Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's west coast on October 10, 2024, forcing approximately 6 million residents to evacuate and causing significant damage across the state. Initially classified as a Category 3 hurricane, Milton's winds reached up to 120 mph (195 kph) before weakening to Category 2 as it moved inland.
The storm struck near Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. EDT, bringing with it deadly tornadoes, flash floods, and widespread power outages. By late evening, over 1.3 million homes and businesses were without electricity, and emergency services reported multiple fatalities linked to tornado activity.
Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to shelter in place as conditions became too dangerous for evacuation. The National Hurricane Center issued a flash flood emergency for the Tampa Bay area, which had already received over 16 inches (422 mm) of rain. The storm is expected to cross the Florida peninsula and emerge into the Atlantic, potentially weakening but still posing a storm-surge threat.
With the region already recovering from Hurricane Helene, additional resources have been mobilized, including 9,000 National Guard personnel and extensive supplies from FEMA. The storm's rapid intensification, becoming the third-fastest storm to reach Category 5 status in the Atlantic, underscores the growing threat of extreme weather events.