‘Multiple fatalities’ as Milton thumps into Florida coastline
Source: X/Aaron Jayjack
More than a million people are without electricity as expanding Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night (local time).
The Tampa Bay area was lashed with more than 200 millimetres of rain in three hours as Milton brought winds of more than 200km/h, damaging tornadoes and life-threatening flash flooding.
Emergency officials warned that more dangerous weather was still to come as the storm hit as a category three system.
“Residents should continue to shelter in place & remain vigilant,” the Florida Division of Emergency Management posted on Facebook late on Wednesday.
They said “deadly” hazards and weather conditions would continue well into Thursday as Milton moved across Florida.
“Multiple fatalities” have already been reported in St Lucie County, about 225 kilometres south of Sarasota, on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Local sheriff, Keith Pearson, told CNN affiliate WPTV that multiple people had died in a tornado outbreak at a local country clubs. Exact details remained unclear.
The US National Weather Service confirmed at least 16 tornadoes in Florida on Wednesday. More were expected into early Thursday.
About 150 millimetres of rain has already fallen in Tampa, with another 200 millimetres expected in coming hours. There are reports that drains, sewers and canals are starting to overflow, pushing water into the streets, and fuelling fears of flash flooding.
830pm EDT Oct 9th: Doppler radar data indicates that the eye of #Hurricane #Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida.
Max sustained winds at landfall are estimated at 120 mph.
Landfall TCU: https://t.co/YUc7mT6LuJ pic.twitter.com/fEODy4AvHJ
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 10, 2024
US President Joe Biden urged people to follow local safety recommendations.
“It’s literally a matter of life and death,” he said at a White House briefing.
Much of the southern US experienced the deadly force of Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago as it cut a swath of devastation through Florida and several other states. Both storms are expected cause untold billions of dollars in damage.
While Milton slightly weakened on Wednesday afternoon to a category three hurricane, the third-highest level, it grew in size as it approached Florida and remained extremely dangerous with maximum sustained winds of 195km/h, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
Nearly a quarter of Florida’s petrol stations were out of fuel on Wednesday afternoon. In Orlando, many people said they had ridden out previous hurricanes, but Milton’s rapid intensification and warnings from officials spurred them into taking unusual precautions for the inland city.
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has moved millions of litres of water, millions of meals and other supplies and personnel into the area. None of the additional aid will detract from recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said trucks had run 24 hours a day to clear mounds of debris left behind by Helene before Milton potentially turned them into dangerous projectiles,
Major Florida theme parks shuttered ahead of the storm, with Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld all closing their doors.
Nineteen hospitals were evacuated, the Florida Hospital Association said. Mobile homes, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities faced mandatory evacuation.
Milton became the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic, growing from a category one to a category five in less than 24 hours.
“These extremely warm sea surface temperatures provide the fuel necessary for the rapid intensification that we saw taking place to occur,” climate scientist Daniel Gilford of nonprofit research group Climate Central said.
“We know that as human beings increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, largely by burning fossil fuels, we are increasing that temperature all around the planet,” Gilford said.
-with AAP