
(The red icon depicts the center of Milton as of the most recent advisory.)
Published October 10, 2024
At a Glance
- Milton has come ashore near Siesta Key, Florida as a major hurricane.
- Destructive and life-threatening storm surge is likely.
- Extremely Dangerous flash flooding from rainfall is expected along Interstate 4.
Here’s the latest status: Milton is accelerating east-northeastward across Central Florida and will be in the Atlantic by sunrise Thursday morning. It is currently located in the Orlando metro area. It made landfall Wednesday evening south of Tampa Bay in Siesta Key, Florida.
Bands of heavy rain containing strong wind gusts are spreading across parts of the state, as shown in the radar snapshot below.
A “flash flood emergency” is in effect for portions of Tampa Bay, including St. Petersburg, Tampa, Riverview and Palmetto, Florida. So far, 10-17 inches of rain has fallen across southern Pinellas County, coastal Hillsborough County and western Manatee County. St. Petersburg, Florida, reported more than five inches of rain in just one hour along with a gust to 90 mph in that hour. Parts of downtown Tampa have flooded. Tampa broke its monthly rainfall record in just one day by receiving over 11 inches of rain. That record had stood for over 100 years.
A “flash flood emergency” is in effect for Pasco, Hillsborough and Polk Counties, including Lakeland, Winter Haven and Wesley Chapel. So far, 8-12 inches of rain have fallen.
Parts of Tampa and St. Petersburg have recorded 10+ inches of rainfall while downtown St. Petersburg has recorded nearly 17 inches through midnight Thursday. Multiple tornadoes have been confirmed in southern Florida.
Hurricane-force winds are sweeping through Central Florida. Winds have gusted up to 105 mph in Egmont Channel, 102 mph in Sarasota, 101 mph in St. Petersburg, 97 mph in Venice, 93 mph in Tampa and 90 mph in Venice. A sustained wind of 78 mph was recorded in Venice at an elevated station. St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field and several cranes in downtown have taken serious damage.
To the east, Orlando International has recorded a wind gust to 86 mph, Daytona Beach to 78 mph, and Leesburg, Florida to 75 mph.

(The orange circle shows the extent of the system’s tropical-storm-force winds (at least 39 mph). The purple circle indicates the extent of hurricane-force winds (at least 74 mph), according to the National Hurricane Center.)
Water levels have risen by about 8+ feet near Sarasota. A storm surge of 3-6 feet has been recorded from Naples to Charlotte Harbor, with more inundation likely occurring in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Water levels fell by around 5 feet at the top of Tampa Bay due to blowout winds while the mouth of Tampa Bay saw a climb in water levels by 1-2 feet. Naples saw a storm surge of 5.75 feet.
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SOURCE: www.weather.com
RELATED: Hurricane Milton makes landfall, slamming into Florida with destructive winds, catastrophic storm surge
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed multiple fatalities during an appearance on Fox Weather
Published October 10, 2024
Hurricane Milton rips through Siesta Key, Fla.
Fox News correspondent Steve Harrigan reports on Hurricane Milton making landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., on ‘Hannity.’
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds on Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida, slamming into the state’s west coast before churning its way eastward.
The hurricane was later downgraded to a Category 2 storm and has since been downgraded to a Category 1 storm.
During an appearance on Fox Weather, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed there have been 17 tornadoes along with several fatalities.
“We can confirm 17 tornadoes hit St. Lucie County, Florida, with multiple fatalities, a rescue mission ongoing, and hundreds of homes destroyed,” he said.

Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene damage (National Weather Service)
The catastrophic landfall comes barely two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which battered Florida before causing devastation in North Carolina. Florida residents have spent the interim boarding up windows and evacuating their homes in preparation for Milton.
“Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.
The storm is expected to pass over central Florida and into the Atlantic through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
As of 1 a.m. Thursday, power was out for more than 2 million customers, with roughly 300,000 customers losing power in one hour.
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SOURCE: www.foxnews.com
Hurricane Helene’s aftermath: The forgotten people of North Carolina
https://www.americaoutloud.news/hurricane-helenes-aftermath-the-forgotten-people-of-north-carolina/
Hurricane Milton Swamps Florida, Leaves 3 Million Without Power
https://www.zerohedge.com/weather/hurricane-milton-swamps-florida-leaves-3-million-without-power