Hillsborough County Fire Rescue was among the many Florida departments doing essential, life-saving work in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton last week.

Cpt. Dusty Mascaro of the department’s search and rescue team was on duty when he came across a citizen in need: a Bernese mountain dog, stranded in high flood waters.

Cpt. Mascaro came to the rescue, carrying the dog to safety. Safe inside his vehicle, the dog looked at him with gratitude, captured in an unforgettable photo.

“This dog’s eyes say it all,” Hillsborough County Fire Rescue wrote on Facebook, calling it a “beautiful moment of pure gratitude and love.”

Many people online were moved by this heartwarming rescue and this sweet grateful dog. “Look at that dog’s eyes – he knows he was saved,” one reply reads.

“This is the proof of gratitude for saving the dog’s life! It should be made into a poster and framed,” another person commented.

Many people suggested that Mascaro should adopt the dog, but it’s not clear whether the animal has a home already.

It was just one of the many animal rescues the department has performed since Hurricane Milton: they wrote on Facebook on October 11 that they have rescued 104 pets so far, “ensuring that no one—human or animal—is left behind.”

“We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve and protect all members of our community, big and small.”

Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, made landfall in Florida on October 9 and caused catastrophic property damage and power outages, and killed at least 24 people.

But even with all the devastation, we can still look to positive stories like this one for hope.

Thank you to this firefighter for saving this grateful dog! His eyes really do say it all — he knows he’s safe and loved

Source: theanimalclub.net

Hurricane Milton had initially been category five on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, with winds of over 157mph expected and an expectation of ‘catastrophic damage’.

It was later downgraded to category three (100mph), but still caused significant damage and did result in loss of life.

At least 16 people are confirmed dead after Hurricane Milton, and the death toll may rise as more bodies are found, as over two million people were left without power for their homes and businesses.

Rescue efforts are underway to help those affected by the flooding, while there are people who are assessing the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

One of those is Pedro Casares, who decided to protect his home by strapping it down before the hurricane hit.

Some people thought it was pretty funny, while others wanted to see what sort of impact it would have, and now, there’s been an update.

His daughter has posted a video to TikTok showing the aftermath of Hurricane Milton and fortunately, the house is still there, the straps are still there, and they appear to be in good condition.

She thanked people for worrying about them and said that with ‘no crazy damages to the home’, she and her dad were going to see if any of their neighbours needed some help.

Having taken a shine to Pedro in the run-up to Hurricane Milton, plenty were very happy to see that his house was intact and nothing had gone wrong with his plan.

People called it a ‘good idea’, and told the TikToker they’d been really rooting for her and her dad.

Some people did comment that they could see other houses in the background were still intact, so Casares probably didn’t need to strap his entire house down.

Still, better safe than sorry, right?

Other people who gained viral fame during Hurricane Milton have begun to emerge in the aftermath of the deadly weather.

Joseph Malinowski is one of them. A stubborn sailor, Malinowski decided not to accept the offer of a shelter, and that he would instead ride out the weather in his boat.

He ended up being nicknamed ‘Lieutenant Dan’, and he said he’d survived the ‘pretty mellow’ hurricane despite his boat being slammed against the harbour wall a few times.

Source: ladbible.com

Florida has been dealing with the fallout of both Hurricane Helene and most recently Hurricane Milton, both leaving devastation in some communities.

This will obviously mean difficult times ahead, for many and a desperate need for rebuilding and supplies for those in need.

So, you would think a massive donation would be well-received – well, seemingly not if it’s from Taylor Swift.

On October 9, the CEO of Feeding America, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, issued a statement to thank the popstar for her contribution of $5 million dollars to the charity.

The statement read: “We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5 million donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts.

“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.

“Together, we can make a real impact on supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you Taylor for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.”

Swiftie or not, you would expect most people would be happy with the music star helping out.

But some argued that given Swift’s a status as a billionaire, she should have donated significantly more.

Writing on Twitter, one person commented: “Well it’s a start. She is a billionaire. 5 million is like $10 to most of us.”

“This is just nonsense. The only reason she’s doing this is to improve her image after her terrible support of KH. She’s trying to distract everyone from her past mistakes and make herself look better… Lol,” another commented.

“$5 million is a lot to you or I, but to Taylor Swift it’s the equivalent of someone who earns $50k a year donating $100-150. It’s still a lovely gesture & infinitely better than nothing, but not a massive sacrifice,” a third wrote.

However, these comments were few and far between, with Taylor Swift fans stepping in to defend the star.

“If I see 1 person talking about how $5 million is nothing to her then you donate 5 mil,” one defender wrote.

“Say what you want about her but she donates in time of need,” someone else added.

“Swift didn’t have to donate a dime of her hard-earned money,” a third commented.

“”Anyways imagine if all billionaires did stuff like this instead of just a few,” noted another.

Source: Unilab

A Florida official informed Brandi that her mother did not survive the storm. Debbie, who had moved to Florida in March (2024), was 66 years old at the time of her passing.

Yesterday, October 10, Brandi took to Facebook to share a lengthy post detailing how much her mother meant to her. Alongside an array of beautiful photos of Debbie and her family, Brandi expressed, “My mom will be missed incredibly forever [sic] this will leave a deep deep hole in the hearts of us kids and her grandchildren.”

She noted how her mother was always there for her family members whenever they needed her, highlighting Debbie as an “amazing mother and grandmother.” “And I will be lost without her for the rest of my life,” divulged the heartbroken daughter.

Adding an extra layer of sorrow, she then revealed, “Mom I wish I told you more often how much I loved you and how much I appreciate […] everything about you. I wish I was there for you [sic] I wish I had never left you down there [sic] I wish you would come home with me.”

Brandi even went so far as to say that she would take her mother’s place if she could before adding, “I will always miss you and love you.”

At the end of her message, she expressed her gratitude to Debbie for being her mom. She also promised to make Debbie proud and to be as great of a mother to her daughter, Madylyn Smith, as Debbie was to her.

In her tribute, Brandi spoke about how, at least, she takes some sort of solace in the fact that Debbie is now with her husband of 42 years, Jeff Kennedy (Brandi’s dad), who passed away a few years ago.

According to a CNN report that covered the sad story, before she died and after Jeff’s demise, Debbie had gotten a double burial plot in New York so she could be laid to rest next to him when she passed.

This is something that Brandi also mentioned in her Facebook post, explaining how their family is doing everything they can to get Debbie’s body back to New York.

Speaking to CNN about the matter, Brandi said, “I want everybody to know what an amazing person she was, and she deserves to come and be with her husband.”

Debbie’s niece-in-law, Peyton Kennedy, organized a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising funds to transport her body to New York.

Additionally, the family is facing the financial burdens of funeral costs and medical expenses. “Any contribution […] will go directly toward easing the financial strain on our family, allowing us to focus on healing and honoring Debbie Kennedy’s memory,” stated Peyton.

Like the Kennedy family, other people have been severely affected by Hurricane Milton. CNN reporters have been covering how some of the hardest-hit communities have been trying to assess the “carnage” and conduct relief and rescue operations.

The destruction caused by Hurricane Milton in Fort Pierce, Florida on October 10, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
The destruction caused by Hurricane Milton in Fort Pierce, Florida on October 10, 2024 | Source: Getty Images

Pointing to an 18-wheeler truck that was slammed on its side by the high winds, CNN Correspondent Brian Todd reported, “These trucks weigh about 18 tons when they’re empty, about 40 tons when they’re full. Just imagine the kind of power and the force it took to get this truck in this state.”

Hurricane Milton also claimed the lives of six people in St. Lucie County. Speaking on the destruction this county faced, Sheriff Keith Pearson told CNN that the storm “lifted up modular homes and tossed it like it was garbage, like it was nothing.”

In Siesta Key, where the hurricane made landfall, debris, such as suitcases, mattresses, and other personal belongings, is surrounding houses.

CNN Correspondent Randi Kaye highlighted how Floridians have been feeling concerning being hit by one storm after the other.

He noted, “Talking to these people, they are frustrated, they are angry, they are in tears […] They don’t know when they’re going to get hit, if they’re going to be spared … they feel like they need a fortress in order to survive here.”

Source: Amomama

Images coming in from Florida show the devastating impacts Hurricane Milton has had by sweeping across the state.

Meteorologists made no secret of just how devastating the latest hurricane to hit the US could be, with one even holding back tears as he reported on the size of the storm.

The hurricane reached as high as a category five storm before it made landfall near Siesta Key, on Florida’s central west coast, on Wednesday (October 9), at which time it was dubbed a ‘dangerous’ category three.

It has since been downgraded to a category one storm, but that’s not to say it’s not left its mark on the state.

Punta Gorda, Florida

The Southwest Florida city of Punta Gorda was left flooded after Hurricane Milton sent several feet of water into the streets.

Residents attempted to prepare for floods prior to Milton’s arrival, with local Dorothy Thompson telling Wink News: “We’ve put up everything that we can. I’ve got garbage bags on important things. I have a whole bundle of things we’re going to take with us.

“We’re going to a hotel, and most of it’s in water bags and Ziploc bags. The inside of my house, I put everything I can on top of the bed and on top of the couch, and took drawers out, and you just, we’re just going to hope for the best.”

Following the arrival of the storm, the Punta Gorda Police Department is preparing to assess damage and roadway conditions, with officers responding to calls as permitted by the ongoing conditions.

Clearwater

Rescue workers have been working throughout the arrival of the storm, with police officers in the city on hand to rescue residents who found themselves trapped at an apartment complex in Clearwater after Milton made landfall.

Speaking to ABC, Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector admitted the city was ‘lucky’ it didn’t get the amount of storm surge which had been forecast, but added: “We had such heavy, heavy rain and wind that it put folks … in jeopardy.”

Siesta Key

Siesta Key, where the storm made landfall, experienced ‘somewhere between seven to eight feet’ of flooding from a storm surge, according to Sandra Tapfumaneyi, chief of emergency management at Sarasota County Emergency Services.

In some counties near Siesta Key, more than 70 percent of energy customers were left without power.

St Petersburg

In St. Petersburg, images captured a crane collapsed into a large office building, leaving a huge hole in the wall of the structure.

The building is home to a number of businesses, including Florida’s Tampa Bay Times.

The crane was being used to build a large luxury condo building by developer Red Apple Group.

John Catsimatidis, the CEO of the group, said it was working with city officials to ‘assess the situation’ after the crane collapsed.

Fort Meyers

Located about 80 miles south of where Hurricane Milton made landfall, Fort Meyers experienced a suspected tornado ahead of Milton’s arrival, as well as suffering flooding.

According to CBS News, homes in the area had their roofs ripped off as the suspected tornado made its way through.

A total of at least nine people have so far been confirmed to have died as a result of Hurricane Milton, with the impacts of the storm still coming to light.

Source: unilad

Meanwhile, a non-tropical area of low pressure system could soon be named Nadine if it produces enough wind speeds. The two come as Hurricane Milton is hours away from landfall in Florida and a week after Helene left a path of devastation in North Carolina.

Neither storm is expected to hit the US mainland. Nadine would mark the 14th named storm of the 2024 hurricane season. NHC is closely monitoring potential tropical storm Invest 93L, which has brought rain and winds as Milton barrels into the area, and Hurricane Leslie which is moving up toward Europe. ‘Of those three, Milton is by far the most dangerous and will be the most dangerous,’ said Tom Kines, Accuweather senior meteorologist told DailyMail.com.

Invest 93L is a non-tropical area of low pressure located about 650 miles off the eastern Florida coast with a path northeastward to east-northeastward. The FOX Forecast Center said the showers off the coast of Florida being produced by Invest 93L is an area to watch. ‘As it moves off to the north and northeast, it is not likely to gain strength but we are watching its close proximity to the southeast coast,’ the meteorologists explained.

Kines said that the system’s wind and pressure would need to change dramatically to impact states along the East Coast, but the shift would not be impossible. ‘I don’t want to say it’s a zero percent chance,’ Kines said. ‘But because, you know, Mother Nature, she’s got ways to throw us curve balls. It’s unpredictable, but I just don’t see.’

The potential tropical storm is labeled ‘invest’ be cause it a weather system that is being monitored by a tropical cyclone forecast center for potential tropical cyclone development. And the ‘L’ indicates it is a low pressure system. But Invest 93L could develop into Tropical Storm Nadine today and is only traveling 15 miles per hour as it moves away from Florida. Leslie is currently 1,015 miles east-northeast of the Northern Leeward Islands with maximum sustained wind of 85 miles per hour as it moves 10 miles per hour to the northwest. ‘Some additional strengthening is likely today and tonight, followed by weakening through early next week,’ NHC shared in a statement.

While Kines noted that ‘Nadine’ and Leslie are non-factors, Milton is on a path to hit Florida. The storm is packing winds up to 155 miles per hour and is currently centered 250 miles southwest of Tampa, moving northeast at 16 mph. Experts have predicted that Milton could inundate Florida with 15 feet of storm surge, 155 mile-per-hour winds and up to 18 inches of rain. ‘Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,’ the NHC said on Wednesday.

The impending storm has triggered the largest evacuation effort since Hurricane Irma battered the state in 2017, with 5.5 million people urged to leave Florida’s west coast as soon as possible. Hurricane Milton comes as Floridians are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in along Florida’s Gulf Coast before moving north, causing widespread damage across the southeastern US. Helene killed at least 225 people, 19 of whom were in Florida. Hundreds of victims are still missing.

‘Unfortunately, some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm,’ Governor Ron DeSantis said during a Monday press conference. ‘A lot of these homeowners are in recovery mode,’ Florida State Climatologist David Zierden previously told DailyMail.com. ‘They probably didn’t have the time or the resources to prepare for this one as much as they normally would,’ he added.

This could compound the damage of this oncoming storm, especially as debris from Helene gets swept up in the storm surge from Milton, Zierden said. Over 12,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed in Helene-affected areas of Florida in less than two days, officials have said.

Source: Dailymail

A total of ten people have now been confirmed dead, including five who were killed in tornadoes in St Lucie County. A further two were reported dead in St Petersburg, and another was killed after a tree fell through a roof in Volusia County. This figure may still rise as rescuers hunt through debris in the area.

More than 3.3million homes and businesses are now without power while surge warnings are still being issued for much of the east-central coast of Florida and northward into Georgia. Tropical storm warnings are also in place along the coast into South Carolina.

The raging tempest landed last night as a Category 3 hurricane, sending 28ft waves, at least 27 tornadoes and a thundering storm surge spiraling across the region. It is no longer classed as a hurricane, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, but wind speeds of 75 miles per hour continue to blast the state.

Florida governor DeSantis has said that he expects supermarkets and petrol stations to reopen soon, as the authorities bring more fuel into the state. Walt Disney World, in storm-battered Orlando, will reopen tomorrow – just two days after they closed their doors to tourists.

More than 6,500 National guard are now supporting response efforts as they work to clear debris and try and return communities to their homes.

There were fears Tampa would be battered by the eye of the storm before Milton tracked south, sparing the city of some 3.1 million a direct hit – but the region was still plunged into a state of major emergency.

The city itself saw significant and St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches (41 centimetres) of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

Further south, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reported localised flooding and storm surge, and Lorraine Anderson, the public information officer for Venice Beach, said the area saw an estimated 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2 meters) of storm surge.

Officials in the hard-hit Florida counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding.

Tampa mayor Jane Castor added she was pleased the area did not see storm surges close to the predicted levels of 15 feet, which could have submerged entire houses.

But she urged residents to stay inside and warned that ‘it’s not over’, insisting that Hillsborough County could flood as the high tide returned from 7am EST.

Meanwhile, some evacuees who were fortunate enough to make their way back into their properties after leaving shelters today were met with a terrifying surprise.

Milton arrived in Siesta Key near Sarasota as a Category 3 storm overnight and whipped eastwards, pounding towns and cities with ferocious winds rain and a barrage of tornadoes before exiting over Orlando and into the Atlantic Ocean late this morning.

It has compounded the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago, with the death toll expected to rise in the coming days as rescue efforts reveal the true extent of Milton’s fury.

The storm also knocked out power across a large section of Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses reportedly left without electricity and in some cases water.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday morning that the aftermath of Hurricane Milton was not ‘the worst case scenario’.

He told reporters that the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8 to 10 feet – less than the highest levels recorded during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.

He added crews across the state spent the night clearing debris, and confirmed that President Joe Biden’s administration had agreed to all of Florida’s request for emergency assistance.

‘Our state is a peninsula in the middle of a tropical environment. I mean, we are just built to be able to respond to hurricanes,’ DeSantis said.

‘We’ll survey the damage and get people on their feet. We’ll get through this.’

Milton also spawned at least 19 tornadoes, the governor said, causing damage in numerous counties and destroying around 125 homes, most of them mobile homes.

Meanwhile, officials in Sarasota said: ‘We know everyone is eager to see how our community fared following Hurricane Milton.

‘At this time, please stay where you are and continue to shelter in place. It is not safe to venture outside yet.’

Milton’s eye slammed into Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles (112 kilometres) south of Tampa, battering houses, overturning vehicles and sucking debris into the air.

The Sheriff of St. Lucie County revealed that ‘multiple fatalities’ were caused when the area was ravaged by a tornado heralding Milton’s arrival.

They died when the twisters hit the Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, where many had been sheltering.

After making landfall, Milton began rumbling east, ripping up everything in its path before tearing apart the roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg.

Shocking images showed gaping holes in the fabric that serves as the domed building’s roof, suggesting the stadium may well have been ravaged.

Meanwhile, a tower block housing the offices of the Tampa Bay Times suffered massive damage when a crane was toppled and smashed into its facade, ripping through several stories and sending debris tumbling into the streets below.

At least 117 tornado warnings were issued in communities across the state overnight and into this morning, with dozens reported to have materialised and wrought havoc.

Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards in Nottingham Trent University, explained Florida’s building codes mean the majority of structures are built to withstand incredible forces – but he said there are thousands of houses that could’ve sustained significant damage.

‘With Milton making landfall to the south, Tampa Bay appears thankfully to have escaped its worst-case scenario with respect to storm surge but considerable wind damage is likely to have been sustained and the area has some of the highest density housing in Florida.

‘Building codes introduced across the state following the devastation brought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 have made a real difference but it is estimated that over 800,000 homes in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties were built before the adoption of more robust, wind-resistant construction.’

Source: Dailymail

Ray is one of dozens of reporters out and about in the horrendous weather conditions attempting to give a sense to viewers of what the conditions are like as the storm swirls about them.

While many other networks had their reporters safely in hotels or sheltered by nearby buildings, Ray was truly out in the elements and completely exposed as he felt the full force of Milton.

Ray was introduced by the anchor, noting how he was going to demonstrate what ‘an extreme weather warning looks like’.

‘That is why I am standing here, and you know something this is an historic storm and this is part of the documentation will also hopefully show people to evacuate. You don’t want to be in this,’ warned a drenched Ray, shouting into the microphone as he struggled to be heard.

‘You don’t want to be in your home if it’s not structurally confident. We’re going to see a lot of those issues tomorrow, especially in mobile homes,’ Ray explained.

‘This is why we are showing the fury of Milton. The menacing fury of Milton, no doubt the toughest winds I’ve experienced this entire season and I hope this is the end.’

Milton made landfall on Florida’s west coast on Wednesday night, striking a little sooner and further south than forecast.

The storm made landfall around 8:30pm as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120mph near Siesta Key, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Siesta Key is a barrier island town of some 4,500 off Sarasota about 60 miles south of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, which is home to more than 3 million people.

Milton also spawned at least 19 tornadoes, causing damage in numerous counties, and destroyed around 125 homes, most of them mobile homes.

The Hurricane Center labeled it an ‘extremely dangerous’ storm capable of deadly storm surge, ferocious winds and flash flooding across Central Florida.

No fatalities had yet been reported, but people were warned against venturing outside.

‘At this point, it’s too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down,’ DeSantis said upon announcing the landfall.

The storm was expected to cross the Florida peninsula overnight and emerge into the Atlantic, still with hurricane force, on Thursday.

Once past Florida, it should weaken over the western Atlantic, possibly dropping below hurricane strength on Thursday night, but will nonetheless pose storm-surge danger on the state’s Atlantic coast as well.

Source: Dailymail

The classification marks only the speed of Milton’s wind gusts, as forecasters warned that the storm is set to be one of the worst in recent memory.

It has already brought maximum wind speeds of 120mph, and its rain bands have caused at least five confirmed tornadoes to touch down in southwest Florida – which one sheriff has claimed caused ‘multiple fatalities.’

More than a million were also left without power as of 10pm, while the National Weather Service declared a Flash Flood Emergency in the Tampa Bay area.

But authorities say the greatest danger Milton will bring is the wall of water, known as storm surge. It was initially feared to be 15-feet tall, though forecasters now believe the storm surge will be a still record-breaking 12-feet in height.

Terrifying drone camera footage even caught massive, 28-foot waves caused by the hurricane.

The waves are approximately 28.12 feet – longer than a London bus and four times as tall as Andre the Giant – and feature wind gusts just over 75 miles per hour.

The video is part of a program with the drone-makers, Saildrone, in an ‘effort to better understand and predict devastating events like Hurricane Milton.’

Almost six million Floridians were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm, with officials advising anyone who doesn’t leave to write their names on their legs so authorities could identify their bodies.

But some were seen Wednesday visiting Universal Studios resort in Orlando – trying to make the most of the hours before Milton made landfall.

Footage of residents enjoying themselves while ignoring evacuation warnings drew contempt across social media, with one person sharing a selfie at the Key West landmark and questioning: ‘What are you doing man?’

In another video that left social media users furious, an influencer said she was ‘going to die’ because she was too stubborn to evacuate her home during the storm.

The Florida Department of Health has now deployed over 200 emergency response vehicles, according to the governor’s website.

Source: Dailymail

The horrifying footage, posted on Instagram by Abc7ny, shows a Hurricane Milton-related tornado raging through the sky in Wellington, Florida.

Powerlines are seen brightly bursting as the tornado tore them apart. Cars in the video sped away from the unexpected sparks.

TECO Energy, which provides electricity to West Central Florida, urges residents to stay away from fallen powerlines and to stay out of floodwaters because they conceal powerlines.

People should unplug non-essential electric equipment to protect themselves from hazardous power surges.

When using portable generators, TECO said to plug appliances directly into them and not to connect generators to a home’s circuits.

Generators need to stay outdoors because they can caused carbon monoxide gases to build up.

Another company, Duke Energy Florida, emphasized the importance of electrical safety during these dangerous times.

‘Despite extensive system improvements and rigorous tree trimming, the strong winds and flooding will cause power outages. Customers should expect significant damage and make immediate preparations for extended power outage durations,’ Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida’s storm director, said in a statement.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3 storm on Wednesday night.

The classification marks only the speed of Milton’s wind gusts, as forecasters warned that the storm is set to be one of the worst in recent memory when hurricane-force winds hit the coast later today.

Floridians have already been hit with heavy rainfall and a potent tornado outbreak that brought at least 90 tornado warnings across the state on Wednesday.

Winds on land already reported at over 120 miles per hour and several inches of rain fallen and a ‘catastrophic’ flooding situation developing in Tampa Bay.

Tornadoes touched down in the Everglades and Fort Myers. Forecasters warn more could appear across central and southern Florida.

The greatest danger is posed by the wall of water, known as a storm surge, that Milton will whip up. Initially feared to be fifteen feet tall, forecasters now believe the storm surge will be a still record-breaking 12 feet in height.

The NOAA posted terrifying drone camera footage showing massive, 28-foot waves caused by Hurricane Milton.

The waves are approximately 28.12 feet – longer than a London bus and four times as tall as Andre the Giant – and feature wind gusts just over 75 miles per hour.

The video is part of a program with the drone-makers, Saildrone, in an ‘effort to better understand and predict devastating events like Hurricane Milton.’

Emergency efforts have been rolled out across the state, as people have been advised to evacuate.

The Florida Department of Health deployed over 200 emergency response vehicles, according to the governor’s website.

Florida residents who refused to leave their homes have been advised to write their names on their legs so authorities could identify their bodies.

Millions of people across Florida are locked in a desperate race against time to evacuate before the ‘storm of the century’ smashes into Tampa late tonight, with officials warning that those choosing to stay and ride out Hurricane Milton would be left to fend for themselves.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged locals to evacuate before the 15 feet of storm surge forecast to hit her city submerges entire properties. She has repeatedly warned those who are refusing to leave that they could die in their homes.

Source: Dailymail