Hurricane Milton left a deadly mark on Florida, claiming the lives of at least four people as it swept across the state on Wednesday night before moving into the Atlantic Ocean. The Category 3 storm made landfall in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa, unleashing torrential rain, fierce winds, and a series of destructive tornadoes.
While Milton spared Tampa a direct hit, it brought widespread devastation to nearby areas, with heavy flooding and damage reported across Sarasota County. The storm’s path diverted southward in its final hours, preventing what could have been a catastrophic storm surge in Tampa. However, Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the situation remained dangerous as water levels continued to rise.
“The storm was significant but thankfully, this was not the worst case scenario,” DeSantis said in a Thursday briefing, cautioning that Sarasota County had still experienced a storm surge of up to 10 feet, causing significant damage.
Emergency officials urged residents in the hardest-hit counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Lee, to remain indoors as crews worked to restore power and clear blocked roads. Over 3.2 million homes and businesses were left without electricity, and severe flooding remained a threat. Storm surge and tropical storm warnings extended northward into Georgia and South Carolina.
Before making landfall, Milton had already begun wreaking havoc. Tornadoes spawned by the storm tore through southern Florida, with one particularly deadly twister striking St. Lucie County. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed four fatalities in the Spanish Lakes Country Club, a community of mostly mobile homes. Around 125 homes were destroyed, many occupied by senior citizens.
Milton’s landfall followed in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which ravaged parts of Florida two weeks earlier and left over 200 people dead across the southern U.S. In areas still recovering from Helene, municipalities worked around the clock to remove debris in anticipation of Milton’s arrival.
DeSantis highlighted the state’s extensive response, with 9,000 National Guard members deployed, along with 50,000 utility workers from across the U.S. to help restore power and clear debris. “Unfortunately, there will be fatalities,” DeSantis said, acknowledging the storm’s deadly toll.
As Florida continued to deal with the aftermath, major attractions like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld remained closed on Thursday.
