Hurricane Milton left behind power outages, destruction and some fatalities after making landfall overnight Wednesday as a major category three hurricane.
The storm brought with it winds over 100mph and one-in-a-thousand-year rainfall. As much as 18 inches fell in some parts of Florida’s west coast, with heavy downpours across the state and in nearby Cuba.
As it travelled inland across the Florida peninsula, Milton maintained category one strength with sustained winds up to 90mph. It lost some power once over land after its energy was fueled by the warm Gulf of Mexico waters.
Storm surges and tornadoes led to extensive flooding, with more expected in the coming days. Several people have been killed, with tornadoes in Lucie County claiming four lives before Milton made landfall.
Officials across Florida ordered evacuations as the storm approached, and more than three million homes and businesses reportedly lost power overnight Wednesday.
As residents and responders continue rescue operations and surveying damage, we look at the impact of Hurricane Milton in pictures.
The hurricane tore through Wellington, knocking down trees and damaging buildings
The Tropicana Field baseball stadium in St Petersburg was being used as a shelter for first responders until its roof was ripped off – fortunately no one was injured
A crane crashed into the Tampa Bay Times building after high winds lashed St Petersburg – no one was inside at the time
Volusia Sheriff’s special ops team helped evacuate residents in South Daytona amid the devastation
The storm caused serious damage to property in St Pete Beach
Residents had to wade through floodwaters after heavy rain in Punta Gorda
Trees fell and streets flooded in Osprey, Florida
The storm has caused some roads and pavements in Orange City – just north of Orlando – to collapse into the ground.
Property damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall
BBC News
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