Unleashing its fury as a Category 3 storm, Hurricane Milton roared into Siesta Key on Florida’s west coast late on Wednesday evening (1.30am GMT). This beautiful barrier island, celebrated for its stunning white-sand offerings and a cosy community of about 5,500 folks, sits just 70 miles south of Tampa and bore the full brunt of this unforgiving storm.
Yet almost immediately after landfall, the coast of Florida absorbed some of Hurricane Milton’s most destructive forces. Enormous storm surges swelled, sending 10 to 15 feet of angry waters crashing into densely populated areas and underlining the unpredictable nature of such devastating storms.
Astonishing wind speeds clocked in at 120mph buffeted the coastline, with the tempest’s wrath even temporarily draining the water from Tampa Bay.
“Because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the center, it is possible for a cyclone’s strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur. Similarly, it is possible for a tropical cyclone to make landfall and have its strongest winds remain over the water,” the National Hurricane Center explained.
Fort Myers Beach saw immediate storm surges as Milton struck (Image: @krassenstein/X)
With Milton’s strike landing squarely in the nighttime quiet, over a million people across Florida were plunged into darkness, stripped of electricity, as Hurricane Milton unleashed chaos across the state, reports the Mirror.
Sarasota, located away from the storm’s centre, experienced 90mph winds and severe flash flooding. The hurricane’s devastating power was evident as palm trees were uprooted and electrical transformers exploded across the city.
Earlier in the day, tornadoes triggered by the hurricane’s rain bands had already started their destructive path, bringing down power lines throughout the region. These tornadoes are believed to have claimed “multiple” lives and caused extensive damage, including destroying homes, planes at a private airport, and a police station, even before Hurricane Milton made landfall.
Florida’s energy companies had prepared their customers for possible disruptions due to the storm. Duke Energy Florida announced earlier on Wednesday that it was positioning its resources around the hurricane’s expected trajectory to tackle outages as soon as conditions allow.
Hurricane Milton stuck Florida’s west coast around 1.30am GMT, bringing vast and devastating storm surges (Image: @krassenstein/X)
Emergency services had previously warned that they would not be able to rescue anyone who chose to stay behind, following repeated warnings about the deadly force of Hurricane Milton. The hurricane escalated into a rare Category 5 as it traversed the Gulf of Mexico.
The NHC had issued warnings earlier in the day about the possibility of storm surges reaching 8 to 10 feet above ground level in Tampa Bay. Forecasts suggested that coastal areas from Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande, including Sarasota, could experience surges peaking at 10 to 15 feet.
However, as Milton made landfall, numerous towns and cities along the west coast experienced severe flash flooding, with waters rising above waist level and surges of up to six feet reported in areas such as Tampa, Sarasota, and St Petersburg.
The National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) advisory on Monday afternoon warned, “The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the south of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves,” It also noted that “Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.”
As the eye of Hurricane Milton passed over Sarasota, bringing an unsettling calm after hours of heavy rain and tornadoes, an NBC reporter observed that some locals who had disregarded the evacuation order had emerged from their shelters and begun recklessly driving around the city.
During a briefing on Wednesday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to take advantage of the opportunity to evacuate, but by the evening, he was advising them to stay in place due to the extremely hazardous winds and floods that were already causing destruction.
DeSantis also issued a stark warning to those choosing to remain on barrier islands, cautioning that “just know that if you get 10 feet of storm surge, you can’t just hunker down with that.”
“If you’re on the southern part of this storm, you are going to get storm surge,” DeSantis warned. “It’s churning massive amounts of water, and that water is going to come out,” he further cautioned.
A police station was flattened by the tornadoes that preceded Milton (Image: @4BillLewis/X)
“Man, if you’re anywhere in the eye or south, you are going to get major storm surge.”
As Milton neared, panic ensued with thousands jamming Florida’s highways seeking escape; by Wednesday, evacuation options were becoming scarce. Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor expressed the looming danger, highlighting that a predicted storm surge of up to 15 feet could leave homes completely underwater.
Authorities have forcefully cautioned that those refusing to leave might be left in peril, emphasizing rescue services will not compomise their safety to perform heroics amidst peak storm conditions.
With a population exceeding 3.3 million, Tampa Bay is bracing for mayhem; it’s been over a century since the area has been slammed directly by such formidable hurricanes.
