Hurricane Milton leaves at least 10 dead, millions without power in Florida
Monster storm system moves into the Atlantic after lashing Florida with heavy rain, destructive winds and flash flooding
Hurricane Milton ploughed into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after cutting a destructive path across Florida that spawned tornadoes, killed at least 10 people and left millions without power, but the storm did not trigger the catastrophic surge of seawater that was feared.
Governor Ron DeSantis said the state had avoided the “worst-case scenario”, though he cautioned the damage was still significant. The Tampa Bay area appeared to sidestep the storm surge that had prompted the most dire warnings.
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House briefing the government had reports of at least 10 deaths from Milton, adding it appeared they were caused by tornadoes.
In St Lucie County on Florida’s east coast, a spate of tornadoes killed five people, including at least two in the senior-living Spanish Lakes Communities, county spokesman Erick Gill said. Search-and-rescue teams there are combing through hard-hit areas, including a mobile-home park.
There were 19 confirmed tornadoes in Florida as of 8pm on Wednesday, about the time Milton made landfall, DeSantis said. Some 45 tornadoes were reported throughout the day, mostly in the central and eastern parts of the state, the National Weather Service said.