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

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

Posting to her Instagram Story Tuesday night from her new Florida home, Calloway detailed the full extent of her predicament.

‘So if you’ve been following Hurricane Milton, um, I’m going to die! It’s supposed to make landfall in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. I’m in Sarasota, I live on the water, it’s zone A, mandatory evacuation,’ she said.

Calloway then attempted to explain why she didn’t get out of her home in time for the storm.

‘I can’t drive, first of all. Second of all, the airport is close. Third of all, the last time I evacuated for a hurricane, I went to my mom’s house in Northport for Hurricane Ian,’ she said.

‘Her whole street flooded and we were evacuated after three days without power or running water by the U.S. military,’ Calloway revealed.

‘It was very traumatic and so I don’t want to evacuate to my mom’s house because the last time I did that, it was the worst time ever!’

She then said that she was holed down with her cat with a bathtub full of ‘backup water.’

‘We have food but it’s kind of scary and… yeah, I’ll keep you guys updated,’ she finished, before posting video of Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor saying that if you don’t evacuate, “you will die.”‘

Calloway notoriously paid for followers on Instagram, and defrauded hundreds of fans with ‘creative workshops’ that never materialized before bolting to Florida where she says she’s ‘not f***ed someone who can read in over two years’.

In 2015, her large Instagram following helped her secure a six-figure book deal but she failed to deliver, branding its premise ‘sexist’, but offering the first seven chapters for sale on Etsy.

Then her ghostwriter Natalie Beach wrote a bombshell essay in The Cut.

The essay coincided with the suicide of Calloway’s father, and Calloway told followers on Instagram Stories she was struggling with depression, anxiety, and Adderall addiction, while consumed with existential questions about why she was alive.

Still needing to pay off the advance on the book she had not written, she opened an OnlyFans account in 2020 claiming that Playboy had commissioned a photoshoot with her.

She told Harvard’s Crimson Magazine she imagined her subscribers to be ‘boys who went to Princeton and now work on Wall Street and who think I would have been mean to them in middle school’.

But her subscribers were not enough to stop her being evicted from her West Village apartment by a landlord who sued her for $40,000 and damage to the building.

That summer a BBC documentary ‘My Insta Scammer Friend’ dealt her reputation another blow as former followers detailed their abusive relationship with her.

‘I was 10 out of 10 obsessed with Caroline Calloway,’ Genevieve Wheeler told the program-makers.

‘She would like your posts and it felt like Christmas morning. It was the greatest thing in the world.’

‘I would definitely say I was addicted,’ said Caitlin Vickers. ‘I wanted to be living that life so much.’

She told followers she wanted them to ‘grow old with me’ and watch her fall in love and get married.

But many lost money on her ‘creativity workshops’ and were devastated when Calloway revealed her mercenary side shortly before quitting social media in 2021.

‘Do you know hard it is to conjure fame and money out of thin air?’ she demanded. ‘And I’m f***ing killing it.

‘Big picture: I want fame, power and money and people talking about me is part of that.’

She transferred from NYU to Cambridge with Beach, who admitted she was dazzled by ‘the most confident girl I’d ever known’.

‘She seemed like an adult, someone who had just gone ahead and constructed a life of independence. I, meanwhile, was a virgin with a meek ponytail, living in a railroad apartment that was sinking into the Gowanus Canal,’ she wrote.

‘She was constantly calling me her best friend and work wife, telling me she loved me. I thought we were in this together.’

But Calloway later admitted she had been turned on by Beach’s account of being sexually assaulted, and cruelly compared her figure to that of a pot-bellied man she had had sex with.

Three years later she was likened to notorious Fyre Festival conman Billy McFarland after selling $165 tickets to a nationwide ‘Creativity Workshop Tour’, which promised tutorials on building an Instagram brand, developing ideas, and addressing ‘the emotional and spiritual dimensions of making art’.

But most of the events were cancelled with Calloway urging some ticket buyers in Philadelphia to get on a train to New York for one of the few that went ahead.

‘It was this sickening feeling,’ fan Abigail Scott said. ‘A lightbulb went off … She was just looking at her fans as a way to make money.’

Relocating to Sarasota in Florida she cashed in on her reputation with a 2023 memoir called Scammer in which she described the plaque she hoped would one day sit outside her former New York apartment.

Sold through her revived Instagram account and self-published through her imprint Dead Dad publishing it was well received by reviewers with the New Yorker describing it as ‘funny, engaging, and full of genuine insight’.

She told the Crimson she expects it to be the first of a trilogy of ‘juvenilia’ answering her critics before she tries to put her past behind her.

‘It’s been terrible for my reputation,’ she said. ‘I mean, people finally know that I’m not a scammer now. How am I supposed to keep up my reputation when people are out here slandering my name?’

Earlier this month she told the No Jumper podcast she was only dating men who know nothing about her past, but she ‘hates’ them.

She’s now in the path of Hurricane Milton, which churned Wednesday toward a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.

The National Hurricane Center predicted Milton, a monstrous Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach, would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday.

Source: dailymail

The Sun Princess was due to dock in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, yesterday but after increasing warnings for Hurricane Milton across Florida, the ship stayed off the coast.

Ports in South Florida, including Tampa and Sarasota, were closed yesterday ahead of the hurricane as thousands race to evacuate the area.

Ezra Freeman, who works aboard the ship, posted an update on Facebook sharing the status of the cruise, she said: ‘We were meant to arrive in Ft Lauderdale today to round out our transatlantic crossing, but due to these devastating hurricanes, all ports in South Florida have been closed until further notice.’

The ship was eight miles off the coast to medically evacuate passengers on a helicopter after ports in South Florida have restricted access

Freeman said: ‘Morale on board is high, and I’m praying for all of those who are in line of the hurricanes and the devastation, as well as the guests who evacuated today’

The ship pulled up just eight miles next to the port in order to medically disembark three guests onboard by helicopter, according to Freeman. After the first helicopter evacuation, emergency services switched to tender boat transportation, she added.

The Sun Princess was on track to finish their first transatlantic crossing after her debut in February 2024.

Through X on Monday evening, Princess Cruises said: ‘Due to the Hurricane Milton’s approach to Florida, the U.S Coast Guard has restricted ship access to all ports in South Florida effective at midnight tonight including Fort Lauderdale, where we were scheduled to disembark on Tuesday.’

Princess Cruises said: ‘Due to the Hurricane Milton’s approach to Florida, the U.S Coast Guard has restricted ship access to all ports in South Florida effective at midnight tonight including Fort Lauderdale, where we were scheduled to disembark on Tuesday’

Source: dailymail

The National Hurricane Center says the storm made landfall at Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.

Already, over a million people in the region are without power due to the storm. Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor told CNN ‘the next few hours are going to be rough here.’

The storm is bringing rain and high winds at the Tampa Bay on its steady and potentially catastrophic march toward the west coast of Florida, where officials sounded urgent warnings for residents to evacuate or face grim odds of survival.

Apparent 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.

Hurricane Milton makes landfall on the coast of Florida

Hurricane Milton has made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the west coast of Florida , the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the United States in 2024.

The National Hurricane Center says the storm made landfall at Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico near Sarasota, with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour.

The five storms to make landfall in 2024 are more than the years 2021 through 2023 combined.

Florida already underwater with terrifying footage showing monster storm surge swallowing whole suburbs as Hurricane Milton’s ferocious eyewall nears the coast

Florida is already beginning to flood in at least six inches of rain as Hurricane Milton lands ashore and the storm surge is already 3.7 feet above typically dry ground.

The National Hurricane Center has revealed that the storm is 20 miles southwest of Sarasota.

The National Weather Service has declared a Flash Flood Warning for much of the Tampa area until 10:45 p.m. Already, over three inches of rain have fallen in the past three hours. Hurricane gusts were reported at around 89 miles per hour at the Tampa-St. Petersburg Airport.

The Weather Prediction Service said: ‘An axis of extreme rainfall, stretching from the Tampa metropolitan region northeastward into the north-central Florida Peninsula, is expected to result in major to locally catastrophicflash flooding with considerable threats to life and property.’

They added that some locations could face an inch of water per hour for the coming two to four hours.

It will likely cause ‘rapid rises of water above the surface as water will not have sufficient time to drain, especially across the mostly impervious surfaces of the St. Petersburg into the Tampa metro and possibly nearing Orlando later tonight.’

Weather Channel anchor Jim Cantore could be seen standing in several inches of water in Charlotte Harbor, just 100 miles south of Tampa Bay.

Terrifying footage shows giant waves headed for Florida

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.’

Source: dailymail

Currently a Category 3 hurricane, it is still unclear when exactly Milton will make landfall but the hurricane was reported to pack winds up to 120 mph at 7pm EDT and heavy rain has also been reported across different areas in Florida.

An extreme wind warning was also issued in parts of the Tampa Bay Area, and a tornado watch is currently in effect for the southern half of the Florida Peninsula until 9pm EDT.

The National Hurricane Center previously declared that Milton presents an ‘extremely life-threatening situation’ as millions evacuated.

Milton makes landfall in Florida

At 8:30pm EDT, the National Hurricane Center announced that Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane.

“Extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane Milton makes landfall near Siesta Key Florida,” the center wrote in their latest update. “Life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding occurring over the central Florida Peninsula.”

Flash flood warnings issued in parts of Florida

“Flash Flood Warning including Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL and Clearwater FL until 11:30 PM EDT,” they wrote on Twitter.

Milton is ‘close to making landfall’

The latest data from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Milton is around an hour away from making landfall.

As of 8pm EDT, Milton is centered 20 miles southwest of Sarasota, Florida and is moving eastward at 15 mph. It is still packing winds of 120 mph and has so far remained a strong Category 3 hurricane.

The center’s latest update reads, “Milton close to making landfall along the coast of west-central Florida.”

“Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains occurring across portions of central and southwestern Florida,” they added.

Over 500,000 customers in Florida without power

As of 8 pm EDT, poweroutage.us indicates that over 500,000 customers in Florida are currently without power. As the hurricane continues to move inward, more outages are expected to occur.

CNN reports that a spokesperson for Duke Energy Florida’s service warned that there could be up to 1 million outages.

Extreme wind warning issued in parts of Florida

At around 6:30pm EDT, the National Weather Service for Tampa Bay issued an extreme wind warning after Milton was reported to pack winds at 120 mph.

“An extreme wind warning is in effect for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL until 9:30 PM EDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds,” the NWS Tampa Bay wrote on Twitter. “Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior or shelter NOW!”

A similar warning was issued by The National Hurricane Center that added that the “Northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is beginning to move onshore of the Florida gulf coast near Tampa and St. Petersburg where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect.

“Please shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region.”

Source: www.unilad.com

Declared a Category 4 storm on Wednesday, Milton is currently barreling toward the Florida Peninsula and is forecasted to make landfall overnight.

The National Hurricane Center previously described Milton as ‘extremely life-threatening’ and warned that most of its devastating impact will likely occur in the Tampa Bay Area.

Home to about three-and-a-half million people, the Tampa Bay Area is currently the most vulnerable metro area to storm surge, with forecasts indicating that Milton will likely push 8 to 12 feet of seawater onto shore based on its current track.

While storm surges are expected, exactly how much will depend on where Milton hits. Per USA Today, if Milton arrives south of Tampa Bay, a ‘reverse’ storm surge could suck its bay dry. However, if it arrives 10 to 20 miles up north, a storm surge will likely overwhelm the area.

Rick Davis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay, told USA Today that Milton’s path is difficult to predict and a margin of error of about 25 miles will still exist 12 hours ahead of landfall which could make a ‘big difference.’

“That is going to be a big difference on storm surge conditions in the Tampa Bay area,” Davis explained. “If it just moves another 10 or 20 miles, then all that surge will be materialized in Tampa Bay.”

Davis also added that the winds guiding Milton are highly influenced by shifts in the jet stream explaining, “Any little ripple in the jet stream can push the storm in one direction or lift it in another direction. So it’s very chaotic.”

The National Hurricane Center urged people ‘not to focus on the exact landfall point’ earlier today, emphasizing that ‘Milton’s exact landfall location is not possible to predict even at this time, particularly if the hurricane wobbles during the day and into this evening.’

Weather is difficult to predict in general and those circumstances are exacerbated when it comes to hurricanes. Milton’s point of landfall has bounced north and south within the past 24 hours alone and is likely to continue to do so.

“It’s weather. It’s chaos. There’s inherently uncertainty in the weather,” Davis noted.

Although the exact point of Milton’s landfall and the magnitude of its storm surges are still to be precisely determined, the National Hurricane Center said: “The risk of devastating storm surge still exists across much of the west-central and southwest coast of Florida given the size of the storm and the uncertainties in exactly where landfall will occur.”

Source: unilad.com