Multiple people have been killed and more than three million have been left without power after deadly Hurricane Milton savaged its way across Florida.
Despite the deaths and fears that Mother Nature was set to unleash the “storm of the century” on the Sunshine State, with some predicting it to be worse than Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the winds weakened as they came ashore, saving hundreds more lives.
Thousands of Brits were forced to take shelter, with hundreds being ordered to evacuate their holiday hotels and homes. Teresa Outhwaite, 51, from Hove, East Sussex, owns a house on Anne Maria Island and was forced to flee the area to Orlando before Milton hit.
The mother-of-two arrived in Florida on Monday to meet her insurance appraiser and assess the damage Hurricane Helene inflicted on her property two weeks ago.
However, she never made it to her home. Last night, she told the Mirror: “After we landed, I managed to book a hotel in Tampa, but then the mandatory evacuation order was made, so we were forced to head north to Orlando for safety. I didn’t even get chance to see our home.”
A woman moves storm debris on a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton (
Getty Images)
As Milton hit, Teresa, who only made the trip to America because she “brought two suitcases of essentials for my friends for the dogs”, was safely ensconced in an Orlando hotel. Of the hurricane, she said: “The wind and rain were deafening, and the lighting was awful. I believe a lot of places around us here are flooded because of the sheer amount of water.”
Teresa is now fearful about the state of her Florida home, which two hurricanes have hit in quick succession. She added: “Of course, I am nervous… The power of Helene and Milton has been devastating for Florida. I can only hope Mother Nature has not inflicted too much damage.”
While in the Gulf of Mexico, Milton recorded wind speeds of 185mph, but quickly – 90 minutes after making landfall around 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday – some of her force had died. Initially a Category 3 storm, she pounded the west coast of Florida cities with ferocious winds and rain, whipping up a barrage of tornadoes and causing an unknown number of deaths.
A billboard structure was uprooted during the storm (
AP)
More than 115 tornado warnings were issued in communities across the state, with dozens reported to have touched down, wreaking havoc. Sent sprawling into the air was the damage and debris still to be cleared from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
However, as Milton made her way inland across the west coast of Florida, she was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. Early today, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (135 kph) and leaving the state near Cape Canaveral.
Officials had issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival. By late afternoon on Wednesday, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.
Fortunately, Milton tracked south of Tampa, where she was previously predicted to strike, making landfall Wednesday night in Siesta Key, about 70 miles away. The situation in the city was still a major emergency as nearby St Petersburg recorded over 16 inches of rain, prompting America’s National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.
Today, Norman Cannella, 56, stepped out of his Tampa home to survey the damage. His garden was flooded, and nearly a foot of water had filled his garage. “I’ve lived in Florida my whole life, and that was some serious rain,” he said. He added that Tampa was lucky to have been spared the direct hit many had feared.
Mayor Jane Castor said she was pleased the city did not see the storm surge level that meteorologists had predicted.“ But it’s not over,” she added, warning locals about rising water levels. As dawn broke yesterday, officials repeated that the danger had not passed.
Storm surge remained a concern in many parts of Florida, and tropical storm warnings were in place. Locals were told to be vigilant for displaced venomous snakes and alligators in the waters. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned locals about the dangers of post-storm fatalities.
“As you survey the damage and clean up, please be cautious of hazards,” he said.
First responders in the water outside an apartment complex that was flooded in Clearwater (
AFP via Getty Images)
DeSantis advised residents not to remove tree debris, avoid downed power lines, and avoid walking through storm waters. Officials in several hard-hit areas urged people to stay inside, warning of the dangers of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges, and flooding.
“We’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County said. Milton knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without electricity.
“We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power,” Tampa Electric President Archie Collins said. The fierce winds tore the roof off Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St Petersburg, where first responders had been based.
Locals could no longer get water from their household taps because the city shut down service due to a water main break. Mayor Ken Welch had told residents to expect prolonged power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system.
Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according to City Manager Bill McDaniel. Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight while it was estimated the city had received 13.5 inches of rain.
A crane collapsed into a building in downtown St Petersburg (
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“We have flooding in places and to levels that I’ve never seen, and I’ve lived in this community for my entire life,” Daniel said. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.
“We have lost some life,” St Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said, although he wouldn’t say how many people were killed. About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane came ashore, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, said Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Taylor Swift donated $5 million (£3.82 million) yesterday to support hurricane relief efforts. Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot announced the singer’s donation for people impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in an Instagram post thanking her for “standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need”.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” Ms Babineaux-Fontenot wrote.
“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”