine Geraci filled up with whatever he could find that could carry away gas.
He’s a former U.S. Navy aviation ordnance man, who served deployments aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. Working amid fires, fuel, and explosives on a swaying flight deck was a routine hazard.
But there’s something not routine in the air in central Florida. Something wicked this way comes, he sensed.
Milton will be Geraci’s third hurricane since getting out of the Navy in August and moving to Lakeland to work with a start-up pool maintenance firm, America’s Swimming Pool Company.
Pool maintenance is going to be important in the days and weeks after Milton, he said. If water is disconnected, there will be issues in keeping pools clean.
But many are likely to be entangled with crushed lanai screening, with mangled frames becoming missile-hazards during the blow, entangled in trees or in debris fields that will glaze a suddenly, violently reshaped landscape.
No matter what, Geraci and his teammates will be working, he said, “as soon as we can get out.”
National Weather Service in Tampa Posts Video Illustrating Storm Surge Danger
38 days ago
Meteorologist Christianne Jordon Pearce took to X on Tuesday evening to demonstrate the real danger of what she called an “historic, life-threatening storm surge.”
Standing next to a pole in front of the National Weather Service building, she used three arrows to demonstrate the actual height of flood surges from Helene at 7 feet, and predicted surges from Milton at 10 and 15 feet.
She then cautioned viewers that those trapped in flooded areas might have to escape to an attic, and that they should bring an axe in case they needed to cut their way out onto the roof.
“This is why evacuation orders are so important, and we urge everyone that is asked to evacuate to do so,” she said. “You still have time get out.”
Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld to Close Ahead of Milton
38 days ago
Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando will shut down operations in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, starting Wednesday.
Universal Studios and SeaWorld have also announced that their parks will remain closed on Thursday, with Disney likely to follow suit.
"We will consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings," the company said in a statement.
Both Disney and Universal will shutter most of their parks starting in the afternoon. Universal's Volcano Bay will be closed all day.
The theme parks' closures will coincide with that of Orlando International Airport, which will cease operations at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
FDOT Warns People to Evacuate as Ports, Bridges Set to Close
38 days ago
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has warned people to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton as ports and bridges are set to close.
"You've heard how evacuations happen here. Get out of the storm surge area, get to a place of safety. We need access to remain for all our facilities," FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said during a press conference.
Already, the Ports of Key West, Tampa Bay, St. Pete, and SeaPort Manatee have been closed waterside, according to FDOT.
Drawbridges in Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, and Broward Counties will also close, according to FDOT.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that the storm is a matter of life or death.
"This has the potential to be ... life-threatening," he said.
Cranes Could Pose Safety Risks, Officials Warn
38 days ago
Officials in St. Petersburg, Florida, are warning of the safety hazards posed by local construction cranes as Hurricane Milton threatens the state's west coast.
“Wind gusts of 100+ mph could exceed the safe limits for tower cranes, posing a risk of malfunction,” officials advised via the city's X account, sharing a map of areas where cranes are currently in place.
Construction sites to avoid include 400 Central Ave., 275 1st Ave., 1000 1st Ave N., and 101 Main St. N.
Out of an abundance of caution, the city will be restricting access to roads, sidewalks, and parking zones in the affected areas. Residents and businesses in the vicinity are advised to relocate or shelter in place.
Tampa Bay Sports Teams Impacted by Milton
38 days ago
Tampa Bay's sports teams have been impacted by the hurricane soon making landfall.
The Buccaneers left Tampa Bay on Oct. 8 morning as the NFL team will be playing in New Orleans against the Saints.
The Lightning's preseason has come to an end as the NHL team's game against the Nashville Predators has been canceled.
