Hurricane Milton made landfall last night near Siesta Key on Florida’s central west coast, marking it as one of the most powerful storms to hit the region in recent memory. With sustained winds reaching 120 mph at its peak on landfall, the hurricane initially arrived as a Category 3 storm but has since weakened as it tracked across the state.
Before Milton’s arrival, millions of Floridians were urged to evacuate, particularly in the densely populated Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas, where storm surges and flooding posed severe threats. Early Thursday morning, more than 3.2 million residents across Florida were without power, according to the latest reports from PowerOutage.us. Some regions faced additional hazards from tornadoes that spun off as the hurricane approached, with warnings issued for areas around Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Milton’s development has baffled meteorologists, who watched as it intensified rapidly into a Category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico earlier in the week. With wind speeds topping 180 mph at its peak, Milton joined the ranks of only a handful of Atlantic hurricanes that have reached such extreme levels in recorded history. Experts noted the storm’s intensification rate was unusual and speculated that exceptionally warm ocean waters in the Gulf might have contributed to its swift escalation.
Despite the hurricane weakening slightly as it neared land, the National Hurricane Center maintained warnings about Milton’s destructive potential. “Even weakening storms can cause major devastation,” noted Jeff Masters, a hurricane scientist, who pointed out that hurricanes like Katrina in 2005 caused widespread damage despite losing strength before landfall. Milton’s initial intensity ensured that its storm surge and rainfall levels would still be perilous for those along Florida’s west coast.
In anticipation of Milton’s landfall, Florida officials issued evacuation orders covering dozens of coastal and inland counties. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for Florida over the weekend and emphasized that federal resources, including FEMA teams and Coast Guard personnel, were pre-positioned to support state and local responses. Key transportation hubs, including Tampa International Airport and parts of the Port of Key West, temporarily suspended operations, while highways saw heavy traffic from evacuees.
Local authorities opened nearly 150 shelters across the state to accommodate displaced residents. Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized the need for preparedness, urging people to avoid flooded areas and reinforcing the life-threatening dangers of storm surge, which was estimated to reach as high as 12 feet in some areas.
Beyond the immediate coastline, rainfall from Milton has triggered flash flooding across multiple counties, with forecasters warning of “catastrophic” levels of water inundation in several inland areas. Tampa and nearby cities, which are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helene just weeks ago, faced additional hardships as rainfall totals climbed and infrastructure became strained. Reports indicated that floodwaters rose waist-deep in some neighborhoods, while Tampa broke a century-old rainfall record in a single day due to Milton’s deluge.
By Thursday morning, Milton had weakened further to a Category 1 storm, but risks remained as it moved off Florida’s eastern coast and into the Atlantic. Forecasters expect the storm to transition into a tropical storm as it drifts away, though the effects of storm surge, flooding, and lingering power outages will require ongoing recovery efforts across Florida.
Florida’s Gulf Coast, highly vulnerable to hurricanes, is expected to experience long-lasting impacts from Milton. As Floridians begin the process of assessing and recovering from the hurricane’s impact, state and federal agencies remain active in providing aid, managing shelters, and restoring critical services. The hurricane’s rapid intensification and destructive path serve as a sobering reminder of the region’s exposure to powerful storms and the importance of preparation in the face of climate-driven weather patterns.
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