CNN's latest storm news says Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, USA as a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of 120 mph and stronger gusts.
Viewed from satellite, the moment Hurricane Milton made landfall on the Florida coast was a chilling and worrying moment for hurricane forecasters. As Milton approached Florida, a wave as high as 8.5 meters was recorded 40 nautical miles from the storm's eye.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton is currently a Category 2 hurricane. The storm has sustained winds of 110 mph (177 km/h), with higher gusts. The center of the storm is currently 20 miles northeast of Sarasota, Florida.
CNN notes that while Milton's level has changed, the dangerous impact of the once-super Category 5 storm has not. The threat from Milton is expected to extend hundreds of kilometers from the storm's center by October 10.
The storm continues to bring life-threatening storm surge, heavy rains that cause flooding and strong winds that will affect areas far from the storm's eye, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
According to the latest hurricane forecast, Milton will maintain hurricane strength as it moves across central Florida through the morning of October 10, local time.
Milton is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the United States this Atlantic hurricane season, joining Category 1 Hurricane Beryl, Category 1 Debby, Category 2 Francine and Category 4 Helene.
CNN notes that there will be more hurricanes hitting the US in 2024 than from 2021-2023 combined.
As Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, power outages in Florida doubled in just over an hour, leaving more than 1.1 million homes and businesses in the dark, according to PowerOutage.us.
The most significant power outages were in Sarasota County, where Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 9, and nearby Manatee and Hardee counties. Power outages are expected to increase as winds move inland from Milton.
According to CNN's Brandon Miller, Hurricane Milton brought St. Petersburg a "once in a thousand years" amount of rain. 230 mm of rain fell in just over 3 hours when the heaviest rainband of Milton stopped in the Tampa Bay area on the evening of October 9. Not only was this a "once in a thousand years" amount of rain for St. Petersburg, it was also an average of more than 3 months' worth of rain falling in 3 hours in the city.
Major flash flooding is occurring or expected to begin soon and poses a life-threatening risk, the National Weather Service warns. Flash flood warnings have been issued for nearly 2 million people, including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
There were "multiple deaths" reported in St. Lucie County, on the state's Atlantic coast, after a tornado hit the area.
Cities like Lakeland, Kissimmee, Orlando and Cape Canaveral are all in Hurricane Milton's projected path.
