Hurricane Milton Ravages Florida, Leaving Destruction and Floods in Its Wake
Hurricane Milton swept into the Atlantic on Thursday after tearing through Florida, unleashing destructive winds, rain, and tornadoes, and leaving at least four dead in its wake. Though Tampa escaped a direct hit, the storm added to the devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
Milton made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa. Despite avoiding a direct hit, the Tampa area remained in crisis, with St. Petersburg receiving over 16 inches of rain, leading the National Weather Service to issue flash flood warnings across western and central Florida.
By Thursday morning, officials emphasized that danger persisted. Storm surge warnings remained in effect along much of Florida’s east-central coast, and residents in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Lee counties were urged to stay indoors due to hazards like downed power lines, fallen trees, and blocked roads.
While Tampa avoided the feared storm surge, rain caused significant flooding. South of the city, Venice Beach faced up to seven feet of storm surge—far below the 15 feet initially feared—but localized flooding in Lee County still posed a significant threat.
The storm knocked out power for more than 3.2 million homes and businesses, and in St. Petersburg, fierce winds shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Multiple cranes toppled, and residents faced water outages due to a broken main. Mayor Ken Welch warned of extended power outages and potential sewer system shutdowns.
Just inland, Plant City saw “staggering” flooding, with emergency crews rescuing 35 people overnight. The city received over 13 inches of rain.
Before Milton’s landfall, southern Florida was battered by heavy rain and tornadoes on Wednesday. Tornadoes touched down in the Everglades and near Fort Myers, causing significant damage. In Fort Pierce, the Spanish Lakes Country Club community was hit hard, with four residents killed and over 125 homes destroyed.
Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm 90 minutes after making landfall and became a Category 1 by Thursday morning as it exited near Cape Canaveral. The storm came just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which killed over 230 people in the South, leaving municipalities scrambling to clear debris before Milton’s arrival.
Authorities had urged residents to evacuate ahead of the storm, issuing orders across 15 counties. But many, like Jackie Curnick in Sarasota, struggled to leave due to lack of affordable hotel rooms and uncertainty about safe evacuation routes. Video from Curnick’s home during the storm showed their pool battered by wind and rain while their son and dog watched from inside.
At a news conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis detailed the state’s response, including the deployment of 9,000 National Guard members and over 50,000 utility workers. Highway patrol vehicles escorted gas tankers to replenish supplies, as more than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg ran out of fuel. Despite these efforts, officials warned that those who stayed behind would need to fend for themselves, as rescuers were unable to operate during the height of the storm.
In Charlotte Harbor, 100 miles south of Tampa, Josh Parks packed up his belongings to leave. Just two weeks earlier, Helene had flooded his neighborhood, and debris from that storm still littered the streets.
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