2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Gina Martinez, William Morgan)
Hurricane Milton unleashed its fury on Florida's west coast as a Category 3 storm, making landfall at Siesta Key on Wednesday night (1.30am GMT). The idyllic barrier island, known for its pristine white-sand beaches and a population of roughly 5,500, is situated approximately 70 miles south of Tampa, and received a direct blast from the devastating weather system.
However the more damaging effects of Hurricane Milton were almost immediately felt elsewhere on Florida's east coast with vast storm surges bringing up to 10 and 15 feet of water to heavily populated parts of the sunshine state. Terrifying wind speeds of 120mph were recorded on the coast, with the hurricane even briefly draining the seafront of Tampa Bay completely dry. "Because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the center, it is possible for a cyclone's strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur.
Similarly, it is possible for a tropical cyclone to make landfall and have its strongest winds remain over the water," the center explained. As Milton struck late on Wednesday night local time, more than 1 million Floridians found themselves without electricity, with Hurricane Milton wreaking havoc across the state. Away from the centre of the storm, Sarasota saw 90mph and high levels of flash flooding, with palm trees torn from their roots and electrical transformers visibly exploding across the city, as the devastating power of the hurricane let itself be known.
Earlier in the day, tornadoes spawned by the hurricane's rain bands had already begun their destructive dance, tearing down power lines throughout the region. As well as destroying homes, planes at a private airport, and a police station, these tornadoes are also believed to have claimed "multiple" lives, before Milton had even made landfall. Florida's energy firms had braced their customers for potential disruptions due to the storm, with Duke Energy Florida announcing earlier on Wednesday that it was positioning its resources around the hurricane's expected trajectory to tackle outages as soon as conditions permit.
Emergency services have warned in advance of the hurricane that they will not be able to rescue anyone who has remained behind, after repeated warnings about the deadly force of Hurricane Milton, which built into a rare Category 5 as it made its way across the Gulf of Mexico. Warnings from the NHC earlier in the day highlighted the possibility of storm surges reaching 8 to 10 feet above ground level in Tampa Bay. Forecasts indicated that coastal areas from Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande, including Sarasota, could experience surges peaking at 10 to 15 feet.
But as Milton hit, towns and cities across the west coast began to report flash flooding that brought waters above their waist, with six feet of surges reported in places like Tampa, Sarasota and St Petersburg. NHC's Monday afternoon advisory cautioned, "The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the south of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves," It also noted that "Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances." However, when the eye of Hurricane Milton passed over Sarasota, leaving an eerie calm after hours of torrential rain and tornadoes, an NBC reporter said locals who had ignored the evacuation order had left their shelters and began driving in donuts around the city.
During a briefing on Wednesday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis urged locals to seize the opportunity to leave, but by the evening, he was urging residents to remain in place due to the extremely dangerous winds and floods that were already wreaking havoc. DeSantis also had a stark message for those opting to stay on barrier islands, cautioning them that "just know that if you get 10 feet of storm surge, you can't just hunker down with that." "If you're on the southern part of this storm, you are going to get storm surge," warned DeSantis.
"It's churning massive amounts of water, and that water is going to come out," he further cautioned. "Man, if you're anywhere in the eye or south, you are going to get major storm surge." As Milton approached, thousands clogged Florida's highways in a desperate bid to flee, but the opportunity for evacuation is rapidly dwindling this Wednesday.
Tampa's Mayor Jane Castor underscored the gravity of the situation, noting that the forecasted storm surge of up to 15 feet could submerge entire homes. Officials issued stern warnings that those who opted to stay put will be left to fend for themselves, as emergency services won't risk their safety performing rescues during the height of the storm. Tampa Bay, home to over 3.
3 million people, is steeling itself for potential chaos, having evaded direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century..
