Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key in southwestern Florida Wednesday night with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Oct. 9, 2024.
TAMPA, Fla. – Hurricane Milton made landfall late Wednesday evening south of Tampa near Sarasota, Florida, packing damaging winds, knocking power out to more than half a million customers and triggering a significant tornado outbreak in the Sunshine State.
FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS RESCUE DOG TIED TO POLE DURING HURRICANE MILTON
Gusts reached 89 mph in St. Petersburg, 87 mph in Palm Harbor and 77 mph in Davenport before the hurricane made landfall. A gust of 92 mph was also recorded in West Palm Beach, likely due to proximity to a tornado.
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Hurricane Milton in Sarasota, Florida ( )
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Dan Jones points toward a destroyed roof in his backyard after a tornado hit in Fort Myers, Florida on October 9, 2024, as Hurricane Milton approaches. Many Florida residents have fled, but some battened down the hatches, in the final hours October 9, 2024 before Hurricane Milton pummels the state, as government relief efforts were dragged into the thick of the White House race. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
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FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 09: Robert Haight salvages what he can from his home after what appeared to be a tornado tore the roof off before Hurricane Milton’s arrival on October 09, 2024, in Fort Myers, Florida. He said he had just had the roof replaced two years after Hurricane Ian had damaged it. People are preparing for the storm, which could be a Cat 3 when it makes landfall on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 07: Traffic is heavy as thousands evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton as it churns in the Gulf of Mexico on October 07, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Milton, which comes on heels of the destructive Hurricane Helene, has strengthened to a Category 5 storm as it approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast near St. Petersburg and Tampa, where it is projected to make landfall Wednesday. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) ( )
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BIG CYPRESS, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 08: Vehicles fill the road as they drive to the East on I-75 from the West coast of Florida before the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 08, 2024 in Big Cypress, Florida. Thousands of people are on the move as they try to find safety before the storm’s arrival, which could be a Cat 3 when it makes landfall on Wednesday evening. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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This photo shows the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (@MyFDOT_Tampa/X)
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Hurricane Milton effects in West Bradenton, Florida. ( )
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Hurricane Milton effects in West Bradenton, Florida. ( )
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Connor Ferran’s house is seen after it was hit by a tornado in Fort Myers, Florida on October 9, 2024, as Hurricane Milton approaches. Milton regained power on October 8 to become a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 kph) as it barrels towards the west-central coast of Florida and is forecast to make landfall late October 9, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP) (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
The hurricane’s power caused the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices to warn of a life-threatening storm surge that in some communities was forecast to eclipse records set during the 1920s.
Due to the synoptic setup, which was a bit unusual for October, upper-level winds helped to broaden the hurricane’s width in the moments before landfall but also led to substantial weakening.
The once Category 5 hurricane formed in the Bay of Campeche on Oct. 5 and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane within the system’s first 72 hours as a cyclone.
Milton’s intensity made it the fifth-strongest cyclone on record in the Atlantic basin, only falling short of records held by Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988) Labor Day (1935) and Rita (2005).
Hurricane Milton landfall stats
Florida impacts expected to continue through Thursday
The storm system continues to race through Central Florida and is expected to emerge out over the Atlantic on Thursday.
During the period between landfall and Milton reemerging out over the Atlantic Ocean, central and northern Florida will experience the worst of what the storm has left to offer.
(FOX Weather)
Hurricane-force wind gusts and an additional 5-10 inches of rainfall is expected along the Interstate 4 corridor.
Due to the combination of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes, more than 700,000 outages were reported across the state, according to PowerOutage.us.
A modest storm surge of 3-5 feet is also anticipated from the First Coast to the Space Coast, which will cause flooding during times of high tides and significant beach erosion.
Shelters were opened from Jacksonville along the Treasure Coast for both local residents and evacuees from the opposite coast.
TRACKING HURRICANE MILTON: LIVE RADAR, POWER OUTAGES AND MORE
(FOX Weather)
Hurricane Milton spawns historic tornado outbreak in Florida
In addition to the hurricane-force winds and storm surge, Milton has triggered a historic and record-breaking tornado outbreak.
Nearly 130 Tornado Warnings were issued across Central and South Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton’s powerful outer bands found an atmosphere ripe for tornadic development.
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray reports from Bradenton, Florida, which is close to Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall Wednesday night. Oct. 9, 2024.
Stunning videos from Florida Department of Transportation cameras along Interstate 75 in Alligator Alley between Broward and Palm Beach counties captured the destructive force of Milton’s extreme weather in the state. FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell happened upon tornado damage in Fort Myers.
At least one person was seen being taken away via ambulance, as trees and debris littered roadways.
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(FOX Weather)
WATCH: TORNADO OUTBREAK SPAWNS FROM HURRICANE MILTON AS FUNNEL CLOUDS SWIRL IN SOUTH FLORIDA
The National Weather Service office in Miami had issued more than 50 Tornado Warnings as of Wednesday afternoon, breaking its record for the most issued in a single day. The previous record was set during an outbreak from Hurricane Ian two years ago.
Outer bands of Hurricane Milton are already impacting Florida ahead of landfall, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds and tornadoes.