Hurricane Milton tore across Florida overnight, leaving massive damage and millions of power outages.
Here’s what we know, as of Thursday morning.
Landfall
Milton tracked to the south in the final hours before landfall and ultimately hit as a Category 3 storm.
It made landfall Wednesday night, Oct. 9, 2024, in Siesta Key, which is about 70 miles south of Tampa.
At least 4 deaths
At least four deaths have been confirmed from the storm.
The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, which is on the state’s Atlantic Coast, was hit extremely hard.
At least four people were killed by tornadoes, and many homes were destroyed, county deputies said.
Maximum winds
Officials said Milton had sustained winds as high as 120 mph when it hit Siesta Key.
The strongest winds -- as well as flooding and heavy rain -- hit Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Fort Myers.
Major emergency in Tampa
Even though Tampa once again avoided a direct hit, Milton left the city in a state of “major emergency,” as St. Petersburg recorded more than 16 inches of rain, according to the Associated Press.
The National Weather Service issued warnings about flash flooding in Tampa and other parts of western and central Florida.
Milton barrels into Atlantic Ocean
Milton ripped across Florida and barreled into the Atlantic Ocean early Thursday morning.
Danger hasn’t passed
Officials said at dawn that the danger still has not passed.
There are concerns about a major storm surge in parts of Florida, and tropical storm warnings remain in effect.
Officials told residents in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee counties to stay home due to downed power lines, fallen trees, blocked bridges, and floods.
“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said on Facebook.
Tampa storm surge
The deadly storm surge that experts feared for parts of Florida’s west coast didn’t materialize, according to authorities.
Tampa saw flooding from rain, but the surge, which was forecasted to be as high as 15 feet, wasn’t as catastrophic.
Venice Beach storm surge
Lorraine Anderson, the public information officer for Venice Beach, said on CNN that the storm surge in her area reached an estimated 6-7 feet.
Power outages
As of 8:36 a.m., poweroutage.us cited more than 3.3 million power outages across Florida.
More than 500,000 people were without power in Hillsborough County (where Tampa is).
Pinellas County is reporting more than 400,000 outages, while there are more than 200,000 each in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
Tropicana Field roof ripped off
The 100+ mph winds ripped the roof off of Tropicana Field, which is the home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The fabric of the paneled roof was ripped to shreds, making the field and stands visible in overhead drone footage.
READ MORE: Hurricane Milton rips roof off of MLB stadium in Tampa Bay
Water main break
Residents in St. Petersburg can’t get water from their taps because of a water main break.
The city was forced to shut down service. Mayor Ken Welch told residents to expect long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system, per the AP.
‘Staggering’ flooding
Officials said the flooding in Plant City, which is just inland from Tampa, was “absolutely staggering.”
City Manager Bill McDaniel estimated that the city received 13.5 inches of rain.
“We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” McDaniel said in a video.
Pre-landfall tornadoes
Before Milton reached Florida, heavy rain and tornadoes racked parts of southern Florida throughout Wednesday.
One tornado touched down in the Everglades and crossed I-75, while another suspected tornado hit Fort Myers, according to the AP.
There were more than 130 tornado warnings issued across Florida.
Tornadoes produced by hurricanes and tropical storms most often occur in the right-front quadrant of the storm, but sometimes they can also take place near the storm’s eyewall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The heat and humidity present in the atmosphere during such storms and changes in wind direction or speed with height, known as wind shear, contribute to their likelihood, the AP reports.
Homes destroyed before landfall
Florida’s director of emergency management said about 125 homes were destroyed before Milton even came ashore.
Many of them were mobile homes in areas for senior citizens, he said.
Downgrades
Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane about 90 minutes after making landfall.
It was a Category 1 hurricane by early Thursday morning, with maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph. It was near Cape Canaveral at the time.
Resources
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said 9,000 members of the National Guard -- from Florida and other states -- would be deployed.
More than 50,000 utility workers from across the country were prepared to help.
Highway patrol cars with sirens escorted gasoline tankers to replenish supplies to gas stations.
Mandatory evacuations
In the end, mandatory evacuation orders were ordered in 15 counties, requiring about 7.2 million people to leave.
Gas shortage
GasBuddy reported more than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg were out of gas by Wednesday night.
In locations that did have gas, long lines and empty pumps added to the traffic congestion.
DeSantis said the state’s overall gas supply was fine, per the AP.
15 rescued from Tampa home
Police officers in Tampa rescued 15 people from a home that was damaged by a falling tree.
Officials said a one-story home was struck by a tree that fell as Milton passed through.
“The swift actions taken by these officers during a break in the storm bands provided this family with a sense of safety in a time of fear and uncertainty,” Tampa police Chief Lee Bercaw said.
The residents were taken to a nearby shelter. There were no injuries.
Jaguars flight delayed
The Jacksonville Jaguars are supposed to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday in London. They said their flight was delayed by the hurricane.
The Jaguars are expecting to be “slightly” delayed Friday, a team spokesperson told the AP.
Collapsed cranes
The National Weather Service reported that multiple cranes collapsed in St. Petersburg due to the strength of the wind.
No injuries have been reported.
One confirmed crane collapse happened at the site of a 515-foot luxury high-rise building that’s under construction.
Taylor Swift donates $5 million
Taylor Swift donated $5 million to help hurricane relief efforts, Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot announced.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” Babineaux-Fontenot said on Instagram. “This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”
Rain, wind continue
Rain and wind are expected to torment the central Florida peninsula throughout the day Thursday.
Those “devastating” hazards should exit to the Atlantic Ocean late in the day, experts said.
