According to CNN, within just 3 hours of making landfall in St. Petersburg, Hurricane Milton has dumped a record rainfall of nearly 230mm, the highest amount seen in over 1000 years in the area.
The National Weather Service has warned that heavy rain from Hurricane Milton could quickly lead to flash flooding, posing life-threatening disasters for residents.
CNN reporters in Fort Myers, Florida, have indicated that the state may face the worst flooding as water levels in the Caloosahatchee River rise rapidly, causing overflow in the Fort Myers area.
Meanwhile, according to the power outage tracking website PowerOutage.us, within just over an hour, Hurricane Milton has left more than 1.1 million households and businesses in Florida without power.
The most severe power outages have occurred in Sarasota County and the neighboring counties of Manatee and Hardee, where Hurricane Milton made landfall at 8:30 PM. PowerOutage predicts that power outages will continue to spread as Hurricane Milton moves further inland.
Hurricane Milton causes devastating rainfall as it hits Florida, USA (Photo: Reuters).
In St. Lucie County, where Hurricane Milton has just passed, Sheriff Keith Pearson reported that there has been a fatality at the Spanish Lakes Club. However, as of now, officials in St. Lucie County have not received specific numbers.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced on the night of October 9 that residents should continue to shelter in safe locations even after Hurricane Milton has passed. Officials from FDEM predict that dangerous weather conditions will continue throughout the day on October 10 (local time) as Hurricane Milton remains active in the state.
At a press conference on the night of October 9, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that state officials have provided generators and fuel supplies to residents in evacuation shelters.
The Florida Department of Transportation is also prepared with response measures following Hurricane Milton’s passage.
The department has deployed 156 road inspectors, 402 street cleaning staff, and over 1000 generators, along with 350 heavy equipment units and trucks to focus on addressing the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“We have mobilized an enormous amount of equipment and personnel for search and rescue operations. While we hope not to deploy too many of these forces after the storm, we still need to prepare thoroughly not just within Florida,” said DeSantis.
According to DeSantis, at least 9,000 National Guard soldiers have been deployed, along with over 50,000 electricians present in Florida to restore power as conditions allow.
Meanwhile, Florida Emergency Management Agency Director Kevin Guthrie stated that task forces from Miami, Ohio, and Virginia have arrived in Florida to assist areas heavily impacted by Hurricane Milton.
Guthrie urged residents to quickly find safe shelter and use household items such as pillows, thick jackets, and blankets to protect themselves if they hear trees falling or debris flying during the storm.
“There will be times you think the storm has passed. If the storm suddenly changes from extremely terrifying to seemingly nothing happening, you are definitely in the eye of the storm. Please stay indoors and do not go outside,” Guthrie advised.
