SARASOTA, Fla. – Hurricane Milton churned across Florida on Thursday after pummeling the state as a powerful Category 3 storm, compounding the misery from a previous devastating hurricane and leaving a trail of destruction across the peninsula.
Milton slammed into the coast near Sarasota on Wednesday night, bringing 100 mph winds and a barrage of tornadoes that caused catastrophic damage. The storm tracked south of the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, sparing it a direct hit, but the situation remained dire as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches of rain, sparking flash flooding.
“We have lost some life,” said St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson, though he declined to provide specifics on the death toll.
The storm knocked out power to over 3 million homes and businesses across Florida, and left the iconic Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, with its fabric roof shredded by the fierce winds.
The calamity comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida, leaving at least 230 people dead across the South. Many communities were still reeling from Helene’s impact when Milton struck.
“Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout,” warned Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County. “You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”
But for some residents, evacuating proved impossible. Jackie Curnick, who stayed in her Sarasota home with her 2-year-old son and newborn daughter, said finding available hotel rooms or a safe route out of the state was too daunting.
“In Florida there are only so many roads that take you north or south,” Curnick explained.
Gov. Ron DeSantis acknowledged the tragic consequences, saying, “Unfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don’t think there’s any way around that.”
As Milton churned northward, it continued to pound the Florida Peninsula with heavy rains and the threat of catastrophic flooding. The storm was expected to emerge in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, but not before leaving a swath of destruction across the state.
For beleaguered Floridians, the back-to-back hurricane strikes have been a devastating one-two punch.
