Live Updates: Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida

CNN correspondents on the ground in Florida witness the ferocity of Hurricane Milton as fierce winds, rain and tornadoes sweep across the state.

This is what CNN sees in parts of Florida:

St Petersburg: Heavy rain blows violently in one direction. According to CNN's Bill Weir, five inches of rain fell in just one hour, and more is expected to fall in the following hours.

“I just can't help but think of all the souls that Helene went through that were already dealing with moldy drywall and now this is going to cause so much heartache or so much stress all over Florida.”

Bradenton: “This thing really changes every few minutes. “It's very unpredictable,” CNN's Anderson Cooper reported. For the last hour there has been a flickering power on and off. “This storm has changed several times.”

Sarasota: Winds remain extremely strong after the eye of Hurricane Milton moved through the area. CNN's Randi Kaye said, “It's like a punch in the gut when you get caught by it.”

Tampa: “It’s relentless. “It's violent and dangerous out here,” CNN's Brian Todd said as heavy rain pelted downtown. Nobody can be seen in the neighborhood because “it’s just too dangerous.”

“This road is starting to flood and … the flooding is going to get worse because there's basically nowhere for the water to go.”

See more from Anderson Cooper as Hurricane Milton made landfall:

Anderson Cooper shows what Milton's storm surge looks like