Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 3 storm, causing widespread devastation. The hurricane resulted in tornadoes, heavy rainfall, and left millions without power, claiming at least 16 lives, including five in St. Lucie County.
Milton intensified rapidly, setting a record as the fastest Atlantic hurricane to escalate from a tropical depression to Category 5 status in just over 48 hours, according to NASA. The storm's explosive growth was attributed to exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, acting as 'rocket fuel' for the hurricane—a phenomenon increasingly likely due to climate change.
Satellite data revealed that sea surface temperatures in the Gulf were 1 to 3 degrees Celsius above the long-term average for 1985-2012. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with at least 135 individuals saved. This event marked the highest tornado warning ever issued in a single day in Florida's history, surpassing the previous record of 69 set during Hurricane Irma in 2017.