Hurricane Milton carved a path of devastation across Florida on Thursday, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and leaving nearly 3 million homes and businesses without power. The storm, which weakened before landfall, averted the worst-case scenarios feared by meteorologists and residents.
Milton unleashed severe weather as it swept from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic, flooding neighborhoods, demolishing homes, and causing significant damage to infrastructure, including the roof of a major sports venue. Fatalities were reported in several counties: two in St. Petersburg, one in Polk County, one in Citrus County, and five in St. Lucie County due to tornadoes.
As the storm moved off the eastern coast, power outages rose, impacting nearly 2.9 million customers, according to poweroutage.us. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the storm’s diminished impact, noting that Tampa experienced a rare reverse storm surge that pushed water away from the shoreline rather than inundating it.
Residents were advised by the Florida Division of Emergency Management to avoid walking into receding waters due to the risk of a dangerous storm surge returning.
Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 hurricane at landfall with sustained winds of 120 mph, followed closely on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which had struck the Florida coast just two weeks prior. By Thursday afternoon, Milton had dissipated into the Atlantic, no longer posing a threat.
In a heartwarming turn of events, a dog abandoned near a highway as the storm approached was rescued by a state trooper and renamed “Trooper,” drawing attention on social media.
Stay updated as recovery efforts continue across the impacted areas.
