On October 9, Hurricane Milton, a strong Category 3 storm, hit the Gulf Coast of Florida and caused a lot of damage. When the storm hit land near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, it caused deadly tornadoes and constant floods that left millions of people without power.
The storm hit land at 8:30 pm, bringing with it winds of over 120 miles per hour and heavy rain. More than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power, mostly in Hardee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
Officials in Florida told people to “continue to shelter in place and remain vigilant!” while search and rescue teams went through the debris.
Tornadoes tore through St. Lucie County, killing many people and destroying a lot of property. Sheriff Keith Pearson stated that people had died at the Spanish Lakes Country Club, which is close to Fort Pierce.
The exact number of deaths is still unknown, but officials say the damage is “devastating.” Erick Gill, a spokeswoman for the county, said that dozens of homes in St. Lucie County were damaged.
Kevin Guthrie, who is in charge of emergency management in Florida, said that about 125 homes across the state were injured. Most of them were in mobile home parks for seniors. Responding first responders are working nonstop to help those who need it.
Governor Ron DeSantis said that there were 116 tornado alerts and 19 confirmed touchdowns across the state.
In a rare rain event, almost nine inches of rain fell in three hours in St. Petersburg, which is more than the city usually gets in three months.
The National Hurricane Center warned of severe winds along the east coast and a flash flood emergency alert for west-central Florida.
There were steady winds of 48 miles per hour and gusts of 79 miles per hour in St. Petersburg at 1 a.m. EDT.
Task forces and rescue teams have been sent out by state and local governments as part of a full emergency reaction.
“Our No. 1 goal is life safety,” Sheriff Pearson said as rescue workers looked for people stuck under the rubble.
Even though Hurricane Milton is getting weaker, people in Florida are being asked to stay aware and follow official instructions as the state deals with the aftermath of the storm.
