Hurricane Milton swept through central Florida after hitting the state’s west coast on Thursday.
The storm brought tornadoes, destroying homes, and disconnecting power supply to over two million residents.
As per US National Hurricane Center, Milton made landfall on Wednesday night near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph.
It changed into Category 2 hurricane by 11 p.m. with winds of 105 mph (165 kph). The storm was 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Orlando.
Authorities declared emergency in Tampa Bay area, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. St. Petersburg where rain recorded 422 mm.
The storm’s eye landed in Siesta Key, a small town off Sarasota, about 60 miles (100 km) south of Tampa Bay, city of three million people.
Governor Ron DeSantis said Tampa Bay may avoid the worst damage since landfall happened before high tide. But, as per prediction , storm surge could still reach 13 feet (4 meters).
DeSantis said Milton triggered at least 19 tornadoes, damaging many areas and 125 homes. It caused two death, as per media reports.
Some estimates say 100 homes were destroyed in the county where 17 tornadoes touched down.
Both storms caused damages worth of billions as authorities have already advised for evacuation. The state management and rescuers have already pre-positioned millions of liters of water, food, and supplies for the storm. Reports say trucks are working to clear debris from Helene before Milton could turn it into a danger.
Over 10,000 volunteers and National Guard members are performing emergency duties.
