Milton makes landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, as a strong Category 3 hurricane

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, southwest Florida, on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour. Oct 9, 2024.

TAMPA, Fla. – Hurricane Milton made landfall late Wednesday evening south of Tampa near Sarasota, Florida, packing damaging winds that knocked out power to more than a million customers and triggered a significant tornado outbreak in the Sunshine State.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, located on the state's east coast, reported “multiple fatalities” related to several tornadoes rolling through.

FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS RESCUE A DOG TIED TO A POLE DURING HURRICANE MILTON

Gusts reached 89 mph in St. Petersburg, 87 mph in Palm Harbor and 77 mph in Davenport before the hurricane made landfall. A gust of 92 mph was also recorded in West Palm Beach, likely due to its proximity to a tornado.

The National Hurricane Center said Siesta Key experienced sustained winds of 73 mph and gusts of up to 102 mph at the pier.

The hurricane's strength prompted the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices to warn of a life-threatening storm surge that was expected to eclipse records set in the 1920s in some communities.

Due to the somewhat unusual synoptic structure for October, high-altitude winds helped increase the hurricane's width in the moments before landfall, but also resulted in significant weakening.

The former Category 5 hurricane formed in the Bay of Campeche on October 5 and quickly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane within the system's first 72 hours as a cyclone.

Milton's intensity made it the fifth most powerful hurricane ever in the Atlantic basin, trailing only the records set by Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988), Labor Day (1935), and Rita (2005).

Hurricane Milton landfall statistics

The impact on Florida is expected to last through Thursday

The storm system continues to barrel through central Florida and is expected to emerge over the Atlantic on Thursday.

In the time between landfall and Milton's reemergence over the Atlantic, central and northern Florida will see the worst the storm has to offer.

Hurricane-force wind gusts and an additional 5 to 10 inches of rainfall are expected along the Interstate 4 corridor.

Due to the combination of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes, more than 900,000 outages were reported nationwide, according to PowerOutage.us.

A moderate storm surge of 3 to 5 feet is also expected from the First Coast to the Space Coast, resulting in high tide flooding and significant beach erosion.

From Jacksonville, emergency shelters opened along the Treasure Coast for both residents and evacuees from the opposite coast.

HURRICANE MILTON TRACKING: LIVE RADAR, POWER OUTAGES AND MORE

Power outages in Florida.
(FOX Weather)

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Hurricane Milton triggers a historic tornado outbreak in Florida

In addition to hurricane-force winds and storm surge, Milton has spawned a historic and record-breaking tornado outbreak.

More than 140 tornado warnings were issued across central and southern Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton's powerful outer bands found an atmosphere ripe for a tornado to develop.

Stunning videos from the Florida Department of transport Cameras along Interstate 75 in Alligator Alley between Broward and Palm Beach counties captured the destructive power of Milton extreme weather in the state. FOX weather correspondent Brandy Campbell was affected by tornado damage in Fort Myers.

At least one person was taken away by ambulance as trees and debris littered the streets.

First responders were also seen leaving

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, located on the state's east coast, reported “multiple fatalities” related to several tornadoes rolling through.

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WATCH: TORNADO OUTBREAK CAUSES HURRICANE MILTON AS FUNNEL CLOUDS SWIRL OVER SOUTH FLORIDA

The National Weather Service office in Miami had issued more than 50 tornado warnings as of Wednesday afternoon, breaking its record for the most warnings issued in a single day. The previous record was set during an eruption of Hurricane Ian two years ago.