The so-called "worst hurricane of the century" has wreaked havoc as it passed through Florida. There are cities affected by severe flooding, tornadoes caused by the storm have devastated the state, more than three million homes and buildings are without electricity, and numerous damages have occurred. The eye of Hurricane Milton has already left Florida after crossing it from west to east, although meteorologists have warned that the area will still experience the storm of heavy rains and winds associated with the cyclone.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed the hurricane east of Cape Canaveral, with maximum sustained winds still around 140 kilometers per hour -- it remains a category 1 hurricane--. The central and eastern areas of Florida remain under threat, although the worst has already passed on the western coast.
Authorities had recommended the evacuation of more than five million people in Florida, with messages from the President of the United States, Joe Biden, who warned that leaving on time was "a matter of life or death."
Four deaths have already been confirmed due to the storm, while more than three million homes and businesses are without power, according to counts collected by NBC News. Milton is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the United States this year and the third to impact Florida, which already suffered the passage of Helene a few weeks ago.
Hurricane Milton was a significant storm, but not "the worst-case scenario," says the governor of Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis told reporters on Thursday that the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was two to three meters, less than the worst place during Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago. "We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses," he said. "The storm was significant but, fortunately, this was not the worst possible scenario," he said
Milton's forecast for the rest of the day
Milton's center is about 80 kilometers off the Atlantic coast of Florida, but its rain, wind, and storm surge continue.
Intense rains and the strongest winds of the storm are hitting the east coast of Florida, from south of Daytona Beach to the Port St. Lucie area. Wind gusts of 96 to 112 km/h continue to hit parts of the Space Coast and nearby coasts, reports CNN.
Most of Milton's rains will end Thursday morning, but some showers near the east coast could persist until early afternoon, local time (it is now nine in the morning in Florida)
At dawn on Thursday, authorities emphasized that the danger has not passed: the storm surge remained concerning in many parts of the state of Florida, and there were tropical storm warnings in much of the central east coast. Officials from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Lee counties, heavily affected by the hurricane, urged the population not to go out on the roads and reported fallen power lines and trees on the roads, as well as bridges cut off and flooding.
"We will notify you when it is safe to go out," said Chad Chronister, chief of police for Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located,
Elections and conspiracy theories
President Biden was briefed on the "initial impacts" of Milton, according to the White House, at a time when the response of the Democratic administration will be closely scrutinized by Republicans just four weeks before the presidential elections, reports Afp
Donald Trump and some of his far-right Republican allies have turned the disasters of Helene and Milton into a campaign issue. Several conspiracy theories about government involvement in the weather and misinformation about the alleged failure of the Biden administration and the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, in their response to the emergency have spread rapidly.
"Western North Carolina, and the entire state, have been totally and incompetently mismanaged by Harris and Biden," said Trump on Wednesday on his social network Truth Social. "Hold on and vote to get these horrible 'public servants' out of office," he added. Harris taunted Trump on a TV show on Tuesday night: "Don't you have empathy for people's suffering?" she challenged him.
Four dead in St. Lucie County from tornadoes
The number of fatalities in a nursing home after a tornado in St. Lucie County caused by Hurricane Milton has risen from two to four, according to state authorities.
Tampa Mayor urges residents to still stay at home
Tampa suffered "extensive damage" as a result of Hurricane Milton, including fallen trees and half a million people without electricity, said the city's mayor, according to NBC.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also urged residents to stay in their homes until city officials could go out and assess the damage and ensure that it was safe for people.
Several people rescued from under debris and overturned vehicles after tornadoes in Palm Beach
Several people had to be rescued after tornadoes caused by Milton in Palm Beach County. Some of those rescued were trapped under debris or stuck in overturned vehicles due to strong winds, according to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.
Five people, including three with injuries, were taken to local hospitals, and many others who arrived on their own were treated for minor injuries.
3.25 million people are now without power after Milton's passage
Some 3.25 million energy customers in central Florida are without power this morning following Hurricane Milton, according to NBC.
The storm crossed the state as a category 1 hurricane, and meteorologists warned in advance that power outages could take weeks to resolve.
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"Some of the strongest winds and rain gusts I've ever seen"
Hurricane Milton has kept residents awake all night into the early morning hours, and a resident said the storm has brought "some of the strongest winds and rain gusts" they have ever seen in a hurricane cycle, reports NBC.
"Hurricane Milton has been one of the most intense storms I have experienced as a Florida resident," said 22-year-old Brian Martin from Casselberry, Seminole County.
Greenpeace on Hurricane Milton: "Oil companies must take responsibility"
The environmental organization Greenpeace stated on Thursday that "oil companies must take responsibility" for extreme phenomena like Hurricane Milton, which in the last hours has made landfall in Florida (United States) leaving behind several dead and damages that could be one of the largest in the country's history, reports Efe.
Greenpeace hoped that the pain of the victims and those affected would not be in vain, and that devastating meteorological events (hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, fires...) would serve to "understand the need to urgently end the causes that generate them."
It emphasized that "the main cause of the climate emergency, which generates these increasing phenomena, is the emission of greenhouse gases, mainly caused by fossil fuels (oil, coal, and gas)."
Storm warnings lifted for Florida's west coast
All hurricane and tropical storm warnings for Florida's west coast have been lifted as Milton moves away towards Florida's east coast, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
However, Milton still produces dangerous hurricane-force winds and heavy rains in central-eastern Florida, said the NHC.
Hurricane 'Milton' forces closure of ten airports in Florida and the cancellation of over 1,000 flights on Thursday
Hurricane 'Milton' made landfall on the coasts of Florida (United States) on Wednesday night, and ten airports in the state remain closed for Thursday, with over a thousand flights canceled, reports Efe.
Specifically, Tampa International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater, Orlando, Melbourne Orlando, Orlando Saford, Sarasota Bradenton, Lakeland Linder, Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Southwest Florida announced the closure of operations.