HURRICANE Milton has slammed into Florida – ravaging the state with devastating 200km/h winds and flooding.
The “catastrophic” storm has already claimed two lives as it continues to bring misery to an area still ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
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Debris covers the ground near a crane that fell on a building along 1st Avenue South in St. Petersburg Credits: AP
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Strong winds blew the roof off Tropicana Field
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A car stuck on a flooded street in BrandonCredit: AFP
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Alexa Haight hugs her grandfather Robin Haight before medics took him to hospital following his injuryCredit: AFP
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The tornado took the roof off the house
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Broken poles blown down by strong winds
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A tornado forms in Southeast Florida hours before Hurricane Milton makes landfallCredit: National Weather Service Miami-South Florida
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The police blocked the bridge leading to the barrier island of St. Pete Beach, FloridaCredit: AP: Associated Press
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“Pray for Orlando” is written on some wood used for window coverings at Home DepotCredit: Reuters
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Devastating flash floods are causing chaos in the Tampa Bay area, with up to 16 inches of rain falling so far.
More than two million homes and business premises were left without electricity.
At least 125 homes were destroyed after Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s grim warning that the homes would be turned into “coffins.”
Local officials in St. Lucie County confirmed two deaths and several were rushed to the hospital after the hurricane spawned at least 19 powerful tornadoes.
Milton triggered 126 tornado warnings in Florida – the most ever in one day.
Millions of terrified residents fled the state after President Joe Biden warned that Milton would be “one of the most destructive hurricanes of the century.”
But after days of warnings of apocalyptic-style destruction, the hurricane appears to be weaker than expected after twice being a Category 5.
Milton barreled into Florida as a Category 3 storm and was downgraded to a Category 2 storm about 90 minutes after landfall.
By early Thursday, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph as it churned about 30 miles south of Orlando.
Residents were ordered to stay indoors while scores of emergency workers were forced to down tools due to the “life-threatening” situation.
Live: Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as locals brace for 120 mph winds
The entire roof of Tropicana Field was torn down as it bore the brunt of the hurricane.
The shocking footage shows the roof being torn apart by the violent wind.
The stadium – home of the Tampa Bay Rays – was used as a base for thousands of emergency workers who set up camp there ahead of the hurricane.
Storm surge forecasts call for 10 to 15 feet of water along with destructive waves driven by hurricane-force winds.
Just before the hurricane made landfall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged, “You need to shelter in place and just shelter.”
He added: “Unfortunately, there will be deaths.
“I don’t think there’s any way around it.”
Earlier, President Joe Biden called Milton “one of the most devastating hurricanes in Florida in over a century,” adding, “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole.”
Pop star Taylor Swift pledged $5 million to aid relief efforts after the hurricane passed.
Dramatic footage shows entire palm trees uprooted from their trunks, while NOAA footage shows the storm causing massive 30-foot waves.
State lawmakers fear Milton will be one of Florida’s worst and most destructive hurricanes in 100 years.
In the days leading up to the storm’s arrival, millions across West and Central Florida stocked their vehicles with essentials and personal belongings, driving north or south of Milton’s terrifying path.
Harrowing videos circulating on social media show dozens of abandoned communities, many still in ruins after Hurricane Helena struck two weeks ago.
In Gulfport, police drove slowly through a rubble-strewn neighborhood, playing a loudspeaker video informing residents of the mandatory evacuation, according to video by X reporter Brian Entin.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for 13 Florida counties, including Sarasota, Hillsborough and Volusia.
Aerial images showed the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic as hundreds of terrified residents fled their homes to seek shelter.
It comes as…
dr. Michael Brennan, director of the US National Hurricane Center, warned earlier that “a very dangerous situation will be moving from west to east across the Florida peninsula.”
He added that “a life-threatening storm will occur along the west coast of Florida.
Water will also be “forced ashore” by the hurricane, up to 10 feet above ground level.
“The water is now starting to rise, the winds are picking up, the rain is falling and your evacuation routes may be cut off.”
He continued, “Much of the central part of the peninsula … is at risk of damaging hurricane-force winds, particularly in gusts over land that can cause structural damage, tree damage and widespread power outages.”
‘SIGNIFICANT CHANGE OF THE COAST’
Scientists from the US Geological Survey fear that Milton could completely change the west coast of Florida forever.
“The importance of the coastal change forecast for Milton’s impact on Florida’s west coast cannot be overstated because I believe communities are more vulnerable to the impacts of this storm due to the erosion that occurred more recently than Helena,” said Kara Doran, a USGS scientist.
“Our initial analysis of images collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration after Helena shows that most of the West Coast suffered excessive washing or inundation and complete dune erosion, so that these protective dunes are no longer in place for many locations.”
Experts predict that Milton’s ferocious storm surge could cause erosion and overwash of 95% to 100% of Florida’s west coast beaches.
Excessive flushing occurs when the water level reaches higher than the top of the dunes.
When a beach is flooded, sand can be pushed and deposited inland, causing significant changes to coastal landscapes and blocking roadways, according to the USGS.
Florida is still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helena in late September, which left more than 220 dead in the southeastern United States.
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Members of the Florida Army National Guard check for remaining residents at the nearly deserted Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, FloridaCredit: AP: Associated Press
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Astronaut Matthew Dominick’s photo shows Hurricane Milton from the International Space StationCredit: AP: Associated Press
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A heavy stream of evacuation traffic slowly moves south from Northwest Florida on Interstate 75Credit: EPA
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Hurricane Milton before it hit Florida
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Satellite image of Hurricane Milton over the Gulf of MexicoCredit: Alamy
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Guests forecast early rain caused by Hurricane Milton at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on WednesdayCredit: AP: Associated Press
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What is a hurricane and how does it form?
A HURRICANE is another name for a tropical cyclone – a powerful storm that forms over warm ocean waters near the equator.
Those that form in the Atlantic or eastern Pacific are called hurricanes, while those in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean are called typhoons or cyclones.
North of the equator they spin counterclockwise due to the Earth’s rotation, however, in the southern hemisphere they spin in the opposite direction.
Cyclones are like huge weather engines powered by water vapor evaporating from the sea.
Warm, moist air rises from the surface, creating a low pressure system that sucks in air from surrounding areas – which in turn warms the ocean.
As the vapor rises, it cools and condenses into swirling bands of cumulonimbus storm clouds.
The system grows and spins faster, sucking in more air and feeding on the energy of seawater heated by the sun.
A calm “eye” of the storm forms in the center where cooled air sinks toward the ultra-low pressure zone below, surrounded by spiral winds of rising warm air.
The faster the wind, the lower the air pressure in the center, and the storm gets stronger and stronger.
Tropical cyclones usually weaken when they make landfall because they are no longer fed by evaporation from warm seas.
But they often move far inland – dumping huge amounts of rain and causing devastating wind damage – before the “fuel” runs out and the storm ends.
Hurricanes can also cause storm surges when low air pressure raises sea levels higher than normal, flooding low-lying coasts.
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