Hurricane Milton has weakened further and is now a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) latest advisory.
The storm struck Florida as a Category 3 storm late on Wednesday after weakening from a Category 5 storm.
Climate change ‘supercharging’ hurricanes: Researcher
Oliver Carpenter, director of Environmental Risk, Resilience, a University of Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies spinout, has told Al Jazeera that climate change is affecting hurricane activity in the North Atlantic.
“[It is] supercharging them to be more destructive and increasing the risk of major damage. Tropical cyclones occur naturally, but climate change is fueling warmer ocean and air temperatures which is driving more intense, larger, and longer-lasting storms,” he said.
“This is a non-linear effect with small changes in temperatures leading to large changes in wind speed and rainfall. Even minor increases in wind speed and rainfall can result in significantly higher destruction. For example, damage caused by hurricanes scales with the cube of wind speed.
“This brings into sharp focus the preparedness of coastal communities and resilience to weather such extreme storms.”
Hurricane moving off Florida’s east coast: NHC
The National Hurricane Center says Milton is moving off Florida’s east coast. “Still producing damaging hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall in east-central Florida,” it said on X.
Rainfall of 200-350 mm is expected across central to northern portions of the Florida peninsula on Thursday.
“This rainfall will continue to bring the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding,” the hurricane agency said.
WATCH: Heavy winds, floods as Hurricane Milton makes landfall
Videos from Florida show Hurricane Milton making landfall with winds of more than 200km/h (124mph) causing flooding, destruction and power cuts.
Video Duration 00 minutes 54 seconds
Heavy winds and flooding as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in US
More than 3 million people without power: Tracker
More than 3 million people in Florida are without power as of 3:58am (07:58 GMT), according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks supplies.
The worst-affected areas are on its west coast, especially Hardee, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Hillsborough.
Orlando – home to Disney World – in storm’s path
Milton is expected to tear inland, with tourist hub Orlando – home to Disney World, which has closed for the storm – in its path.
The storm was expected to cross the Florida peninsula overnight and emerge into the Atlantic, still with hurricane force, on Thursday.
Milton is forecast to maintain hurricane intensity while crossing Florida later on Thursday morning but after moving into the Atlantic, it is likely to gradually lose tropical characteristics and slowly weaken, the National Hurricane Center said.
Scientists say extreme rainfall and destructive storms are occurring with greater severity and frequency as temperatures rise due to climate change. As warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapour, they provide more energy for storms as they form.
Videos show extensive damage after the storm
Brooke Silverang, meteorologist at WPBF25 TV news channel covering Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast has shared a video on X showing damaged properties in Avenir neighbourhood in Palm Beach Gardens following a tornado.
“Over 160 tornado warnings from midnight to 6 PM [on Wednesday] across Florida,” she wrote.
The local channel posted more videos of the extensive damage and a view of the tornado:
Hurricane continues to move northeast across peninsula: NHC
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says: “A flash food emergency continues over portions of west-central Florida.
“Hurricane Milton continues to move east-northeast across the Florida Peninsula,” it wrote on X.
What does the hurricane look like from space?
The International Space Station has shared photos of the hurricane on X, taken from space on Tuesday when it was off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick also shared a time lapse video of the hurricane from Wednesday.
“Storm looks bigger but less symmetric than yesterday,” he wrote.
More than 2.8 million people without power: Tracker
More than 2.85 million people in Florida are without power as of 2:36am (6:36 GMT), according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks supplies.
The worst-affected states are on its west coast, especially Hardee, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Hillsborough counties.
Of 9,640 electricity customers tracked in Hardee, 9,403 were out of power, it said.
‘Knockout for those punched during Hurricane Helene’
“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay.
“Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”
Florida resident Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall.
“The thing is it’s so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula,” she said. “In most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida there are only so many roads that take you north or south.”
Taylor Swift donates $5m to help hurricane relief efforts: Charity
Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot has announced the singer’s donation for people affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton in an Instagram post, thanking her for “standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need”.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous $5m donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” Babineaux-Fontenot wrote.
“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”
Taylor Swift performs as part of the Eras Tour at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo [File: Toru Hanai/AP]
Damaging winds reaching Florida’s east coast: NHC
The National Hurricane Center says on X: “Damaging winds from Hurricane #Milton are now reaching the Florida East Coast, and a Flash Flood Emergency continues over portions of west-central Florida.”
The weather agency posted that heavy rains will continue across much of central Florida.
Milton shreds Tropicana Field’s roof
Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appears to be badly damaged. Television images show the fabric that serves as the domed building’s roof had been ripped to shreds. It was not immediately clear if there was damage inside the stadium.
The Rays’ stadium was not being used as a shelter, but the Tampa Bay Times reported that it was being used as “a staging site for workers” brought to the area to deal with the storm’s aftermath.
The stadium opened in 1990 and initially cost $138m. It was due to be replaced for the 2028 season with a $1.3bn ballpark.
Fallen tree branches lie near a parking garage in Sarasota, Florida [Marco Bello/Reuters]
Milton weakens to Category 1 hurricane, NHC says
Milton has weakened further and is now a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) latest advisory.
Milton was located about 105km (65 miles) west-southwest of Cape Canaveral, Florida, packing maximum sustained winds of 150km/h (93 mph).
The hurricane made landfall at about 8:30pm (00:30 GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 195km/h (121 mph) near Siesta Key, Florida.
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Reports of multiple collapsed cranes in St Petersburg
The National Weather Service says it has received reports of multiple collapsed cranes due to high winds in St Petersburg, about 80km (50 miles) south of Siesta Key in Florida.
St Petersburg Fire Rescue confirmed one collapse about six blocks from the city’s pier. There were no reports of injuries.
The crane was at the site of a 515-foot-tall (157-metre) luxury high-rise building under construction that is being billed as one of the tallest buildings on the west coast of Florida. It was scheduled to be completed in summer, 2025.
Deaths reported in St Lucie after Florida tornadoes
There are reports of fatalities in St Lucie on Florida’s Atlantic Coast after the area was hit by multiple tornadoes.
St Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told the local ABC News affiliate there’d been “loss of life” and that search and rescue teams were on site at the Spanish Lakes community.
Pearson did not elaborate on the number of deaths.
“We got hit the hardest, the quickest,” he said of the tornadoes.
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Drinking water cut off in St Petersburg after mains pipe reported broken
Authorities in St Petersburg, which is part of the Tampa metropolitan area, have cut off the supply of drinking water to the city.
The cut follows a break in the water main.
Writing on Facebook, the city said there would be no supply until repairs could be completed.
“Repairs to the water line will begin once it is safe for crews to be outside,” it said.
“The City is issuing a boil water notice for all potable water used for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth until further notice,” the statement added.
If you’re just joining us
Hurricane Milton has struck Florida as a Category 3 storm. It came ashore slightly earlier than expected near Siesta Key, south of the densely populated Tampa Bay metropolitan area.
Milton has since weakened to Category 2, but it will continue to “bring life-threatening weather hazards”, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
Hundreds of thousands of people have evacuated their homes near the coast, and nearly a quarter of Florida’s petrol stations are out of fuel.
More than two million homes in the state are without power, according to tracker Poweroutage.us.
At least 19 tornadoes ripped across the southern part of Florida, hundreds of miles from the centre of the storm, as Hurricane Milton neared land, Governor Ron DeSantis said at a Wednesday evening news briefing.
More than 2 million people in Florida without power: Tracker
Some 2.2 million people in Florida are without power as of 12:21am (06:21 GMT), according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks supplies.
The worst affected areas are on the state’s west coast.
Milton losing strength but still a Category 2 hurricane as it moves across Florida
Milton may be running out of steam, but the storm was still expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses the Florida peninsula overnight and emerges into the Atlantic on Thursday, forecasters said.
Milton was moving towards the east-northeast at 26 kilometres per hour (16mph), and once beyond Florida, it was forecast to weaken over the western Atlantic.
No longer classified as a major hurricane, Milton was downgraded to Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of wind strength. Its maximum sustained winds were near 165km/h (105mph) with higher gusts.
National Hurricane Center image shows the probable path of Hurricane Milton [NOAA]
Florida’s citrus industry takes a flogging from hurricane
Florida is one of the world’s biggest producers of citrus fruit in the world – and oranges are one of its most iconic symbols.
The US Department of Agriculture estimates, for the 2023-2024 season, the state will produce 18.8 million boxes of oranges.
But the crop is vulnerable to major weather events, and Hurricane Milton could pose a threat to this year’s production.
“While farmers can evacuate families and secure equipment, there is little we can do to prevent wind and floods from destroying groves,” Matt Joyner, the executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, told the Reuters news agency.
Much of the state’s citrus groves lie in the south and central regions, close to where Milton is expected to cross the peninsula.
Florida’s orange production could be endangered by the passage of Hurricane Milton [Chris O’Meara/AP Photo]
Milton causes fuel shortages in Florida
Nearly a quarter of Florida’s petrol stations were out of fuel on Wednesday afternoon after thousands of residents jumped in their cars to escape the storm, the Reuters news agency reported.
More than a million people in coastal areas were under evacuation orders as Milton approached the state’s west coast, causing major traffic delays on highways.
As a result, about 24 percent of nearly 8,000 fuelling stations in Florida were out of fuel by 12pm local time (16:00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to market tracker GasBuddy. Outages were most severe in the Tampa-St Petersburg area, with more than half of the pumps out of petrol.
Other regions in the predicted path of the storm also reported high outages.
Florida is the third-largest petrol consumer in the United States. There are no refineries in the state, so it depends on imported fuel shipments by land or sea.
Petrol pumps are covered at a station in Clearwater Beach, Florida, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 7 [Chris O’Meara/AP Photo]
Photos: Dangerous rain and wind from Hurricane Milton batters Florida
Bands of intense rain and heavy winds whipped across south and central Florida on Wednesday night, as Hurricane Milton began to churn from the west side of the state’s peninsula to the east.
Even as a Category 2 storm, the Florida Division of Emergency Management warned Milton would be “continuing to bring life-threatening weather hazards” to the state.
Take a look at some of the intense rainfall drenching the area below. And check out our gallery of Floridians preparing for the storm here.
Max Watts of Buford, Georgia, walks through a parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Florida [Julio Cortez/AP Photo]
A man in Sarasota, Florida, records the storm as Hurricane Milton makes landfall [Marco Bello/Reuters]
Chris Nation of Commerce, Georgia, climbs a tree outside the hotel where he and co-workers are riding out Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Florida [Julio Cortez/AP Photo]
What are the deadliest hurricanes in US history?
Authorities have confirmed the first deaths related to Hurricane Milton, but the toll of the storm will likely not be known for some time.
It made landfall just days after Hurricane Helene cut across the southern United States, leaving at least 230 people dead across six states. That puts that storm among the deadliest in modern US history.
The most devastating storm on record came in 1900, when the Great Galveston Hurricane tore across Texas, killing at least 8,000.
More recently, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 left 1,395 people dead when it hit the southern US. The storm’s severity caused the levees around New Orleans to fail, allowing for deadly flooding.
Other deadly hurricanes in the US include 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, which left 219 people dead across New York and New Jersey, and 2022’s Hurricane Ian, which killed 156 when it came ashore at Cayo Costa Island, Florida.
An American flag waves as Hurricane Milton pushes past Orlando, Florida [Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters]
Flash flooding and record rainfall recorded in the Tampa Bay area from Hurricane Milton
Meteorologists are reporting record rainfall associated with Hurricane Milton as it churns its way across Florida after making landfall on Wednesday evening on the west coast of the state.
The city of St Petersburg, in Tampa Bay, has received “an insane amount of rain”, more than 406mm (16 inches) in the last 24 hours, according to The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang team. More than 127mm (5 inches) fell in one hour between 8pm and 9pm alone, a 1-in-1,000-year amount, it added.
A flash flood emergency was declared for the Tampa Bay area just north of where Milton made landfall.
The National Hurricane Center earlier forecast rainfall amounts of 152 to 305mm (6 to 12 inches), with localised totals up to 457mm (18 inches), across central to northern portions of the Florida Peninsula through Thursday.
“This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding,” it said.
A man walks through windy and rainy conditions on a deserted street in downtown Tampa, Florida, during the approach of Hurricane Milton, on October 9, 2024 [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
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Critics fear unhoused Floridians at heightened risk during hurricane
One of the communities most vulnerable to Wednesday’s hurricane is Florida’s homeless population.
An estimated 31,000 unhoused people live in Florida, according to the state government.
But at the start of this month, a new law took effect, banning unauthorised “public sleeping”.
Critics say the law functionally criminalises homelessness, a situation that can result from a lack of affordable housing, loss of income or natural disasters like Wednesday’s hurricane.
The “public sleeping” law does carve out exceptions for “specified emergencies”, like severe weather.
But advocates fear the law is part of a wave of legislation targetting those experiencing homelessness.
In 2017, for instance, officials used the state’s Baker Act to involuntarily detain several unhoused people during Hurricane Irma, holding them for a mental health evaluation after they refused shelter from the storm.
Homelessness can spike after a major hurricane like Milton. In the year after 2022’s Hurricane Ian, for instance, Florida’s Council on Homelessness found a 70 percent jump in homelessness in the three counties most affected.
The council pointed out that hurricanes can also decrease the number of houses available, preventing people from finding new homes even if they might have the means.
An unhoused person sleeps under a wheelchair in downtown Tampa on October 9, as Hurricane Milton approaches [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
Record number of tornado warnings sparked by Hurricane Milton in Florida
As Hurricane Milton approached the Florida coast, at least 19 tornadoes ripped across the southern part of the state, hundreds of miles away from the centre of the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a Wednesday evening news briefing.
More than 50 tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service office in Miami alone, a one-day record, and nearly 116 in the state overall, according to state officials.
“Multiple fatalities” were reported after a tornado struck a country club in St Lucie County on Florida’s east coast.
Florida’s theme park circuit shuttered for the storm
Some might call it the happiest place on earth – or at least it was, until Hurricane Milton brought it to a standstill.
The Orlando area in central Florida is home to some of the most visited theme parks in the world, including Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. More than 17.7 million visitors descended on that park in 2023 alone.
The Florida government estimates that tourism in general contributes nearly $333m to the state economy each day.
But the rollercoasters and merrymaking ground to a halt on Wednesday, as the theme parks prepared for Hurricane Milton to churn across the state, traversing from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic.
All Disney World and Universal Studios parks were closed by Wednesday afternoon. The nearby aquatic theme park, Sea World, shuttered after its gates closed on Tuesday. The Orlando international airport likewise suspended operations on Wednesday morning.
Still, some thrill-seekers squeezed in a few rides on Wednesday morning before the stormy weather shut down the amusements.
Tourists on October 8 enjoy shops at the Disney Springs entertainment complex on October 8, a day before Hurricane Milton made landfall [John Raoux/AP Photo]
US emergency director says downgraded Hurricane Milton remains a life-threatening storm
The United States director of the federal emergency agency FEMA, Deanne Criswell warns that the risks from high winds and flash flooding from Hurricane Milton remain high as it moves over land.
Even though it was downgraded to Category 2 status after landfall, “right now we are seeing the flooding and the wind and the storm is just starting to move across the state”, she told CNN.
“We won’t see the full extent of that until the storm continues and gets out of the state. We know there are still life-threatening situations out there,” she added.
She congratulated local residents for heeding the evacuation orders noting that there were 70,000 people who went to shelters set up by authorities.
Sheriff says ‘multiple fatalities’ after tornadoes hit eastern Florida county
St Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson has told local media multiple people were killed in a senior community called Spanish Lakes Country Club. The community is located near the South Florida city of Fort Pierce.
The sheriff could not confirm the number of deaths and injuries but said that emergency responders were still searching damaged homes.
“They’re listening for life. They’re listening for anybody to call out and say, ‘I’m in here. I need help,’” Pearson told the local news station WPTV. “This is a weather event like none other.”
He said between six and 12 tornadoes had touched down in the county.
At least 1.2 millions customers without power in Florida: Tracker
The number of power outages across the state is rising rapidly, with over 1.2 million customers affected so far, according to the Poweroutage.us tracker.
Most of the outages were reported across the state’s central region, where Milton recently made landfall.
The outages were most severe in Tampa and the surrounding areas.
Streetlights are pictured as Hurricane Milton approaches in Orlando, Florida [Reuters]
Hurricane Milton made landfall a little bit ahead of schedule at Siesta Key. That is just south of Tampa, near the Sarasota resort region on the Gulf Coast.
It hit land as a Category 3 hurricane with tremendously powerful wind. We’re expecting a storm surge to follow in the hours to come. A wall of seawater, potentially four-and-a-half meters high, will likely inundate that area.
The governor of the state of Florida, President Biden and local leaders all have told people to evacuate from that zone. Many parts of that area are cut off from the mainland because there are low-lying islands.
Yet, there are still people who choose to ride the storm out. We will not know their fate until the light of day when the storm passes.
Hurricane Milton approaches Sarasota, Florida, on October 9 [Marco Bello/Reuters]
Siesta Key: The wealthy island where Hurricane Milton made landfall
Siesta Key is a barrier island on the west coast of Florida, famous for its white sandy beaches with a small population of wealthy residents, most of them retirees.
Its population of approximately 5,500 residents has a median age of almost 67 and a median household income of $113,500.
The island is connected to the city of Sarasota by a series of bridges, which were closed on Tuesday evening, according to the Sarasota Police Department.
Sarasota is a larger city with about 55,000 residents and is considered to be one of the top luxury housing markets in the nation, with homes valued in the $10m range.
The Sarasota area was already reeling from Hurricane Helene, which brought a record level of storm surge two weeks ago, flooding the barrier islands and driving sand into homes and local hotels.
The city of Sarasota warned residents to “take this very seriously”. Deputy City Manager Pat Robinson made a video statement on Wednesday saying, “This storm will continue through the night with the major impact after dark […] We want everyone to stay safe.”
DeSantis warns looters: ‘Don’t even think about it’
Earlier in the day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed the public from the state capital of Tallahassee, warning residents of treacherous weather conditions.
But he also shared a warning for would-be looters: Stay home.
“There is going to be a lot of damage from this storm. There’s going to be opportunities for people to try to take advantage of that,” DeSantis said.
“My message to you is: Don’t even think about it. We are going to come down hard on you. You are going to regret that you tried to do that.”
DeSantis, an erstwhile Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential race, campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform, something he leaned into during his Wednesday news conference.
“We need to maintain law and order,” he said.
He also emphasised the scale of the disaster response efforts and mentioned he had spoken to President Biden earlier in the day. “This is the largest Florida National Guard search-and-rescue mobilisation in the entire history of the state,” he explained.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made crime a major part of his platform [Chris O’Meara/AP Photo]
Florida emergency agency warns of ‘deadly hazards and conditions’
In a post on the social media platform X, as Milton made landfall, the Florida Division of Emergency Management appealed for residents to “continue to shelter in place and remain vigilant”.
“Deadly hazards and conditions are present well into Thursday as the storm continues to move across the state,” the agency said.
Speaking shortly before the landfall, the agency’s director, Kevin Guthrie, said 125 homes – mostly mobile homes and senior communities – had already been destroyed by the storm.
He also warned residents that a moment of calm likely means the storm’s eye is passing over. Residents should not let their guard down.
“It’s going to come back and get really nasty very soon,” he said.
Melvin Lee Hicks, who is homeless, lies under a sheet under a parking garage in downtown Tampa, Florida, as Hurricane Milton comes ashore on October 9 [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
Florida governor warns residents ‘too dangerous’ to evacuate now
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivered an evening news briefing, warning residents to shelter in place now that Hurricane Milton has arrived on the state’s coastline.
“At this point, it is too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down,” DeSantis told reporters.
“Stay inside and stay off the roads,” he added. “There are going to be hazards in the storm surge and in the flood waters.”
The governor also made reference to the hundreds of thousands of mobile homes and other older or temporary constructions in the state, which are less able to withstand strong winds and flooding.
“For most places in Florida, particularly newer construction, likely the building is going to be able to withstand it, but if you start to get into a situation where trees are snapping, power’s popping, you do have to treat it like a tornado,” DeSantis said. “If you are in a tornado warning, that is a ‘duck-and-cover’ [situation].”
Florida man dubbed ‘Lt Dan’, rescued from houseboat before Milton’s arrival
Despite the fearsome strength of Hurricane Milton, not everyone was so anxious to get out of its way.
One Tampa resident had to be rescued after he promised to ride out the storm on his houseboat.
He was eventually persuaded to change his mind by Tampa police on Wednesday, according to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
The unidentified man was quickly nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” on social media, a reference to the Forrest Gump movie character who fictitiously survived a hurricane on a boat.
Castor used the episode as an opportunity to plead with the public to evacuate and not attempt to stay in their homes ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall.
“If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter, we can get anybody to do that,” she told a news conference, warning that Milton threatened to far surpass the storm surge from Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida’s Big Bend area two weeks ago.
Despite Helene making landfall well north of Milton’s path, it also flooded homes near Tampa.
“Any of you who went through Hurricane Helene, that was four to six feet [1.2 to 1.8 metres] of storm surge, and that was more devastation than I’ve seen in my life. Milton has the possibility of bringing twice as much storm surge here, from 12 to 15 feet [3.7 to 4.6 metres]. That is something that’s historical, not only for our community but really for our nation,” Castor added.
Hurricane Milton makes landfall on Florida’s west coast
Radar data indicates that the eye of Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center reported in its latest advisory.
It’s maximum sustained winds were 195km/h (120mph).
How a zoo in Tampa prepared for the storm
Animals at ZooTampa, a sprawling 63-acre facility, will remain on the premises throughout Milton, Tiffany Burns, the senior director of its animal programmes, told the Reuters news agency.
But many will be able to ride out the hurricane inside storm-safe buildings, outside of their usual habitats.
Some animals will share shuttered barns or wait out the rough weather in crates inside safe locations. Others – like the alligators, which are native to Florida – need no special attention during Milton.
“We’re in Florida,” Burns said. “We know hurricanes. It’s just a matter of watching what degree we’re dealing with and responding to that.”
The zoo sustained no damage when Hurricane Helene bumped along Florida’s Gulf Coast about two weeks ago, she said. But Burns said she was not aware of the zoo having endured a direct hit since it was founded in the 1930s.
Milton is ninth hurricane of 2024, part of an unusually active season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had warned of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, crediting the La Nina weather pattern and warmer-than-average water temperatures for the heightened activity.
But the hurricane season – which runs from June 1 to November 30 – has seen a sharp uptick in storms since September. Five of the nine hurricanes have hit since the middle of that month.
The overall number of hurricanes has already surpassed last year’s total when there were only seven named hurricanes.
All told, there have been 13 named storms in the Atlantic in 2024. Milton is also the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida this year, although other storms have brought high winds and rain to the state.
In a post on X, Jeff Masters, a hurricane scientist, noted that eight Category 4 or 5 storms have made landfall in the US over the last eight years alone.
That is equal to the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes that struck over the 57 years prior.
‘A real frustration’: Correspondent shares insight from evacuees
Reporting from Fort Myers, Florida
What we’re seeing in Fort Myers is conditions starting to deteriorate, the wind’s getting stronger, the rain getting a bit more constant. And it’s just going to continue to go downhill as this storm moves closer to the coastline and makes landfall here…
There are 400,000 people in zones determined to be mandatory evacuation zones in this county, in the Fort Myers area. Some obviously have decided to stay. They always do. But if there’s good news, it’s the fact that it looks like the majority of those people have moved to higher ground, moved out of the way of this storm.
They’ve been through so much over the last couple of years, just two weeks ago dealing with Hurricane Helene leaving damage here. Debby before that. Two years ago, you had Ian, which really ravaged this entire region — tore apart homes and businesses.
I talked to a family last night who was evacuating. They said, “Look, we had just gotten things back to where we felt a little sense of normalcy here, and now we’re leaving it all behind again.” So there’s a real frustration and just a real fatigue from the amount of storms they’ve had to battle over the last couple of years.
They say one of the toughest parts of all this is leaving all of that behind, going away, and watching this storm develop, move in, and wondering what’s going to be left behind. There’s no question this is a major hurricane, and it will definitely leave its mark here on the peninsula.
Jay Gray spoke to families evacuating in Fort Myers, Florida [Al Jazeera]
Sheltering from the storm? How about a baseball stadium?
For those who aren’t staying home, here’s one of the shelter options being offered to Tampa Bay residents confronted with Hurricane Milton: an indoor baseball stadium.
Tropicana Field, the home of the major league Tampa Bay Rays, is in downtown St Petersburg, one of the cities in the path of Milton. The stadium, which sits only a few streets from the bay, has been converted into a shelter for thousands of emergency responders as the state braces for Hurricane Milton.
For the first time since 2018, the Rays were eliminated from the ongoing postseason playoffs this year, so the stadium isn’t being used.
Instead, images show the field packed with rows of empty green cots.
Florida officials have been urging residents to evacuate before Milton arrives. The federal emergency agency, FEMA, says there are 1,400 search and rescue personnel in Florida ready to respond after Milton is gone.
Tips for hurricane-proofing your home
If you are ever faced with preparing for a hurricane, here’s a good tip from the insurance industry.
“Everyone knows to close your exterior windows and doors. But also closing your interior doors can be just as important in limiting pressure on your roof,” says the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety.
Closing interior doors before severe weather can reduce pressure on your roof by up to 30 percent, the institute says.
Northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton now “spreading ashore”
The northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is now “spreading ashore” in the Tampa Bay area on Florida’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center reports in its latest advisory.
An “extreme wind warning” is now in effect, it says.
Milton is “close to making landfall” along the coast of west-central Florida, the NHC said.
Weakened Milton expected to slow down and turn towards Tampa Bay
The latest radar images of Hurricane Milton show that its winds have been “sheared”, leaving the eye open on the south side and the heaviest precipitation to the north of the centre, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The northern eyewall of Milton is now spreading ashore in the Tampa Bay-St Petersburg area, where an extreme wind warning is now in effect, the NHC says.
The track forecast indicates that Milton will slow down a bit and turn more to the right very soon, taking the centre near orjust south of Tampa Bay later this evening.
Milton’s centre is then expected to cross central Florida and turn northeastward as it emerges over the western Atlantic.
As a Category 3 storm, Milton is considered to be on the threshold of being a major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida.
Photos: Inside a Florida hurricane shelter
Evacuation orders have stretched across the western coast of Florida – and even across the state, where residents of the nation’s oldest city, St Augustine, were urged to get out of harm’s way before Hurricane Milton made landfall.
But for some Floridians, evacuation is simply not an option. The cost of travel may be too high, and fuel too scarce. And mobility issues like lack of transportation or disability may put the prospect out of reach.
Take a look inside one shelter, set up inside a public school in New Port Richey, Florida, where many residents unable to evacuate have sought protection from the storm.
Bill Rogers is one of 700 evacuees in the gymnasium in the shelter at River Ridge Middle and High School in New Port Richey, Florida [Mike Carlson/AP Photo]
Stephen Gandy is among the 1,400 evacuees and emergency workers sheltering in the River Ridge school, a coastal city in the Tampa metropolitan area: Seven-hundred people were in the gym alone [Mike Carlson/AP Photo]
Pet owners also stored their animals at the River Ridge public school as Hurricane Milton approached [Mike Carlson/AP Photo]
More Florida counties suspend first responder operations
Pasco County, north of Tampa, and Manatee County, which is south of the city, have announced the suspension of their first responder operations.
St Petersburg had previously announced its personnel would not be responding to emergencies during the storm.
In a post on its website, Manatee County said: “Due to hazardous conditions, emergency services are suspended. 911 emergency calls will be logged and queued based on priority and will be responded to as soon as safe to do so.”
It urged residents to shelter in place until an “all clear” is issued.
Georgia governor says bracing for storm, hopes it will not be a ‘hard hit’
While Milton is expected to do the most damage in western Florida, the neighbouring state of Georgia, which is also still reeling from Hurricane Helene, is also bracing for impact.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has urged residents of the state’s coastal counties to prepare for falling trees, scattered power outages and potential flooding near the ocean as Hurricane Milton crosses Florida.
All 160 kilometres (100 miles) of the Georgia coast were also under a tropical storm warning Wednesday and Thursday.
“We don’t think this is going to be a hard hit,” Kemp told reporters after meeting with local emergency management officials in Savannah. “But we want to over-prepare and hope this storm, for us at least, under-delivers.”
Kemp said about 50,000 Georgia homes and businesses remain without electricity after Helene.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has warned his state about flooding in the aftermath of Milton [Jeff Amy/AP Photo]
Federal officials working to move IV bags out of storm’s path
Intravenous (IV) fluids play an important role in emergency care, allowing doctors and healthcare professionals to replenish blood, water and nutrients patients may need.
But with Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida, federal officials have been working to move IV bags out of the storm’s path.
Medical manufacturer B Braun Medical closed its facility in Daytona Beach, Florida, ahead of the storm and said it was working with the federal government to move its inventory.
Braun is one of several producers that had been tapped to boost supplies after Baxter International’s North Carolina plant was damaged in Hurricane Helene, threatening the national supply of IV bags.
US hospitals use more than two million IV bags daily to keep patients hydrated and deliver medicines, among other treatments.
A major manufacturer of IV bags is in the path of Hurricane Milton [File: David Goldman/AP Photo]
What are the ‘reckless and irresponsible’ lies Biden condemned?
President Joe Biden has specifically singled out Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for spreading lies related to last month’s Hurricane Helene and now Milton.
Speaking from the White House on Wednesday, Biden said Trump has led the “onslaught” of lies.
“Assertions have been made that property is being confiscated. That’s simply not true. They’re saying people impacted by these storms will receive $750 in cash and no more,” Biden said. “That is simply not true either.”
Trump, however, has repeated that claim on the campaign trail, as he seeks a second term as president. The $750 represents an initial payment some survivors of Helene were given for essential supplies as they awaited further recovery assistance.
Republicans have also falsely claimed that the funds are loans that recipients have to pay back. FEMA has said both claims are false.
Taylor Greene took the falsehoods a step further, appearing to claim that the federal government can control the weather.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris called the claim “sickening”, while Biden on Wednesday called the claim “beyond ridiculous” and “so stupid”.
Video Duration 02 minutes 34 seconds
Hurricane Helene aftermath: US president allocates $45 million for relief aid
Storm surges, power outages and strong winds as Milton approaches
The director of the US National Weather Service, Ken Graham, has said that tropical storm winds have already reached Florida’s shoreline, and water levels are rising as Milton approaches.
“I’m scared to death by some of these storm surge levels,” Graham said in an interview with CNN.
Meanwhile, the tracker Poweroutage.us has reported that 260,000 residents of Florida are already without power.
Some coastal roads were beginning to flood in southwest Florida, while the coastal city of St Petersburg suspended first responder operations.
“For the safety of our police, fire, and medical teams, they will not be able to respond to emergency calls until it is safe to operate,” the city said.
Tornadoes reported across Florida as sheriff’s office damaged
A tornado ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall has caused structural damage to St Lucie County Sheriff’s Office on Florida’s east coast, Sheriff Keith Pearson said in a video posted on Facebook.
The video showed a heavily damaged building, broken under twisted metal.
“A tornado just touched down and took out a 10,000 square-foot [930 square-metre] facility that we have behind us,” Pearson said, pointing towards the building.
The tornado is just one of dozens already reported across the state.
Federal emergency agency FEMA says more than 1,000 responders in Florida
Jaclyn Rothenberg, the agency’s spokesperson, said in a post on the social media platform X there are 1,400 search and rescue personnel in Florida.
There were also seven incident management teams, 400 ambulances, 20 helicopters and 60 high-water vehicles ready to respond.
Meanwhile, Florida Power and Light, the largest utility company in the state, reported that approximately 17,000 workers were on standby.
Biden decries hurricane response misinformation as ‘un-American’
In the hours before the storm was expected to strike Florida, US President Joe Biden delivered remarks to reporters from the White House, promising support for the affected regions.
Biden announced that the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Deanne Criswell, will be in Florida on Wednesday night for the storm, which he warned will bring “incredible destructiveness”.
He also condemned falsehoods spread about the federal emergency response to Milton and last month’s Hurricane Helene as “un-American”.
“Over the last few weeks, there has been reckless and irresponsible and relentless promotion of disinformation and outright lies about what’s going on. It’s undermining confidence in the people of Florida,” Biden said. “It’s harmful to those who most need the help.”
President Joe Biden delivers remarks about preparations for Hurricane Milton from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on October 9 [Nathan Howard/Reuters]
Scientists predict wind, rain likely to be boosted by climate change
Scientists have released a new flash study following Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida at the end of September, before tearing north across the southern US.
The World Weather Attribution, an academic collaboration that seeks to quickly assess the role of climate change in extreme weather, found that human-caused climate change increased Helene’s rainfall by about 10 percent and intensified its winds by about 11 percent.
The group predicted a similar phenomenon for Milton.
A resident in Marshall, North Carolina, walks through debris following Hurricane Helene on October 8 [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]
Why is Milton so significant?
The hurricane hasn’t made landfall yet, but the speed of its intensification has already raised eyebrows.
Milton formed as a tropical depression on October 5, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was swiftly deemed a tropical storm, and just 24 hours after being named, it became a Category 1 hurricane.
Maximum sustained winds peaked on Monday at the high end of a Category 5 hurricane. The speed of the intensification is the third highest on record, after Wilma in 2005 and Felix in 2007.
At its most intense, Milton was also the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005.
How are hurricanes categorised in the US?
The National Hurricane Center uses the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to categorise hurricanes.
The scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to 5, depending on their maximum sustained wind speed. The categories are also meant to estimate potential property damage.
Milton is currently a Category 3 storm, meaning it has winds of between 178 and 208km/h (111 and 129mph).
Where is the storm now?
As of 4pm Eastern Time (20:00 GMT), it was forecast to make landfall around 11pm (3:00 GMT Thursday).
The storm is currently travelling northeast in the Gulf of Mexico near the central region of Florida’s western coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The exact location where Milton will make landfall is not immediately clear, although the entire Tampa Bay region and points south of it are at the gravest risk.
Heavy rainfall is already spreading inland across the Florida peninsula, with multiple tornado warnings in effect.
Welcome to our live coverage
Hello, and thank you for joining our live coverage of Hurricane Milton, which is set to make landfall in the United States tonight.
Stay with Al Jazeera as we bring you all the updates from the storm, currently a Category 3 hurricane that has brought heavy rainfall, tornado warnings and widespread evacuation orders across the state of Florida.
Police block off a bridge leading to the barrier island of St Pete Beach, Florida, ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton [Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo]
