Florida is this afternoon counting the cost of death and destruction wrought by Hurricane Milton after the brutal storm barreled across the state earlier today.
Milton arrived in Siesta Key near Sarasota as a Category 3 storm overnight and whipped eastwards, pounding towns and cities with ferocious winds rain and a barrage of tornadoes before exiting over Orlando and into the Atlantic Ocean late this morning.
It has caused at least four deaths so far, and compounded the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
There were fears Tampa would be battered by the eye of the storm before Milton tracked south, sparing the city of some 3.1 million a direct hit – but the region was still plunged into a state of major emergency.
The city itself saw significant and St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimetres) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.
Farther south, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported localised flooding and storm surge, and Lorraine Anderson, the public information officer for Venice Beach, said the area saw an estimated 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2 meters) of storm surge.
As dawn broke Thursday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed – surge warnings were issued for much of the east-central coast of Florida and northward into Georgia, and tropical storm warnings were in place along the coast into South Carolina.
Officials in the hard-hit Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.
The storm also knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses reportedly left without electricity and in some cases water.
In this aerial view, Flood waters inundate a neighborhood after Hurricane Milton came ashore on October 10, 2024, in Punta Gorda, Florida
Residents are rescued from an their second story apartment complex in Clearwater
A drone image shows the dome of Tropicana Field which has been torn open due to Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida, on October 10, 2024
A view shows a collapsed construction crane that fell on the building that also hosts the offices of the Tampa Bay Times, after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. October 10, 2024
A view shows a collapsed construction crane that fell on the building that also hosts the offices of the Tampa Bay Times, after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. October 10, 2024
A drone view shows buildings and structures damaged by Hurricane Milton after it made landfall, in Venice, Florida, U.S., October 10, 2024
A drone view shows buildings and structures damaged by Hurricane Milton after it made landfall, in Venice, Florida, U.S., October 10, 2024
Damages after Hurricane Milton swept through Bradenton, Florida, USA, 10 October 2024
View of the damaged roof of Tropicana Field stadium, the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. October 10
A sign post on a road is damaged by Hurricane Milton after it made landfall, in Venice, Florida
Objects are submerged in water after Hurricane Milton made landfall, in Venice, Florida, U.S., October 10, 2024
Residents are rescued from an their second story apartment complex in Clearwater
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The first casualties were reported even before Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm around 8:30pm EST (1:30am BST), bringing ‘catastrophic’ flooding, 120mph winds and several twisters – some of which proved lethal.
Milton’s eye slammed into Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometres) south of Tampa, battering houses, overturning vehicles and sucking debris into the air.
The Sheriff of St. Lucie County revealed that ‘multiple fatalities’ were caused when the area was ravaged by a tornado heralding Milton’s arrival.
Sheriff Keith Pearson did not say exactly how many were killed, but they died when the twisters hit the Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, where many had been sheltering.
After making landfall, Milton began rumbling east, ripping up everything in its path before tearing apart the roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg.
Shocking images showed gaping holes in the fabric that serves as the domed building’s roof, suggesting the stadium may well have been ravaged.
Meanwhile, a tower block housing the offices of the Tampa Bay Times suffered massive damage when a crane was toppled and smashed into its facade, ripping through several stories and sending debris tumbling into the streets below.Â
At least 117 tornado warnings were issued in communities across the state overnight and into this morning, with dozens reported to have materialised and wrought havoc.
Meanwhile, some people who were fortunate enough to make their way back into their homes after leaving shelters today were met with a terrifying surprise.
Clips surfaced on social media showing how unsuspecting residents returned home to be confronted by alligators who had worked their way into flooded houses and gardens.Â