At least 15 fatalities have been reported in connection with Hurricane Milton, which roared onshore on Florida’s west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing tornadoes, powerful winds and flooding rains.
The Category 3 hurricane swamped Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, just two weeks after Helene made a glancing blow.
The monster storm forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction across Florida. Some homes and neighborhoods are covered in sand.
They include six deaths in St. Lucie County, where a dozen tornadoes were reported; four storm-related deaths in Volusia County; two deaths in St. Petersburg; and one death in Citrus County, where Florida Highway Patrol said a man died after colliding with a falling tree.
The system also produced strong tornadoes in regions that were not directly hit by the hurricane itself.
At least 38 tornadoes were reported across Florida on Wednesday, with more expected as damage surveys continue. At least 126 tornado warnings were issued across the southern half of Florida – a record for the state and the second-most of any state in the U.S. for one day, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
One of the victims in hard-hit St. Lucie County was Debra Kennedy, 66, who was killed after a tornado struck Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a retirement community in Fort Pierce, her daughter Brandi Smith told News.
Twelve tornadoes were reported in the county within 90 minutes on Wednesday, prompting over 900 calls to 911, county officials said.
County Administrator George Landry praised the commitment of first responders, saying, “During the storm, our emergency personnel were literally dodging tornadoes to reach residents.”
A tornado that tore through Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, during Milton has been preliminarily rated EF-3 with winds of 140 mph, the National Weather Service in Miami said Thursday.
“Several strong tornadoes developed within rainbands associated with Hurricane Milton. This is the first and very preliminary EF rating for one of those tornadoes,” the NWS said.
Four people died in Volusia County, on Florida’s east coast, in connection with Milton, the local sheriff said.
Two died due to fallen trees, according to Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood.
A third person died from a heart attack while boarding up property, while another went into cardiac arrest and first responders couldn’t get there in time during the storm, the sheriff said.
In Hillsborough County, which encompasses Tampa, over 725 people as well as 128 pets were rescued from flood-prone areas, Sheriff Colonel Anthony Collins said.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said it received an unprecedented 356 emergency calls overnight.
Fire Rescue Chief Jason Ogden praised everyone who evacuated. No fatalities have been reported in the county.
“Conditions have improved since yesterday evening, but there’s still a lot of water on the roads, downed trees and electrical lines everywhere,” Ogden warned. “We have lifted the evacuation order, but I encourage everyone to return home safely. The last thing we want is an unintended death or significant injury.”
