Milton Hits Florida’s West Coast as Category 3 Hurricane
Milton still managed to unleash at least 19 tornadoes so far.
The last time we reported on Hurricane Milton, it was classified as a Category 5 hurricane with some gusts of over 160 mph and a few experts wanting to designate it as a Category 6 storm.
Fortunately, the winds dissipated a bit, and Milton struck Florida as a Category 3 hurricane.
Tropical-storm-force winds, flooding rains and tornadoes were spreading inland as the fierce hurricane made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County. Milton’s sustained winds have tapered off from 145 mph to 120 mph − bringing it down to a Category 3 hurricane − but the storm has grown in size, making its potential damage more widespread.
Approximately 125 homes had already been destroyed by Hurricane Milton by Wednesday evening, according to Florida officials. Nearly 1 million people were in the dark within 15 minutes of Milton’s landfall, according to USA TODAY power outage data. The weather service warned that catastrophic flash flooding is possible in north central Florida as Milton crosses the state.
Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, said most of the lost residences were mobile homes in senior communities.
“We’re trying to get to Florida’s most vulnerable to make sure they’re taken care of,” he said. But Guthrie assured Florida residents, “We are with you.”
Milton still managed to unleash at least 19 tornadoes so far.
Speaking during a 8 p.m. press briefing Wednesday evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis said 116 tornado warnings have been issues across the state — including 19 confirmed touchdowns — and the powerful Milton has not even made landfall yet.
That number is only expected to rise over the next 24 hours, state officials said.
The governor said he does not remember a storm in recent history where so many tornado warnings were issued. Those tornado-warned storms carved through the state, leaving behind a path of devastation.
❗️🌪🇺🇲 – A massive tornado was spotted in Broward County near Weston this morning as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida.
The tornado crossed I-75 along Alligator Alley around 10 a.m., approximately five miles west-northwest of the highway and the Miccosukee Service Plaza.… pic.twitter.com/kEzkD7YvYu
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) October 9, 2024
Multiple people were killed at a senior community near Fort Pierce as a result of the twisters, and dozens of homes have been damaged in Luce County.
WPTV said the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed “multiple fatalities” occurred at the Spanish Lakes Country Club. It’s unclear how many people were killed.
Dozens of agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded to the community where dozens of homes are being searched as search and rescue operations are currently underway.
“We have dozens of homes in St. Lucie County that have been damaged, some catastrophic damage,” St. Lucie County spokesman Erick Gill said. “We are working with the St. Lucie County Fire District … National Guard, as well as units from the sheriff’s office and even first responders from surrounding counties to help with search and rescue.”
One tornado took out a 10K square-foot building at St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
In a Facebook Reel, Sheriff Pearson said the “devastating tornado” took out a 10,000-square-foot red iron building that housed the sheriff’s office’s patrol cars.
No one was in the building at the time it collapsed and no injuries were reported, according to Pearson.
Ahead of the hurricane, President Donald Trump provided 275 linemen from the Florida Power & Light Company with rooms at no cost at the Trump National Doral in Miami.
Trump’s son, Eric Trump, shared a photo of the linemen on social media, thanking them for their work.
“Honored to have 275 incredible linemen from FPL at @TrumpDoral as they get ready to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane #Milton!” Eric Trump wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
“You are amazing and the Trump Family, and entire state of Florida, appreciates you! Enjoy the rooms – they are the best in Florida! Be safe!” he added.
Honored to have 275 incredible linemen from FPL at @TrumpDoral as they get ready to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane #Milton! You are amazing and the Trump Family, and entire state of Florida, appreciates you! Enjoy the rooms – they are the best in Florida! Be safe! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HAFwuWB2fn
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) October 9, 2024
Those lineman are going to be dreadfully busy with recovery operations.
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Comments
I know it is coincidence but I find it hard to find it coincidental that two hurricanes can make landfall in the same path within two weeks with a highly-embarassing political loss looming.
It is almost like Uncle Rico throwing Kip’s steak at Napoleon…a severe misuse of resources.
It’s Trump’s fault.
Indeed, a real blowhard.😊
I am so out of touch ….
“Uncle Rico throwing Kip’s steak at Napoleon..”?
Uh, sure, EXACTLY.
While you were fighting the atrocious mechanical fuel-injection system on your Alfa a movie called Napoleon Dynamite was released, and the subtle humor within reflects the moronic schmuck status of the Biden/Harris regime.
A…. some knowledge gleamed from your college course in the classics of western literature no doubt.
And working on my “atrocious mechanical fuel-injection system on [my] Alfa”…
Okay, but at least I learned a lot of Italian!
Was all that Italian learned cuss words? Or just most of it?
So then, owning an Alfa, growing up in an Italian family, results are the same!
Don’t diss Spica injection!
…almost as bad as Bosch L-Jetronic FI.
Vote For Pedro!
…only if someone dances!
Sorry to disagree, but I sat through two hurricanes that followed this path 15 or so years ago. It’s a common path, with variations.
Not the same path. Helene hit the Big Bend of Florida, then headed north into GA, NC, and TN. Milton made landfall south of Tampa and then headed northeast through central FL before exiting in the Atlantic.
It all seemed to me to be a fine and embarrassing example of hurricane script and ratings. The Five Wednesday evening was laughter-producing with the reporter in the rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYbMqQSffm4
The power didn’t even go out for many of the live Milton camera shots. A thunderstorm in Ohio takes out more power.
I watched one weather guy jumping around like he was under sniper fire yelling about the storm surge and he was on dry ground.
The 14 dead (so far) and the 3 million people without power would like a word about your nonchalance.
Speaking of out of touch, everyone meet rhhardin:
“The power didn’t even go out for many of the live Milton camera shots. A thunderstorm in Ohio takes out more power.”
Some 11 million people are at risk of flash and river flooding and a record number of tornadoes caused widespread damage yesterday.
More than 3.3 million energy customers were without electricity in Florida around 7 a.m., according to poweroutage.us.
https://poweroutage.us/area/state/florida
That’s called trees blown down. Crews clear the trees and restore power. News crews search for damage in the meantime. It’s a ratings game.
Looking forward to your video of Ohio’s eight foot ocean storm surge.
Remember when it was a 15-20ft forecast and everyone was gonna die? Cat 3 is bad enough but another blown out of proportion for ratings storm
As a former merchant marine who made many trips on the Great Lakes, I can tell you that Ohio shares a coastline with PA and NY on Lake Erie. You don’t want to experience a winter storm on the Lakes.
Have you experienced an eight foot hurricane storm surge on the shores of the Great Lakes? Because that’s the point of my comment.
BTW? I’m a life long beach-combing landlubber.
I suppose the four people killed yesterday in Port St Lucie are also called “trees blown down.”
Congratulations, Hardin. You’ve managed to supplant JR (lonejustice of Althouse fame) as this site’s most insipid poster. And just like JR, you post the same flaccid nonsense over at Althouse.
JR has an excuse, I suppose… he’s a brain-dead moron.
You? I don’t think you’re a moron. I think you’re someone who has deliberately tried to create the persona of a world-weary cynic. If that’s true, I think you’ve failed, at least here.
You come off more as a sociopath who completely lacks empathy.
Or, more simply, you may just be an asshole.
Ohio has floods all the time. It just has to rain enough. It’s why you check for flood plains before buying a house.
Your argument is pathetically moving the goalposts to making Ohio weather look a little more severe to somehow lessen Florida.
New level of stupidity there…
Media brainwashing is what you’re calling empathy. Whatever draws eyeballs to sell to advertisers.
What does the media claim to know that you don’t know? They claim to know what is important. Trees blowing down in Florida is not important if you’re not in Florida. Just a value judgment.
Brainwashing though has a downside, which is producing awful political choices in the electorate. Learn to spot it.
“It’s why you check for flood plains before buying a house.” Duh.
” Trees blowing down in Florida is not important if you’re not in Florida. Just a value judgment.” It’s not important if you’re a person completely lacking in empathy.
“Brainwashing though has a downside, which is producing awful political choices in the electorate. Learn to spot it.” Already have, bud.
Like I said, you may just be an asshole.
8,000 Americans die every day. How do you spread your empathy among them and their loved ones? Anyway what’s left over after Florida trees.
It’s a ratings and eyeballs entertainment choice, is all. Not an importance choice.
It’s not a zero sum game, f**ktard. It is possible to feel pity and sympathy for those who have lost family or property in the face of both Helene and Milton.
But you’re an autistic sociopath, so I get it… these feelings are well beyond your Ken.
Looks like we found the idiot that sent death threats to the weathermen over the hurricane.
Trees fall on the lines, and the neighborhood is shut down for safety.
500 homes could be shut off due to one tree.
Two distant tornadoes filmed by a big rig dash cam.
https://x.com/EvasTeslaSPlaid/status/1844155680732872907
Cripes.
Readers added context The video shows the Pilger, Nebraska twin EF-4 tornadoes from June 16, 2014.
These tornadoes did not occur in Florida.
I’ve seen that out of my rigs windshield in Texas, greenish sky and all. Very unsettling
wait for it in 3….. 2….. 1…..
REEEEEE REEEEE REEEE CLIMATE CRISIS! WE NEED GLOBAL MARXIST GUBMINT!!!
We had lots of trees down in Naples, as well as a number of tornadoes to the east. Lots of rain off and on too. We had power until 0730. FPL shut down the whole grid while they attend to down lines and debris on the lines. Fortunately we have a Motor Coach. Power is on at the resort where we have it. The destruction from Ft Myers north is bad to catastrophic. Sarasota and St Pete were flooded by surge very badly. FKH
While this hurricane is bad, it is a far cry from Cat 5. Floridian’s are very lucky that it lost so much power.
I live in tornado country, when I built my farm house I put a mud room at one end of my attached garage. It sits on top of a basement shelter which is all reinforced concrete. The ceiling of that shelter is the cement floor of the mud room.
I am on high ground with no chance of flooding. If I lived in Florida, I would have a concrete box on top of a 12′ high concrete foundation.
I would not chose to live in any coastal area because of the risks.
While I did not like the BS DeSantis pulled on Trump, I do think he is a great governor.
as bad as this is, I am just kneeling in gratitude that it weakened from almost Cat 6 to a Cat 3. Please understand, I am still sorrowful for the loss of life and cognizant of the property damage. But of so very grateful that it hit as ONLY a cat 3.
Same here. When I saw that it was a Cat 5, I had flashbacks from Katrina to when we had to flee because we were directly in the path. I was so thankful it went down to a 3. Granted, property damage and loss of life occurred, which is terrible, but it could have been so. much. worse.
trump doing what he has always done
support the people! by housing the lineman
eatshtlefty!!
So glad it didn’t hit at the top end of the possibilities. And, yes, those tornadoes are not fun.
Now, how will the politics play out?
(Also, sure hope someone gets screwed for that stadium roof coming off.)
My wife’s sister lives in Wellington. They have video, taken from their back yard, of two tornadoes essentially bracketing their neighborhood. One of them looks like it’s a mile across. It’s crazy.