JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – About 12 hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a powerful Category 3 storm, the downgraded hurricane headed out into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a wake of devastation across Florida.
Milton packed 120 mph winds and a devastating storm surge when it made landfall around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
A few hours later, the storm was downgraded to a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds as it started to cross the peninsula.
As of 1 a.m. Thursday, Milton was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. That dropped to 85 mph by 3 a.m. and remained at 85 mph through 8 a.m., when it headed out to sea off the coast of Cape Canaveral.
At 8 a.m. Thursday, Milton was moving east-northeast at 18 mph about 75 miles east-northeast of Cape Canaveral.
Milton continued to weaken in intensity Wednesday afternoon but the storm grew in size and remained an extremely dangerous major hurricane, speeding up as it closed in on Florida’s west coast.
Before it made landfall, the storm spawned multiple tornadoes across the state causing widespread damage.
By 4 a.m. Thursday, more than 3 million customers were without power in Florida.
Milton’s general motion to the east-northeast is expected to continue Thursday, followed by a turn toward the east Thursday night.
On the forecast track, the center of Milton will continue to move away from Florida and pass to the north of the Bahamas on Thursday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles.
The estimated minimum central pressure was 990 mb.
Watches and warnings for Florida
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the St. Johns River
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Florida east coast from Sebastian Inlet northward to the Flagler/Volusia County Line
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
- Florida’s east coast south of Sebastian Inlet to the Palm Beach/Martin County Line
- Lake Okeechobee
- North of the Flagler/Volusia County Line to Edisto Beach South Carolina
Impacts
RAINFALL: Additional rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected across portions of the east-central to northeast Florida coast through this morning. This rainfall will continue to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding.
WIND: Hurricane conditions are occurring within the hurricane warning area in Florida. Tropical storm conditions are occurring in the tropical storm warning areas in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and the Bahamas.
SURF: Swells generated by Milton are expected to continue to affect portions of the southeast U.S. and the Bahamas during the next couple of days. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult products from your local weather office.
