Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding in Florida’s central peninsula. The hurricane rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm before being downgraded to Category 4 prior to landfall. Forecasters predicted it may weaken to Category 3 by the time it reached the west coast of Florida.
Milton was expected to bring significant impacts to cities like Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, and Naples, including power outages, flooding, and storm surges of up to 15 feet. It originated in the southwest Gulf of Mexico, a rare occurrence, instead of the more common Caribbean or Atlantic origins. This storm path, from the Bay of Campeche to Florida, has not been recorded since 1867.
The storm had been feeding on warm water in the Gulf, leading to its rapid intensification. It is the latest in a series of hurricanes that have hit the Southeastern region, following Hurricane Helene, which struck the Big Bend region of Florida in late September. Milton’s impact was predicted to be significant across the Florida Peninsula, with heavy rain, strong winds, and the potential for tornadoes, posing a serious threat to coastal and inland areas.
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