Hurricane Milton live updates: Florida surveys ‘tragic’ damage in wake of monster storm, dozens of tornadoes

WorldEnvironment
11 Oct 2024 • 6:31 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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At least 14 people have died after Hurricane Milton devastated portions of Florida, leaving residents waking up to survey the damage.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, bringing multiple tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.

Six people in St Lucie County retirement village have been killed by tornadoes brought on by the hurricane after a dozen twisters spawned in the region within 20 minutes.

Ferocious winds caused a crane to collapse into the The Tampa Bay Times in St Petersburg, while the roof of Tropicana Field baseball stadium has been left in disrepair.

More than 3.3m homes and businesses in Florida have been left powerless, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted.

Evacuation alerts were blasted out to millions, with Bradenton Police Chief Melanie issuing a bleak prognosis for those who neglected advice. “What we’ll probably be finding in the morning are bodies,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on Thursday morning.

After landfall, Milton has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and is moving off Florida’s east coast – with residents still battling against brutal winds and storm surge.

Key Points

  • Six people killed by tornadoes in St Lucie County
  • Hurricane Milton’s damage: Tropicana Field roof shredded and crane smashes into Tampa Bay Times
  • More than 3m homes and businesses without power in Florida
  • Where did Milton make landfall?
  • Tracking Milton: Where is the Category 1 hurricane heading next?

ZooTampa shares images of post-Milton clean up

00:25

Julia Musto

Hillsborough County rescues more than 500 people

00:20

Julia Musto

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said Thursday that they had made more than 500 rescues.

More than 100 pets were also saved, according to FOX 13 Tampa.

Florida’s Health Department warns of ‘active’ insects

00:15

Julia Musto

DeSantis says Florida is ‘resilient’ in aftermath of Hurricane Milton

00:10

Julia Musto

University of South Florida will remain closed until Saturday

00:05

Julia Musto

“All classes are canceled on Friday, Oct. 11, and Saturday, Oct. 12. There will be no in-person, online or asynchronous instruction on Friday or Saturday,” the school said in a Thursday update.

Florida power outages: Number of customers without power falls below 3M

00:00

Julia Musto

The number of Florida customers without power fell below 3 million on Thursday night, tracker PowerOutage.US showed.

Tampa video shows scale of flooding

23:55

Julia Musto

Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa sustain minor damage

23:50

Julia Musto

ZooTampa and the Florida Aquarium sustained some damage from Hurricane Milton, but all their animals are safe.

Debris cleanup will take a few days, the zoo told The Associated Press.

The aquarium’s buildings in Tampa and Apollo Beach also “appear to have minor weather-related damage,” it said in a Thursday press release.

Both the zoo and the aquarium are planning to reopen on Saturday.

With reporting from The Associated Press

More than 500 rescued from Pinellas County apartments

23:45

Julia Musto

More than 500 people were rescued in Pinellas County after a Clearwater apartment complex flooded, officials said Thursday.

While calls came in overnight, WFLA reported that high winds had initially stopped first responders. Those winds began to die down just before sunrise.

Anna Maria Mayor on Milton relief: ‘We’re trying to put the city back together'

23:40

Julia Musto

“We’re trying to put the city back together, but it’s taking us quite a while,” Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy told FOX News on Thursday.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warns of bacterial infections from floodwaters

23:35

Julia Musto

“Many of the deaths or injuries come afterwards as you have downed power lines, people going into water, that might have bacteria that can lead to fatal infections,” he said. “Things that you don’t necessarily think of [at] the moment of the impact of the storm, but are certainly part of the danger.”

Six deaths reported from St. Lucie County tornadoes

23:30

Julia Musto

St. Lucie County officials told ABC News that six people are dead after tornadoes tore through the area.

The fatalities were reported in the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in northern Fort Pierce.

Florida Highway Patrol rescues continue

23:30

Julia Musto

Florida DOT warns of traffic for returning residents

23:25

Julia Musto

Puppy rescued from rubble left behind by Hurricane Milton

23:20

Julia Musto

A puppy named Benji was rescued Thursday from the rubble of mobile home retirement community in Fort Pierce, Florida.

His owners are among those unaccounted for, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Florida emergency officials warn about ‘untold’ number of flooding dangers - including alligators

23:15

Julia Musto

Hillsborough County lifts its mandatory evacuation order

23:10

Julia Musto

Sarasota county shares video of conditions at its Turtle Beach

23:05

Julia Musto

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue shares stunning aerial image of flooding, damage

23:00

Julia Musto

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission warns of alligators, snakes in flooded areas

22:50

Julia Musto

Venice Beach gets feet of sand from Hurricane Milton

22:45

Julia Musto

Treasure Island sewer system remains inoperational

22:40

Julia Musto

Senator Rick Scott tours damage in Punta Gorda

22:35

Julia Musto

Around 70 percent of Pinellas County is still without power

22:30

Julia Musto

About 70 percent of Pinellas County is still without power Thursday, according to Duke Energy’s Jeff Baker.

“This will be a lengthy restoration,” he said.

Some residents could experience outages for a week or even longer.

Miami Coast Guard crews fly over Florida’s west coast

22:25

Julia Musto

All Milton warnings have been discontinued

22:20

Julia Musto

The National Hurricane Center has discontinued all storm surge and tropical storm warnings related to Milton.

The storm is now a post-tropical cyclone.

Coast Guard rescues man clinging to cooler in Gulf of Mexico

22:15

Julia Musto

Hurricane Milton death toll rises to 13

22:08

Julia Musto

At least four people died in Volusia County after Hurricane Milton hit Florida, officials said Thursday.

“I had the ability to traverse the county last night, prior to and when the eye came ashore and I can tell you, we are in for a long recovery, but we need your help to get it done,” Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood told reporters.

The announcement brings the death toll up to 13.

Pasco Sheriff rescues 60 people from flooding

22:03

Julia Musto

Tampa Bay Lighting game postponed

22:00

Julia Musto

Cleaning up after Milton? Here’s what to know

21:55

Julia Musto

Palm Beach Garden sees preliminarily-rated EF-3 tornado

21:50

Julia Musto

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell meets with Florida officials

21:45

Julia Musto

HCA Florida Healthcare facilities remain closed in Milton’s wake

21:40

Julia Musto

Here’s what’s open and what’s closed.

Damage seen in City of Sarasota

21:35

Julia Musto

Supplies arrives in Seminole County

21:30

Julia Musto

St. Petersburg Mayor to hold press conference at 5 p.m. EDT

21:25

Julia Musto

Sarasota County government warns of mosquitoes

21:20

Julia Musto

DeSantis warns Floridians Atlantic hurricane season isn’t over

21:15

Julia Musto

“We’re not out of hurricane season yet. I don’t want to scare anybody, but the reality is [that] hurricane season goes through November,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday afternoon.

DeSantis said that there’s usually a diminished chance for a major hurricane later into October. October is the third-most-active month of the season for tropical activity in the Atlantic Basin, according to FOX Weather.

“It’s possible something could happen in the later part of October,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s likely but, it’s just - that is a possibility.”

The Atlantic season runs through November 30. Hurricane Milton was the Gulf’s strongest late-season storm on record, and the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005.

AccuWeather preliminary estimates: Total damage and economic loss from Milton could be $160-$180B

21:07

Julia Musto

AccuWeather forecasters said Thursday that the company preliminarily estimates total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Milton could reach between $160-$180 billion.

“With Hurricane Milton’s total damage and economic losses of $160-180 billion, the sum of two hurricanes in just three weeks elapsed time has a total damage and economic loss of near 2 percent of the country’s GDP, putting the Federal Reserve in a quandary,” AccuWeather Founder Dr. Joel N. Myers said in a release.

Storm surge still expected along Florida’s east coast

20:53

Julia Musto

“Even though Hurricane Milton has exited the east coast of Florida, storm surge is still expected along the east coast,” Florida Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie said Thursday.

“Major flooding continues along Hillsborough, St. Johns, and the Little Wekiva Rivers. And, water levels are forecast to continue rising, not going down,” he said.

Residents in those areas should continue to shelter in place until officials determine it’s safe to go outside.

DeSantis: 340 people rescued across Florida

20:46

Julia Musto

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday, speaking in Sarasota, that 340 individuals and 49 pets have been rescued across Florida thus far.

Operations would continue throughout the day.

Dolphin pod attempts to escape choppy waters around Florida

20:45

Julia Musto

Lee County Sheriff warns intruders will be charged ‘to the fullest extent of the law'

20:40

Julia Musto

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gives an update in Sarasota

20:38

Julia Musto

The death toll from Milton rises to 12

20:38

Julia Musto

Tampa police found a woman in her 70s underneath a tree branch Thursday morning.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to FOX 13 Tampa.

The station reported authorities said post-hurricane restoration efforts were being done on the property when the branch fell.

Here’s why Duke Energy says you may not see their crews as they work to restore power

20:35

Julia Musto

“Some customers may not see us as the equipment in need of repair that powers their home may be several blocks away,” Duke Energy said Thursday.

Nearly 70 percent of Tampa Electric customers are without power: CEO

20:30

Julia Musto

Tampa Electric CEO Archie Collins said Thursday that nearly 600,000 of the utility’s 850,000 customers remain without power on Thursday.

CNN reported that he believes the outage to be the largest in the company’s history.

See Tampa’s crane collapse up close

20:25

Julia Musto

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Disney World, Florida theme parks will reopen on Friday

20:20

Julia Musto

Walt Disney World said that its theme parks, Disney Springs, and other areas will reopen on Friday.

In Orlando, SeaWorld said it would also resume normal operating hours, although its Spooktacular and Howl-O-Scream events were canceled.

“Our hearts are with all those impacted by Hurricane Milton,” SeaWorld Orlando said.

Universal Orlando will also open for its normal hours.

Orlando international Airport to receive domestic arrivals, departures begin Friday

20:15

Julia Musto

Tampa airport will reopen Friday morning

20:10

Julia Musto

Biden hammers Trump on hurricane misinformation: ‘Get a life’

20:08

Julia Musto

President Joe Biden told former President Trump, as Trump spoke Thursday afternoon in Detroit, to “get a life,” sharply rebuking the 2024 Republican presidential candidate for spreading misinformation related to FEMA and the government’s hurricane response.

“Mr. President Trump, former President Trump, get a life man, help these people,” he said.

Biden said that the public would hold Trump accountable.

Pentagon says military working to respond to Milton

20:05

Julia Musto

Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters Thursday that more than 6,500 members of the Florida National Guard have been activated. Furthermore, an additional 3,000 from 19 states are ready to offer support.

The Army Corps of Engineers has about 250 personnel working on temporary roof support, debris, and more.

Biden blasts Hurricane Milton misinformation

20:04

Julia Musto

“There are thousands of fellow Americans who are putting their lives at stake to do the dangerous work that needs to be done,” he said.

“And, it’s harmful to those that most need help.”

Oil spills from boats in Punta Gorda marina

20:02

Julia Musto

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Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds give $1M to hurricane relief fund

20:00

Julia Musto

Milton throws dumpster onto roof in Palm Beach Gardens

19:55

Julia Musto

Tampa Bay Rays feel ‘fortunate and grateful no one was hurt’ by ballpark damage

19:50

Julia Musto

At least 25 people rescued from St. Lucie County area

19:45

Julia Musto

Pictured: Panic spreads across Florida as Hurricane Milton moves into state delivering a devastating punch

19:40

Julia Musto

Dramatic pictures show the preparations, impact and immediate aftermath after Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida Wednesday night.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm around 8.30pm in Sarasota County, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. Over three million people are without power across the state and at least 10 deaths have been confirmed as the state starts to assess the damage. “This was an unprecedented storm with very high winds. The damage to the power system is more severe this time around,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch told NBC.

The Independent’s Michelle Del Rey has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-milton-damage-pictures-tampa-b2627272.html

Florida man uses plastic wrap to protect his prized Corvette ahead of Milton — turns out he didn’t need to

19:30

Julia Musto

A Florida man who went viral after wrapping his bright orange Corvette in plastic to protect it from Hurricane Milton ultimately needed none of his extensive preparations, as the storm left his home and beloved ride virtually untouched.

John Santos, of Palm Beach, bought the luxury vehicle in January of this year and carefully covered every inch of it this week, as Milton barrelled towards the Sunshine State on Wednesday.

A video of the preparations, posted to TikTok, has amassed over 63 million views. In it, Santos is seen meticulously covering his new Chevrolet Corvette in layers of what appears to be industrial quality plastic and film.

The Independent’s Mike Bedigan has more: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/hurricane-milton-car-video-corvette-plastic-b2627350.html

Fort Myers roads reopen - except for Dean Park

19:25

Julia Musto

Milton death toll reaches 11

19:22

Julia Musto

The storm-related death toll from Milton in Florida has reached 11, according to a count by NBC News.

The most recent confirmed death occurred when a tree fell on a vehicle in Citrus County, killing the driver, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Chicago Marathon allows Florida participants to defer entry to race

19:20

Julia Musto

The Chicago Marathon, which takes place on Sunday, October 13, is allowing participants from Florida to defer their entry to the 2025 race following Hurricane Milton.

“We’re closely monitoring the situation and how this very serious storm may impact participants from Florida,” the Chicago Marathon told Runner’s World in an e-mail. “We understand these participants may not be able to take part in this year’s race safely as they navigate the challenges ahead and focus on their own safety and well-being.”

Biden warns conditions in Florida still ‘very dangerous’ after Milton

19:19

Julia Musto

President Biden said Thursday afternoon that Hurricane Milton had brought 10-20 inches of rain the Tampa area and 38 tornadoes across 13 Florida counties.

However, the president said it’s still too soon to be able to fully understand the storm’s impact.

“There are still very dangerous conditions in the state,” Biden said. “People should wait to be given all clear by their leaders before they go out.”

The Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers are assessing how fast they can reopen the Port of Tampa.

“Vice President Harris and I have been in constant contact with the state and local officials,” the president said. “We’re offering everything they need.”

Nearly 1K flights canceled Thursday across Florida airports

19:15

Julia Musto

Nearly 1,000 flights were canceled Thursday at airports across Florida.

Orlando and Tampa International Airports both reported numbers in the hundreds, according to tracking service FlightAware.

There were more than 2,256 canceled flights into, within, or out of the US.

St. Lucie County Commissioner George Landry: ‘This has been a tragic 24 hours’

19:10

Julia Musto

“This has been a tragic 24 hours,” an emotional St. Lucie County Commissioner George Landry told reporters during a press conference early Thursday afternoon.

Search and rescue efforts are still ongoing in the county, which has confirmed five fatalities.

There were approximately 12 tornadoes reported there within a period of 90 minutes, leading to more than 900 calls to its 911 center.

Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System running full operations after Milton

19:05

Julia Musto

“We are completely full and at capacity, but we’re running full operations right now,” Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System CEO David Verinder told MSNBC on Thursday. There were 4,700 people at their two sites by Hurricane Milton hit on Wednesday night.

“Our 2 hospitals, North Port ER and Nursing & Rehab Center withstood the impact of the Category 3 hurricane and we were able to continue caring for roughly 1,000 patients and medical evacuees across the system,” the system said in a Thursday update. “We will be assessing our urgent cares, outpatient sites and medical offices as soon as we can to determine when they can re-open; updates to follow.”

Mayorkas condemns hate speech online: ‘It has got to stop'

19:00

Julia Musto

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the government is “seeing horrific hate speech of all types, propagated on online platforms” pertaining to people trying to help address the damage from Milton.

He said it’s been “a motivating force for people to do harm and it has got to stop.”

Mayorkas says continuing resolution not a ‘stable way’ to fund the federal government

18:55

Julia Musto

“A continuing resolution is not a stable way to fund the federal government,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday. “Needs change from year to year and we need real budgets upon which we can rely and upon which we can predicate responsible financial planning and financial management.”

“The Disaster Relief Fund and the funding of it should be completely nonpartisan and apolitical,” he added.

Mayorkas says officials working to ensure residents of states hit by hurricanes have access to voting

18:50

Julia Musto

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says officials are working to ensure residents in areas affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene have access to voting before the November 5 presidential election.

“We have seen state and local officials who are, of course, on point in ensuring access to voting. We have seen them take measures to ensure that people can, in fact, reach their polling places,” he told the White House press briefing.

“Some polling places have been damaged, for example, as a result of Hurricane Helene. But, they are pivoting to make sure that there are other facilities available to them. And, they’ll have different places at which they can place their votes.”

Milton Becomes a hurricane-force extratropical low pressure system

18:45

Julia Musto