“Hurricane Milton” hits Florida

The authorities recently issued another urgent warning of the danger to life. But many people have stayed in their homes.

At around 8:30 p.m. local time – 2:30 a.m. German time – the US hurricane center reported: “Milton” has hit land. No longer at the highest hurricane level 5, nor 4, but 3 – but the eye of the storm, i.e. its extent, has grown significantly. For several hours, the west coast of Florida in particular has been exposed to storm surges, the wind has currently reached speeds of almost 200 kilometers per hour, and extreme amounts of rain are falling.

Hurricane Milton: Many people have stayed in their homes

By no means all residents have left the evacuation zones, many have stayed, including Edward Vilmetty from Tarpon Springs. “I’m putting a few more boards on the windows and a few more sandbags in front of the doors. And I’m hoping for the best,” he told NPR radio a few hours before Hurricane Milton hit the coast.

“I’m scared, but I’m barricading myself at home as best I can,” said Jelisse Caraballo from Polk County on PBS. She also stayed, having recently moved from New York State to Florida. She has never experienced a hurricane.

Tom Persson from Brandenton moved into a hotel in an elevated area that is considered safe. “Everyone is worried about the same things. Will I still have a home when I get back, or will my house be completely damaged,” he told PBS.

Authorities warn of danger to life

The authorities recently issued another urgent warning: Do not stay in the evacuation zones, there is a danger to life. The mayor of St. Petersburg, Ken Welch, put it this way on CNN: “If you’re going to take that risk, you better write your name on your clothes so we can identify you if we find you later. At a certain point, we can no longer respond to emergency calls because we don’t want to put the rescue workers in danger.”

First damage assessment only later in the day

Especially in the region around Sarasota on the west coast of Florida, there was a widespread power outage shortly after the storm center arrived. “Milton” has since been downgraded to a force 2. Nevertheless, the head of the US disaster management agency FEMA, Deanne Criswell, warned on CNN:

“Even if the wind and the storm force are easing, the dangers are not abating. The rain is now intensifying, the storm surges are continuing. Stay inside, as well protected and safe as possible.”

The hope is that the storm will weaken further as soon as possible and, after crossing Florida from west to east, move out into the Atlantic. An initial assessment of the damage will probably only be possible later in the day.

Hurricane “Milton” in the live ticker: Hurricane devastates Florida

08:36 a.m.

Hurricane “Milton” has left behind severe damage on its way through the US state of Florida. According to initial reports, the region south of the city of Tampa on the west coast was particularly affected, which had already been classified as a high-risk area before the hurricane arrived.

In the city of St. Petersburg, the city turned off the drinking water after a water pipe burst. Water must be boiled for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth until further notice, the authorities said in a statement. Repairs will begin as soon as it is safe for the workers to do so. Around 260,000 people live in St. Petersburg.

The media also reported on uprooted trees, fallen power poles and flooding in several Florida cities. More than 2.6 million households in the state were without power, according to data from the poweroutage.us website.

“Milton” weakens – flash floods expected

9:37 a.m.

Hurricane “Milton” has weakened to level 1, but the US hurricane center continues to warn of heavy rain, destructive winds and the risk of flash floods in the state of Florida. “Milton” will move across Florida in the coming hours at a maximum speed of around 150 kilometers per hour and will continue to weaken over the Atlantic, the US authority said.

In addition, between 200 and 350 liters of precipitation per square meter, and in some cases even up to 450 liters of rain, are expected in the north and center of Florida. The authorities are warning of high storm waves on the coast. Flash floods have occurred in the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, reports the US broadcaster CNN.

Apparently first deaths in Florida

7:20 a.m.

According to media reports, there have been the first confirmed deaths in the US state of Florida in connection with Hurricane “Milton”. A tornado that had already raged in St. Lucy County on Florida’s east coast before the storm arrived killed several people, US media reported, citing local sheriff Keith Pearson.

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at least 19 confirmed tornadoes were counted on Wednesday. Damage was also reported.

“Milton” reached Florida’s west coast on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 hurricane. It later weakened to level 2 – 5 is the highest. The US Hurricane Center continued to speak of “dangerous” winds with sustained speeds of 165 kilometers per hour. “Milton” is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it moves across the state and only weaken over the sea, it said.

Around two million people in Florida without power

6:51 a.m.

According to media reports, more than 1.9 million people in the US state of Florida are without power due to Hurricane “Milton”. The television station ABC reported that more than 1,904,000 customers were without power after the storm hit land. The number of those affected rose sharply within a few hours.

Hurricane Milton hit the west coast of Florida with sustained wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour, the US Hurricane Center announced. Given the size of the storm, there are urgent warnings.

Taylor Swift donates $5 million to hurricane victims

5:46 a.m.

Pop superstar Taylor Swift (34) has donated five million US dollars (around 4.5 million euros) to hurricane victims in the USA. The aid organization Feeding America announced on its social media that they are incredibly grateful to the singer for her generous donation to care for the victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton. The money would go towards the supply of food and other relief supplies and the reconstruction of communities.

Swift has often donated money after natural disasters in the USA. Last December, she donated one million US dollars to rebuild destroyed communities after severe hurricanes in the US state of Tennessee.

Hurricane Helene hit Florida just under two weeks ago. The hurricane left devastation in the southeast of the USA and claimed more than 200 lives. Now, a particularly strong hurricane, Milton, is hitting the west coast of Florida.

Hurricane “Milton” hits land on Florida’s west coast

02:44 a.m.

Hurricane “Milton” has reached the west coast of Florida. The storm hit land with sustained wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour, the US Hurricane Center announced. Shortly before “Milton” hit the coast, it was downgraded from the highest category 5 to level 4 and finally to 3. However, given the sheer size of the storm, the warnings remained as urgent as ever. US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas described the situation on CNN as a “matter of life and death.”
The region around Tampa, which had already been classified as a high-risk area before the hurricane arrived, is particularly affected. “Milton” is now expected to move from Florida’s Gulf Coast across the state towards the Atlantic. Severe destruction is also expected beyond the coast. Tornadoes were already raging in parts of Florida before the hurricane arrived. Water levels rose rapidly as strong winds pushed seawater inland.