“Milton” Destroys Homes and Cuts Power in Florida

Hurricane “Milton” hit central Florida on Thursday after making landfall on the state’s western coast earlier in the day, triggering devastating tornadoes, destroying homes, and cutting power to nearly two million people.

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The U.S. National Hurricane Center said, according to Reuters, that the hurricane made landfall around 8:30 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday (0030 GMT) as a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum winds reaching 195 kilometers per hour near Siesta Key.

By 11:00 PM Eastern Time, wind speeds had decreased to 165 kilometers per hour, downgrading Milton to a Category 2 hurricane, though it remained highly dangerous. The eye of the hurricane was located about 120 kilometers southwest of Orlando in central Florida.

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The Hurricane Center reported that a flood emergency was still in effect for the Tampa Bay area, which includes the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater.

Ron DeSantis, governor of Tampa Bay, stated that Milton had also triggered at least 19 tornadoes, causing damage in multiple areas and destroying about 125 homes, most of them mobile homes.

NBC News reported, citing St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson, that at least two people had died in what is suspected to be a tornado in Fort Pierce on Florida’s east coast.

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According to Pearson, about 100 homes were destroyed in the region, which was hit by approximately 17 tornadoes, NBC reported.

According to the website PowerOutage.us, more than 1.8 million homes and businesses were without electricity in Florida.

The hurricane is expected to cross the Florida peninsula overnight and move out into the Atlantic Ocean, still maintaining its strength as a hurricane.

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Hurricane Milton comes two weeks after the devastating Hurricane “Helen,” which killed at least 90 people across South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, with dozens still missing, leaving a trail of destruction in homes and infrastructure.

U.S. President Joe Biden had warned about Hurricane Milton, noting that it could result in the worst natural disaster to hit Florida in a century.