Samantha Dubberly consoles her daughter as medics takes her grandfather into care after he got injured by a tornado that hit his house in Fort Myers, Florida, during Hurricane Milton (AFP via Getty Images)
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Dramatic pictures show the preparations, impact and immediate aftermath after Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida Wednesday night.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm around 8.30pm in Sarasota County, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center. Over three million people are without power across the state and at least 10 deaths have been confirmed as the state starts to assess the damage. “This was an unprecedented storm with very high winds. The damage to the power system is more severe this time around,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch told NBC.
Here are scenes from the deadly storm:
A NASA photo shows Hurricane Milton from the International Space Station about 257 miles above earth. The storm is pictured in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Milton became the fastest Atlantic system to move from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane ((NASA via Getty Images))
People watch the weather at a restaurant in Orlando, Florida, on October 9. State officials had pleaded for days for people to evacuate. More than 3 million people were under evacuation orders in the Tampa Bay area alone. Many chose to leave but a few stayed and decided to brave the storm (Getty Images)
Authorities in Sarasota, Florida, close the Oyster Bay marina as the city prepares for landfall. Milton landed in Sarasota around 8.30 p.m. as a Category 3 storm. The strong winds and heavy rains impacted Florida’s Gulf Coast for hours before the landfall. The storm knocked down trees and ripped off roofs (EPA)
A man walks down a street holding an umbrella and heavy wind and rain start to pour into Orlando. At one point, Milton packed 180 mph winds, which was only one of nine Atlantic storms ever to do so. By the time it started to impact Florida, wind gusts of 120mph were reported (REUTERS)
Oscar Garcia, right, stands outside his family’s home after his Fort Myers neighborhood was battered by a tornado. Milton spawned several tornados and hundreds of warnings. The tornados have been blamed for at least four deaths (AFP via Getty Images)
Samantha Dubberly consoles her daughter, Alexa Haight, as emergency medical responders transport her grandfather to a nearby facility after he sustained injuries from a reported tornado that hit his Fort Myers home (AFP via Getty Images)
As the storm’s eye inched closer, more impacts were felt across the state. Palm trees bending in the wind after the hurricane made landfall in Brandon, Florida. Parts of Hillsborough County, including all mobile homes were under evacuation warnings. Many of the residents fled i the days before the storm, but not everyone (AFP via Getty Images)
After the hurricane made landfall, several homes sustained damages, including this one that lost its awning in Tampa. However, the storm was not as bad as some predicted. “One of the blessings for us is that we didn’t see that predicted storm surge, so that saved a lot. That was what we were really worried about was the storm surge and so, fortunately it, we didn’t see the peak of it, but it’s not over,” Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor said, according to WESH (AP)
One of the hardest hit buildings was Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The roof was ripped off the building and stunning pictures showed the extent of the damage. It’s unclear if the stadium will be ready for Opening Day 2025 (AP)
Before the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vowed that emergency personnel would be conducting rescues throughout the night. In Volusia County, fire rescue officials responded to an emergency call in flood waters just before dawn in Daytona (via REUTERS)
In another instance, first responders in Clearwater gathered outside a flooded apartment complex on October 10. At least 10 deaths were confirmed from the storm as of Thursday morning (AFP via Getty Images)
These residents needed to be rescued from their second story apartment complex in Clearwater that had been flooded due to an overflowing creek (AFP via Getty Images)
One of the most dramatic photos of the damage shows the wreckage of this office building in St Petersburg, Florida. The crane hit the building used by the Tampa Bay Times and sent debris flying into the road (REUTERS)
A police officer observes a collapsed crane in front of the office building. Officials have cordoned off the area to prevent injuries. Florida is now spending the day assessing the damage and starting to pick up the pieces (AFP via Getty Images)
Milton brought with it winds of up to 120 miles per hour. A boat was swept into this group of trees after the hurricane made landfall. Numerous reports show the extent of the damage and rescue crews were out Thursday morning trying to help (EPA)
This aerial view taken the day after the hurricane shows a person walking through the flood waters in Punta Gorda, Florida. In some parts of the state, it was predicted that flood waters would rise up to 15 feet. However, evacuation orders were starting to be lifted, allowing people to return to their homes (Getty Images)
Marie Cook puts her hands on her forehead in disbelief as she surveys the damage to her home in the Binks Estates community in Wellington, Florida. It will likely take weeks for Florida residents to recover , and its the second time the state has been hit by a hurricane in a month (via REUTERS)
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