Hurricane Milton, live: Florida flooded, trajectory becomes clearer

Hurricane Milton hit Florida at 2:30 a.m. this Thursday (Paris time) and is continuing its path in Florida. What could be one of the “worst storms” in the United States has already caused heavy damage.

THE ESSENTIAL

• Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, southeastern United States, at 2:30 a.m. this Thursday (Paris time). It could be one of the “worst storms” to hit Florida “in a century.”
• Downgraded to Category 1 in 5, according to the NHC, the U.S. weather center, it continues its path inland Thursday with winds of up to 90 mph.
• The damage is already significant: 3 million homes are already without power in Florida and several deaths have been reported in St. Lucie County, in the eastern part of the state.
• Coastal flooding could reach up to 4.5 meters are feared, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Live

12:47 – Milton moves away from the east coast of Florida

Hurricane Milton is beginning to move away from the east coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update, but it warned that the hurricane is “still producing damaging winds and heavy rain in east-central Florida.” “Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts.”

The phenomenon that was downgraded of several categories since it hit Florida will experience a “gradual weakening” and should become a “powerful extratropical depression” this Thursday evening.

12:05 – The storm warning is still in effect

A storm warning remains in effect in Florida, with “damaging winds” still expected as the eye of the hurricane moves away. “Those damaging hurricane-force winds will continue for a few more hours,” while “there is a risk of severe flash flooding in cities” are still possible.

11:45 – Hurricane Milton seen from space

An astronaut photographed the hurricane yesterday from a window of the Crew Dragon Endeavour. Milton was then still over the Gulf of Mexico in category 4/5. An impressive image relayed by La Chaine Météo.

11:30 – Sea level rise forecasts revised downwards

While forecasts for this Wednesday estimated a possible rise in water levels of up to 4.5 metres on the coast, meteorologist Guillaume S&eacutechet indicated on X that Milton did indeed cause a rise in sea level but less significant than expected. It does not exceed 2 meters.

11:00 – 125 tornado warnings in Florida

More than 125 tornado warnings were issued Wednesday by weather services in the cities of Miami, Tampa Bay and Melbourne, Florida. That's a record for the most tornado warnings in a single day in the state, with the previous record being 69 warnings issued in 2017 for Hurricane Irma. The number of tornadoes that actually occurred will have to be confirmed later.

10:45 – The hurricane's trajectory is becoming clearer

According to the Interim Hurricane Milton Advisory from the NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami, the center of the hurricane is currently located 28 miles (45 km) south of Orlando. Milton is moving northeast at about 16 mph (26 km/h). The center of Milton will continue to move across central Florida over the next several hours, moving off the coast. A general movement that should continue this afternoon, followed by an “eastward turn tonight”. According to forecasts, the center of Milton will move away from Florida and north of the Bahamas today.

10:35 – A worrying toll as Hurricane Milton continues on its path

According to the interim Hurricane Milton update from the NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami, “very heavy rain and damaging winds continue across much of central Florida” with maximum winds of 95 mph. A storm surge warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida, “from Flamingo north to the Anclote River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay” and also “from Sebastian Inlet in Florida to Altamaha Sound in Georgia, including the St. Johns River.” This means that there is a “danger of life-threatening flooding, caused by rising water moving inland from the coastline at the locations shown.”

A new milestone has just been reached in Florida. Following the hurricane, 3 million homes are now without power, Power Outage reports. This could increase further as the hurricane continues on its path.

10:10 – Winds up to 148 km/h recorded

Winds are very strong in Florida and range between 130 and 140 km/h. The weather station in the town of Marineland recorded winds of 134 km/h this morning, with a peak of 148 km/h. An intensity that raises fears of further damage.

09:50 – 27 tornadoes reported in Florida

CNN reported that the US National Weather Service had recorded no less than 27 tornadoes in Florida, on the fringes of the passage of Milton. It was one of them that caused the first deaths.

09:15 – Images of the damage from Hurricane Milton

Following the strong gusts and torrential rains, the damage is significant. The roof of Major League Baseball's Tropicana Field stadium was partially torn off. Images of the floods in Florida are impressive.

Flooding is feared in Florida. It could reach up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) along the coast, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. “Flash flooding is occurring or expected soon” in parts of Florida, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Melbourne also warned. Residents are advised to seek shelter on higher ground and avoid any travel. In the evening in the United States, the water rose more than a meter in less than thirty minutes with torrential rain. According to CNN, the city of Saint Petersburg, in the Tampa region, experienced in three hours the equivalent of three months of rain.

More than 2.8 million homes are already without power, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us. The outages are spreading to neighboring states. North Carolina is down 70,000 homes and Georgia is down 37,000. The hurricane has also already claimed lives. “Multiple deaths” have been reported in St. Lucie County, east of Florida, as the local sheriff announced without specifying the number.

08:45 – Hurricane downgraded to category 1

Hurricane Milton was downgraded this morning to Category 1 (out of 5), according to the NHC, the American weather forecast center. Winds can still reach up to 145 km/h. Concerns remain over strong winds and flood risks. It had been downgraded in category 2, a few hours before. 

08:38 – Hurricane Milton made landfall last night and is moving inland

Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida “near Siesta Key in Sarasota County,” the NHC announced in its 8:30 p.m. bulletin (2:30 a.m. Paris time). In 1 hour 30 minutes, Hurricane Milton had progressed 40 kilometers with very strong winds. At just after midnight American time, the hurricane was at Fort Meade, east of Tampa and south of Orlando. It continues its way into the interior of the country. It is now located 48 kilometers from Orlando.

LEARN MORE

“Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded in west-central Florida,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, confirming the destructive force of the storm mass. The hurricane's track is forecast to move “off the east coast of Florida toward the western Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon.” The Tampa Bay area is the area most exposed to severe weather. violent. 

"You need to 'evacuate now, it's a matter of life and death," President Joe Biden said, warning of the hurricane. Hurricane Milton "is going to take lives. It's going to destroy lives. “You have to be worried about people who are in the path of the hurricane,” warned John Morales, an American meteorologist with NBC, to the New York Times.

Florida has often found itself in the path of violent storms and other hurricanes. Some weather phenomena that have blown on these coasts are even among the most destructive hurricanes in history. Several category 5 hurricanes have hit Florida in recent years and decades. The last major phenomenon was only in 2022 with Hurricane Ian, which swept through Florida with gusts of up to 225 km/h. Ian caused the death of 150 people in this American state alone and between 67 and At $113 billion in damage, it was one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in the last century.