Hurricane Milton latest LIVE: At least 10 dead but Florida spared 'worst case scenario' as storm moves into Atlantic

Hurricane Milton latest LIVE: At least 10 dead but Florida spared 'worst case scenario' as storm moves into Atlantic

Hurricane Milton has moved into the Atlantic Ocean after ploughing across Florida, where it knocked out power to more than three million customers and whipped up tornadoes.

The storm caused at least ten deaths, authorities told broadcaster CBS, and compounded the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene last month while sparing Tampa a direct hit.

It tracked south after making landfall late on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa.

The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120mph (205kph) as it roared ashore at 8.30pm local time (1.30am BST)Damage was widespread and water levels may continue to rise for days, but governor Ron DeSantis said it was not "the worst-case scenario".

The deadly storm surge feared for Tampa never materialised, though the storm dumped up to 18in of rain in some areas, he said.

The worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was 8ft to 10ft - lower than in the worst place during Helene.

In St Petersburg - a city of around 250,000 people - the mains water system was shut down due to hurricane damage.

Heavy rains were cause flooding inland along rivers and lakes as Milton traversed the Florida peninsula and emerged in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.

By Thursday morning more than three million homes and businesses were without power across Florida.

About 125 homes were destroyed before the hurricane even made landfall, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said.

Earlier, officials issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival.

Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people.

By early afternoon on Wednesday, airlines had cancelled about 1,900 flights. SeaWorld was closed all day on Wednesday, and Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando shut down in the afternoon.

Follow the latest updates below...

Key developments:

  • Three million Floridians left without power as several killed

  • Hurricane Milton winds weaken but destruction continues

  • Florida man refuses to leave boat and says: 'I haven't even spilled my coffee'

Live coverage ends

22:28 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Here ends our live coverage for today. Thanks for following along.

You can read a full report on the impact Hurricane Milton has had here.

Couple honeymooning at Disney World say they felt hotel 'shuddering' during hurricane

22:04 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

A newlywed couple on their honeymoon at Disneyland in Florida said they felt their hotel room "rumbling and shuddering" after being hit by Hurricane Milton.

Rebecca Hargrave, 38, and her husband, Isaac Hargrave, 25, from Poole in Dorset, said there is no access to public transport in Orlando which has forced them to stay in their hotel room at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort to avoid torrential rain and waterlogged roads.

The couple have stayed in their hotel room for more than a day and said they saw their windows shaking in the early hours of Thursday morning as Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm.

Speaking from their hotel room, Mrs Hargrave told the PA news agency: "The building that we're in is a really sturdy concrete building, so I can't imagine what it would be like for other people, but you could feel the building rumbling and shuddering.

"The windows were shaking in the frames and I could hear the wind whistling."

She said there is "no public transport" other than transport provided by Disney, which "doesn't go to any shops other than Disney shops".

"It just goes around the Disney Resort and they've shut all that down, so you can't walk anywhere. It's not safe to walk anywhere," she added.

Tampa airport to reopen tomorrow

21:03 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Tampa International Airport has confirmed it is due to reopen at 8am on Friday (local time).

It comes after at least 1,900 flights have been cancelled due to the hurricane.

Biden tells Trump to 'get a life, man' as he makes address following Hurricane Milton

20:51 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

President Joe Biden has publicly admonished Donald Trump, telling his predecessor to "get a life, man" and try to help people impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton rather than spreading misinformation about the federal response.

Speaking at the White House on the government's work to address the hurricanes, Biden condemned the "reckless, irresponsible and relentless disinformation and outright lies that continue to flow."

The White House, and Biden personally, have spent days decrying Trump for making false claims about the disaster response, including that federal funding is being diverted for use on people in the country illegally and that such assistance is capped at $750.

The $750 is an immediate need disbursement, Biden explained, to cover urgent requirements like food, diapers and baby formula

"That $750 that they're talking about, Mr Trump and all those other people know it's a lie to suggest that's all they're going to get," Biden said. "It's just bizarre. They got to stop this. They're being so damn un-American with the way they're talking about this stuff."

Asked if he planned to speak with Trump to urge him to stop, Biden said he wouldn't, but followed that with a message delivered directly into television cameras: "Mr President Trump - former President Trump - get a life, man. Help these people."

22 people rescued by sheriff's office from 'rising water' in Pasco County

19:36 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

The Pasco sheriff’s department says it has so far rescued 22 people from floodwaters in the county, in central-western Florida.

Milton now a 'post-tropical cyclone'

19:05 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Milton has now been classified as a ‘post-tropical cyclone’, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Boy, 14, saved from floodwaters after being found floating on debris

18:29

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has shared a video showing its marine unit saving a 14-year-old boy, who was found perched on floating debris in floodwaters following Hurricane Milton.

Death toll rises to 10

18:27 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

At least 10 people across Florida have now been confirmed dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.

Five deaths have been confirmed in St Lucie County - up from four that had earlier been confirmed.

Police have also confirmed a further two deaths in St Petersburg, while the Volusia County Sheriff said three more people had lost their lives in his county.

Fake photos of Disney World flooded during Hurricane Milton published by Russian state-owned news agency

18:11 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

A Russian news agency has shared fake images showing Walt Disney World Orlando flooded following Hurricane Milton.

The images shared via Ria Novosti’s Telegram channel appear to be have been generated using AI.

They appear to show Disney World covered in water, including a deep lake in front of the resort’s world-famous pink Cinderella castle.

The images have been widely shared on social media.

But many have pointed out apparent errors.

“Apparently [Hurricane Milton] wiped out a bunch of buildings and a statue also,” wrote one X user.

“AI Generated, and pretty badly at that,” wrote another.

RIA does not appear to be the first source of the images, which began circulating in the morning on X. However the sharing compounded disinformation being spread online about the impact of Hurricane Milton.

Read the full story here.

Daylight photos show stadium torn off by hurricane

17:56

The hurricane tore a gaping hole in the fabric roof of Tropicana Field, the stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St Petersburg, but there were no reports of injuries. The ballpark was a staging area for responders, with thousands of cots set up on the field.

 (AP)
(AP)

Photos show damage wrought by Milton

17:51

People are rescued from an apartment complex in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday (AP)
People are rescued from an apartment complex in Clearwater, Florida, on Thursday (AP)
A house lies toppled off its stilts in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida (AP)
A house lies toppled off its stilts in Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida (AP)
A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)
A drone image shows a flooded street due to Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key, Florida, on Thursday (AFP via Getty Images)

What damage has Hurricane Milton caused?

17:26

Tornadoes spawned by Milton killed four people in St Lucie on Florida's east coast, including at least two people in a retirement community.

More than 3.4 million customers were without power today, according to the tracking service PowerOutage.us.

State and local officials are assessing the damage, but as of Thursday morning Milton was known to have destroyed at least 100 homes and left a gaping hole in the fabric roof of Tropicana Field, the baseball stadium in St Petersburg. It toppled a construction crane in St Petersburg.

The storm damaged buildings and infrastructure and brought intense rainfall, but the catastrophic storm surge that had been feared never materialised.

Hurricane Milton disrupts Yom Kippur plans for Jews in Florida

17:07 , Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Many Jews worldwide will mark Yom Kippur in fasting and prayer at their synagogues this weekend.

But for Jewish people in Florida, Hurricane Milton has disrupted plans for observing the Day of Atonement — the holiest day of the year in the Jewish faith — that begins on Friday evening and caps off the High Holy Days that began with Rosh Hashanah on October 2.

Across the storm-threatened areas, rabbis and their congregants spent part of the Days of Awe — the span between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur — protecting their homes and synagogues as Milton churned off the coast, spiralling into a Category 5 storm.

Many — though not all — evacuated, heeding the voluntary and mandatory orders, and found safekeeping for their synagogues' Torah scrolls and themselves.

'Damage not as bad as feared', says police chief

14:55 , Josh Salisbury

The damage from Hurricane Milton in central Florida is not as bad as feared, a police chief has said.

Echoing comments from Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche said in a video that the damage from Hurricane Milton was better than initially feared and the search and rescue operations are underway.

"My ask is please don't rush home right now, we're still trying to assess what's going on," Mr Troche said.

"We still have downed power lines, we still have trees in the roadway."

The city of Sarasota said in a statement that residents are urged to continue to shelter in place as the storm surge is expected through Thursday afternoon and to conserve water because of numerous broken water lines in the city.

At 'least four confirmed dead' as Milton begins from exit from state

14:25 , Josh Salisbury

At least four deaths were reported in St. Lucie County on Florida's Atlantic Coast when an unconfirmed tornado flattened a retirement community, local media reported.

But officials said the Tampa Bay area appeared to have escaped without the catastrophic flooding that had been feared.

More than 3 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power on Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.

At least some of them had been waiting for days for power to be restored after Hurricane Helene hit the area nearly two weeks ago.

"One of the blessings for us is that we did not see that predicted storm surge. That saved a lot," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a news conference.

Tampa airport resumes operations after storm

14:16

The Tampa airport is repairing "minimal damage" and should reopen Friday a day after Hurricane Milton slammed into the West Coast of Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis also said at a Thursday briefing that ocean ports will likely be able to resume operations "very quickly."

DeSantis was speaking at the state Emergency Operations Centre in Tallahassee.

Mr DeSantis said the state has not officially confirmed any fatalities, but "that does not mean there has not been any," he said.

He said he's aware of reports of fatalities associated with tornadoes on the eastern side of the state.

As a reminder, local officials have said at least two people were confirmed to have been killed in a tornado in St Lucie County.

Storm 'not as bad as feared', says DeSantis

13:59 , Josh Salisbury

Hurricane Milton was a significant storm but not "the worst case scenario," Florida's governor said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Thursday that the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was eight to ten feet — less than in the worst place during Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.

"We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses," he said.

"The storm was significant but thankfully, this was not the worst case scenario."

However, water levels in many Florida rivers are forecast to continue rising, he said.

Because of the amount of water flooding happening not just now but in the subsequent days, he said.

'I've never seen this level of flooding', says mayor

13:34 , Josh Salisbury

The flooding is unprecedented, local officials have said in in-land areas where heavy rain has fallen.

Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was "absolutely staggering," City Manager Bill McDaniel said.

Emergency crews rescued 35 people overnight, said Mr McDaniel, who estimated the city had received 13.5 inches (34 cm) of rain.

"We have flooding in places and to levels that I've never seen, and I've lived in this community for my entire life," he said in a video posted online Thursday morning.

Multiple deaths confirmed as homes lifted up by hurricane

13:09 , Daniel Keane

Multiple fatalities have been recorded in one area of Florida due to Hurricane Milton, officials have said.

Sheriff Keith Pearson said he could not confirm how many people had died in St Lucie County, which has been hit hard by the storm.

He told CNN: “Unfortunately, I do have to report that we do have multiple fatalities.”

Mr Pearson said that a “modular home community” for people aged 55 and older had been hit by a tornado, with homes “lifted up, moved and destroyed”.

"I mean, everything in the hurricane or this tornado's path is gone,” he added.

Flooding danger not over, warns Tampa mayor

12:46 , Daniel Keane

The mayor of Tampa has warned residents that the risk of flooding from Hurricane Milton is not over.

In a briefing, Mayor Jane Castor said: “At 7am this morning when high tide comes in, rivers are going to flood all over Hillsborough County, not just in the city of Tampa.”

The Mayor said she would take an aerial tour of the city to survey the damage.

In Pictures: Hurricane blows boats onto main road in Port Charlotte

12:23 , Daniel Keane

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Football team's Wembley game plans delayed due to hurricane

12:03 , Josh Salisbury

An NFL football team has said their plans to play in London have been delayed because of Hurricane Milton.

The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to arrive to London later than expected on Friday due to the storm, the team confirmed ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.

A team spokesperson said the team's departure time has been "slightly" delayed.

The teams are due to play at Wembley Stadium.

Florida residents warned to avoid roads amid storm

11:24 , Josh Salisbury

Florida residents in hard-hit areas by Hurricane Milton have been warned to avoid roads as the storm continues to make its way towards the Atlantic.

Storm surge remain a concern in many parts of Florida and tropical storm warnings are in place for much of the east-central coast.

Officials in hard-hit Pinellas and Sarasota counties have urged people to stay off the roads, warning of downed power lines, trees in roadways and blocked bridges.

"The storm may have passed, but it is still dangerous to be traveling this morning," the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said in a social media post.

The storm slammed into a region still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the Southern US.

In many places along the coast, city officials raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton's winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.

One resident tied down his home in a bid to stop it being blown away (Spectrum Bay News 9)
One resident tied down his home in a bid to stop it being blown away (Spectrum Bay News 9)

Centre of storm begins moving off east coast

10:49 , Josh Salisbury

The centre of Hurricane Milton is moving off the east coast of Florida with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

Milton is expected to continue to move away from the peninsula and to the north of the Bahamas.

As the storm barrelled northeast toward the Atlantic Ocean, all hurricane and tropical storm warnings were discontinued for the state's west coast.

Storm surge warnings remain in effect for parts of the Florida west coast, and along the state's east coast to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.

Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are also in effect for much of the state's east-central coast.

Tornado reported fifteen miles from Mar-a-Lago

10:24 , Josh Salisbury

A tornado inland in Florida has been reported just fifteen miles away from ex-US president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

The tornado was spotted just southwest of the city of Wellington, which has a population of 66,000. It lies just 15 miles from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club estate in Palm Beach.

A video of the whirlwind was posted to social media and reposted by National Weather Service’s office in Miami, which warned: “ONGOING TORNADO heading toward populated areas. SEEK SHELTER NOW!”

There have been no reports of injuries or property damage resulting from the tornado.

Some stay despite 'flee or die' warnings

10:15 , Josh Salisbury

Some residents in the affected areas of Florida have decided to stay in their homes, despite officials’ earlier warnings that it could prove fatal.

Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall. But with a two-year-old son and a baby girl due in late October, Ms Curnick and her husband thought it was for the best.

She said they started packing Monday to evacuate, but they couldn't find any available hotel rooms, and the few they came by were too expensive.

She said there were too many unanswered questions if they got in the car and left: Where to sleep, if they'd be able to fill up their gas tank, and if they could even find a safe route out of the state.

"The thing is it's so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula," she told the AP news agency. "In most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida there are only so many roads that take you north or south."

Florida hit by twisters amid expected heavy flooding

09:47 , Josh Salisbury

Heavy rain and tornadoes have hit parts of southern Florida as Hurricane Milton makes its way through the state.

Six to 12 inches of rain, with up to 18 inches in some places, was expected well inland, bringing the risk of catastrophic flooding.

One twister touched down on Wednesday morning in the lightly populated Everglades and crossed Interstate 75, forecasters said.

Another apparent tornado touched down in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station's canopy to shreds.

Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people.

Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.

Three million Floridians now without power

09:11 , Josh Salisbury

Hurricane Milton's tear of destruction across central Florida has left more than 3 million homes and businesses without power, according to PowerOutages.us.

Energy companies serve more than 11.5 million customer accounts across the state, according to the website.

Milton's high winds and intense rains continued into Thursday morning.

Florida's central Gulf Coast was hardest hit by the outages, including Hardee, Sarasota, Hillsborough and Manatee counties.

Hurricane could still bring '13-feet' wave surges

08:59 , Josh Salisbury

Hurricane Milton will continue to bring "devastating rains and damaging winds" across the central Florida peninsula throughout Thursday, forecasters said.

Storm surge warnings are in effect for parts of Florida's western and eastern coastlines.

The US weather service said Boca Grande, Florida, could see a surge as high as 13 feet above ground if it hits at the same time as high tide.

The service also said tornadoes were possible through early Thursday morning over parts of central and eastern Florida.

Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida (AFP via Getty Images)
Waves crash along St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida (AFP via Getty Images)

Hurricane Milton downgraded but danger continues

08:44

About 90 minutes after making landfall, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 storm, US forecasters said.

By early Thursday, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 90 mph as it churned about 30 miles south of Orlando.

Earlier, officials issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival.

"This is it, folks," said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay.

"Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now."

By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts, suggesting that people who stayed behind hunker down instead.

By the evening, some counties announced they had suspended emergency services.

Debris is strewn on a street following the collapse of a crane, during heavy rainfall and strong winds caused by Hurricane Milton, in St. Petersburg, Florida (Mike's Weather Page via REUTERS)
Debris is strewn on a street following the collapse of a crane, during heavy rainfall and strong winds caused by Hurricane Milton, in St. Petersburg, Florida (Mike's Weather Page via REUTERS)

BBC Weather app tells UK users they're seeing 4,408mph winds

08:22

As Florida is battered by Hurricane Milton, Brits may be forgiven for wondering whether the UK is also being affected - as the BBC Weather app is reporting “hurricane” level winds across the country, even in places where it is sunny.

The fault with the BBC’s Weather data means areas across the capital and further afield are being listed as experiencing a hurricane.

Winds of improbably high 4,408mph and overnight temperatures of 404°C were being shown.

Engineers are working to fix the problem, said the BBC.

Read more here.

Florida's 'Lieutenant Dan' refuses to leave boat during hurricane

07:59 , Josh Salisbury

A Florida man nicknamed "Lieutenant Dan" — after the Forrest Gump character — has made headlines for refusing to leave his boat as Hurricane Milton approached.

Joseph Malinowski said that he would not leave his boat as "God told him to be there," and told Sky News that he saw out Hurricane Helene in his boat too.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said on Wednesday that Mr Malinowski had been rescued by police and taken to a shelter.

But by Thursday he appeared to be back on his boat - alive and well.

Joseph Malinowski (GoFundMe)
Joseph Malinowski (GoFundMe)

Zoo animals wait out Hurricane Milton

07:45 , Josh Salisbury

After millions of people were ordered to flee, the African elephants, Caribbean flamingos, pygmy hippos and about 1,000 other animals were riding out Hurricane Milton at Tampa’s zoo.

For many of the animals, the storm will mean they have to give up the creature comforts of their everyday accommodations but they will not have to leave Zoo Tampa’s 70-acre (28-hectare) property, even though it is in a mandatory evacuation zone, said Tiffany Burns, senior director of its animal programs.

Some animals will have to share shuttered barns or wait out the rough weather in crates tucked throughout a dozen hurricane-hardened buildings at the zoo.

A few will stay in their habitats.

Employees move an African porcupine named Chompers to an enclosed area at Zoo Tampa (AFP via Getty Images)
Employees move an African porcupine named Chompers to an enclosed area at Zoo Tampa (AFP via Getty Images)

Brits in Florida: We're preparing for the worst

07:32 , Josh Salisbury

British nationals in Florida have said they were “preparing for the worst” as Hurricane Milton made landfall.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said there was an increasing risk of a life-threatening storm surge on the west coast, and heavy rainfall and high winds are expected to affect large parts of Florida.

Kate Collins, 52, told the PA news agency she is not living in a mandatory evacuation zone but has gathered supplies for the hurricane, including a generator, batteries, lanterns, food, and water.

Ms Collins, who was raised in Plymouth and moved to Florida 30 years ago, said she is sheltering with five people and five dogs in her home in Volusia County.

“The mood in the house is definite anxiety. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Ms Collins said.

She added: “I am far less concerned about my house than the safety of my family and friends.”

British national Mark Firth, 43, said that he took a flight out of Lakeland - about a 45-minute drive from Tampa - on Sunday to evacuate with his wife and two children aged seven and five because he was worried about the potential effects of the hurricane.

The entrepreneur, from Nottingham, said: “Everything’s at home. I mean, it’s not ideal, it’s very unsettling, it’s very uncertain about what is going to be there when we get back.”

Read more here.

 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)

Pictured: Major baseball stadium roof ripped off

07:27 , Josh Salisbury

Hurricane Milton has destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field, the baseball stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Pieces of the roof were seen flapping in the wind as the hurricane approached until large sections of the roof were completely missing.

Earlier this week, state governor Ron DeSantis of Florida had announced Tropicana Field was being converted into a 10,000-person base camp “to support ongoing debris operations and post-landfall responders.”

The roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged (AP)
The roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged (AP)
The roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged (AP)
The roof of Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, appeared to be badly damaged (AP)

Watch the Tampa Bay weather webcams as Hurricane Milton hits Florida

07:12 , Josh Salisbury

Several YouTube webcams are in place to help monitor the weather as the hurricane hits.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a category three storm after sparking mass evacuation orders.

More than one million people have been ordered to leave the state’s Gulf Coast in recent days amid fears this could be the “worst hurricane to hit Florida in 100 years”.

The National Hurricane Center in the US forecast storm surges of 10 to 15 feet along the coastline north and south of Tampa Bay, likely swamping low-lying areas.

Forecasts of five to 10 inches (127 to 254 mm) or more of rainfall have threatened flash flooding further inland.

Watch the weather webcams here.

 (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Taylor Swift donates $5m to Hurricane Milton victims

06:57 , Josh Salisbury

US superstar Taylor Swift has donated five million dollars (£3.8 million) to help victims “rebuild and recover” in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

The hurricane made landfall on the west coast of Florida late on Wednesday night, amid warnings that the life-threatening storm surge could cause “extreme flooding”.

The “dangerous and destructive” storm comes in the wake of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene just weeks ago.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift for her generous five million dollar donation to Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts,” the chief executive of Feeding America, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, said in a statement on X.

“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms.”

Read more here.

 (PA Wire)
(PA Wire)

Hurricane could bring 'wave surge as high as 13 feet'

06:53 , Josh Salisbury

Hurricane Milton will continue to bring "devastating rains and damaging winds" across the central Florida peninsula throughout Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

The hurricane will then exit the state late in the day for the Atlantic Ocean,

The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph early on Thursday, according to the weather service, and storm surge warnings were in effect for parts of Florida's western and eastern coastlines.

The weather service said Boca Grande, Florida, could see a surge as high as 13 feet above ground if it hits at the same time as high tide.

The service also said tornadoes were possible through early Thursday morning over parts of central and eastern Florida.

Wind-driven rain soaks a street in downtown Tampa, (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) (AP)
Wind-driven rain soaks a street in downtown Tampa, (Rebecca Blackwell/AP) (AP)

Milton's winds have weakened, say US officials

06:47 , Josh Salisbury

Milton has weakened and is now a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

Milton was located about 65 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral, Florida, packing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.

The hurricane made landfall around 12.30am GMT as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph near Siesta Key, Florida.

However, despite the weakening winds, the hurricane continues to cause destruction.

 (AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)

Several killed amid warning of more fatalities

06:44 , Josh Salisbury

Officials in Florida have confirmed that Hurricane Milton has killed several in Florida’s coastal communities, but the exact number is unknown.

The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida's Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.

"We have lost some life," St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News, though he wouldn't say how many people were killed.

At least two people were confirmed to have been killed in a tornado in St Lucie County, according to NBC.

It comes as state governor Ron DeSantis told a news conference on Wednesday: “Unfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don't think there's any way around that.”

Two million left without power as Hurricane Milton hits Florida

06:40 , Josh Salisbury

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Hurricane Milton.

More than two million Florida residents have been left without power as the hurricane slammed into the state as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday.

The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall in Siesta Key near Sarasota, about 70 miles south of Tampa.

The situation in the Tampa area was still a major emergency as St. Petersburg recorded over 16 inches of rain, prompting the National Weather Service to warn of flash flooding there as well as other parts of western and central Florida.

Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg, appeared to be badly damaged.

Residents also could no longer get water from their household taps because a water main break led the city to shut down service.

More than 2 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

 (REUTERS)
(REUTERS)