Hurricane Milton makes landfall on Florida coast, leaving 2m without power and record flooding: Live updates
Multiple fatalities have already been reported as Hurricane Milton wrecks havoc along the Florida coastline
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Florida residents in the path of Hurricane Milton were instructed to hunker down as the massive storm hit the state.
The hurricane made landfall early Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key.
The then-Category 3 storm has brought destructive tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge across multiple areas
More than 2 million customers were without power across the Sunshine State, according to outage tracker PowerOutage.US.
While Milton’s intensity continues to fluctuate, weakening to a Category 2 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center predicts it will be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida”.
Federal and state officials have urged those in Milton’s path to evacuate to avoid “catastrophic” winds, up to 18in rainfall and up to 15ft of storm surge, before the major hurricane slams into Florida’s west-central coast.
Vice President Kamala Harris warned that even the toughest Floridians won’t weather the “historic” hurricane, she said on The Late Show on Tuesday night.
Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche told CNN on Wednesday that officers will stay on the streets until Milton’s winds top 45mph.
“If people need help, we’re not going to be able to come to them,” he said.
More than 125 tornado warnings issued in Florida: a state record
St. Pete has had 16 inches of rain since the storm started
Milton weakens into a Category 2 storm
The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds are at 110mph on Wednesday night.
President Biden spoke with Orlando, Sarasota mayors
Before Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night, President Joe Biden spoke on the phone with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert, and Florida Representatives Gus Bilirakis and Kathy Castor.
The White House said the president had told leaders to call him directly should they need additional assistance on rescue, response, and recovery efforts.
Biden also spoke with Senators Thom Tillis and Jon Ossoff - who are from North Carolina and Georgia, respectively - to discuss the ongoing response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
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