Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm, intensifying the devastation on a coast still recovering from Hurricane Helene. With winds exceeding 100 mph (160 kph) and a series of tornadoes, the storm caused widespread destruction, though it narrowly missed directly hitting Tampa.
Milton shifted southward before reaching the coast, ultimately making landfall in Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa, on Wednesday night. Despite this, Tampa and the surrounding areas still experienced severe weather, including torrential rains and life-threatening flooding. St. Petersburg, in particular, recorded more than 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to issue flash flood warnings for both western and central Florida.
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Photos captured by reporters on the ground showed scenes of destruction in Tampa, where streets were deserted, and people navigated through the dangerous weather to assist others or clear debris. One such individual, Ron Rook, braved the strong winds and heavy rain in downtown Tampa. In Cape Coral, Lee County Sheriff’s officers were patrolling the streets as the area experienced heavy rainfall.
One of the storm’s most notable impacts was the severe damage to Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. The fabric dome covering the stadium was ripped apart by Milton’s fierce winds. While the extent of the interior damage remained unclear, other parts of the city also suffered, with multiple cranes toppled by the storm.
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The storm caused significant disruptions to essential services. In St. Petersburg, residents faced a water crisis after a water main broke, leading officials to shut down water access. Power outages also swept across large portions of Florida, leaving more than 2.6 million homes and businesses without electricity. The widespread power loss highlighted the severity of Milton’s impact, especially as people braced for the possibility of extended outages.
residents faced a water crisis
Even before Milton’s landfall, tornadoes wreaked havoc across the state. A community particularly hard-hit was the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Tornadoes destroyed homes and claimed several lives in the senior citizen community. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed the fatalities but did not provide exact numbers. According to Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, about 125 homes—many of them mobile homes—were completely destroyed.
Within 90 minutes of making landfall, Hurricane Milton weakened to a Category 2 storm, and by Thursday morning, it had further downgraded to Category 1. At that time, the storm was about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Orlando, with sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kph). However, heavy rain continued to lash Florida, creating additional risks of flooding, especially inland near rivers and lakes.
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Milton’s arrival came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated western Florida, killing over 230 people across the southern U.S. As a result, emergency officials in coastal areas raced to clear debris from streets before Milton’s winds could scatter it again, exacerbating the destruction. Officials issued dire warnings, urging residents to evacuate immediately or face grave risks. Cathie Perkins, the emergency management director for Pinellas County, starkly warned that for those who had survived Hurricane Helene, Milton would be even more dangerous, likening the two storms to a “punch” and a “knockout.”
As the hurricane intensified, some officials suggested that it was too late for evacuation, advising those who stayed behind to hunker down and prepare for the worst. As evening fell, emergency services were suspended in several counties, leaving residents to fend for themselves during the height of the storm.
In Sarasota, Jackie Curnick, who was expecting a baby later in the month, stayed home with her 2-year-old son and husband. The family struggled with the decision to stay but ultimately chose not to evacuate due to the high cost and lack of available hotel rooms. Curnick also worried about potential challenges if they tried to leave the state, such as finding gas, a safe route, or a place to stay.
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In Tallahassee, Governor Ron DeSantis held a news conference outlining the state’s emergency response to the storm. More than 9,000 National Guard members were deployed, along with over 50,000 utility workers from across the country. The state also ensured that fuel supplies were replenished, with highway patrol escorts for gasoline tankers. Despite these efforts, DeSantis acknowledged the likelihood of fatalities from the storm.
Heavy rains, strong winds, and tornadoes continued to hit southern Florida throughout Wednesday. The Everglades and Fort Myers were among the areas affected by tornadoes, which caused damage such as snapping trees and tearing apart gas station canopies.
Mandatory evacuation orders affected 15 Florida counties, covering a population of around 7.2 million. For those who chose to remain in their homes, emergency officials warned that first responders would not be able to assist during the peak of the storm, leaving residents to manage on their own.
St. Petersburg’s mayor, Ken Welch
St. Petersburg’s mayor, Ken Welch, warned residents to brace for long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system. Further south in Charlotte Harbor, residents like Josh Parks, who had already experienced severe flooding from Hurricane Helene, fled inland to escape Milton’s wrath. Parks, an auto technician, was packing up to leave for his daughter’s home, while his roommate had already evacuated.
Milton also disrupted air travel, with around 1,900 flights canceled by Wednesday afternoon. Theme parks, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld, closed in anticipation of the storm. Meanwhile, gas shortages were reported in the Tampa Bay area, with more than 60% of gas stations running dry. Despite this, Governor DeSantis reassured the public that fuel supplies were being replenished.
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In Gulfport, Florida, Christian Burke and his mother chose to stay in their three-story concrete home overlooking Tampa Bay. Though their house was designed to withstand hurricanes, Burke admitted that staying was risky and expressed concern about the storm’s strength. As police vehicles patrolled the area, urging residents to evacuate, Burke said that although they were staying, they were taking the storm seriously.
As Hurricane Milton continued its destructive path across Florida, it became clear that the storm would leave a lasting impact, particularly on communities already weakened by Hurricane Helene. The aftermath of Milton would test the resilience of Florida’s residents and the state’s ability to recover from back-to-back catastrophic events.
