Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on Wednesday night, battering Florida with fierce winds and spawning at least 19 tornadoes, destroying homes, and leaving over 3 million people without power. Though initially a Category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph, Milton weakened as it crossed the state, bringing devastation from the west to the east coast.

This is not a movie, its real 😳 #HurricaneMilton #Hurricane #FloridaFlooding #FloridaStorm pic.twitter.com/R2nHToKlA6

— WizArt the 7th (@7thWizArt) October 10, 2024

The Tampa Bay area, which had been bracing for catastrophic flooding, appeared to have narrowly escaped the worst, with water levels reportedly lower than those from Hurricane Helene just two weeks prior. However, damage was still widespread, with tornadoes wreaking havoc across multiple counties, destroying around 125 homes, many of which were mobile homes.

In Fort Pierce, a suspected tornado at a retirement community claimed two lives. Meanwhile, in Fort Myers, residents like Connor Ferin described the terrifying destruction caused by the tornadoes, which blew out windows and ripped off roofs in a matter of minutes.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reported that Milton had caused significant structural damage, including tearing open the roof of Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field stadium and toppling a large construction crane in St. Petersburg. Search-and-rescue missions are being prepared as recovery efforts ramp up, with over 9,000 National Guard personnel and 50,000 electricity workers deployed to assist.

Even as rescue and recovery operations begin, much of the southern U.S. remains on alert, with Milton expected to cause further damage in the coming hours.