FOX Weather has been following Hurricane Milton’s destructive path following landfall Wednesday evening. FOX Weather Meteorologist Hayley Meier experienced the storm firsthand as it struck Daytona Beach.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Hurricane Milton’s destructive path brought significant power outages and a barrage of threats to Daytona Beach, Florida, as wind gusts topped 80 mph overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.
FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier was weathering the storm in the city, standing amidst the wrath of Milton’s rain bands after it made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the state’s west coast before tracking northeastward just south of her location.
A significant portion of Volusia County, where Daytona Beach is situated, remains without power. However, some streetlights around her were functioning, indicating that not everyone was affected.
TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG SLAMMED WITH 100 MPH WIND FROM HURRICANE MILTON, DAMAGING TROPICANA FIELD
(FOX Weather)
Meier was closely tracking three primary threats facing the city: storm surge, wind and freshwater flooding. Daytona Beach was categorized as a Level 4 risk for both storm surge and freshwater flooding.
Cell phone video captured the fierce intensity of Hurricane Milton as it passed through Daytona Beach, Florida, on Wednesday evening. The video shows heavy rain pouring down, accompanied by strong winds that whipped through the state’s Atlantic coast.
“I haven’t seen much of it throughout the rest of today,” she said. “With (Hurricanes) Ian and with Nicole, we had a dam breach and that led to the significant flooding. In regard to this storm, (city officials) have made the necessary preps. So I’m not seeing that in abundance.”
Regarding storm surge, the predicted height was about 5 feet. Meier said she believes the city likely experienced a peak of 4 to 4.5 feet, coinciding with the most intense part of the storm.
Additionally, the wind has been a major factor, with gusts reaching 84 mph in the pre-dawn hours Thursday. FOX Weather’s initial forecast of 80-100 mph proved accurate in this area.
“The wind is no joke,” she said.
Many residents chose to stay put and ride out the storm, while others, particularly those in vulnerable situations, evacuated to inland areas. Interestingly, some individuals from Tampa relocated to Daytona Beach to weather the storm, Meier noted.
As daylight nears, it’s clear that Florida, including Daytona Beach, will face a significant recovery effort.