Updated October 09, 2024 at 23:13 PM ET
Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday evening near Siesta Key in Sarasota County along the west coast of Florida as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of life-threatening storm surges.
In addition to storm surges, forecasters at the NHC warned of extreme wind and flash flooding across the central Florida Peninsula.
At 11 p.m. ET, the NHC downgraded Milton to a Category 2 storm, but it was still packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Hours earlier, many people in Florida ran out of time to get to higher ground before Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm. In an evening update to the American public, President Biden warned Floridians, "Currently, Milton is a Category 3 ... but no one should be confused. It's still expected to be one of the most and worst destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century."
"At this point, evacuation's probably difficult, so I encourage people to look for safer shelter," he said in remarks from the White House. "Sometimes moving just a few miles can mean the difference between life and death."
The storm, which had fluctuated between a Category 4 and 5 on the wind strength scale for days, was designated a Category 3 storm late Wednesday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
While the winds have decreased, the danger has not. The projected storm surge has dropped just a bit 鈥� with a maximum of 13 feet predicted in some areas. But 13 feet would still be catastrophic.
The number of people without power grew steadily into the night. By late Wednesday, more than 2 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, according to , which tracks utility reports.
Government leaders in Sarasota County, Fla., told residents they need to shelter in place as Hurricane Milton continues to bring harsh conditions to the area.
In a , officials said, 鈥淚t is no longer safe to be on the roadways. Individuals SHOULD NOT go out on the roadways. They should now SHELTER IN PLACE. There are reports of flooding and it is not safe to be out on the road for the duration of the storm.鈥�
In a Wednesday briefing with President Biden and Vice President Harris, National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said his agency tried to avoid saying the storm has "weakened" when there are changes to things like wind speed because it could give listeners a false perspective that conditions have become safe.
"People will think 'Oh, it was a [Category] 5, now it's a [Category] 3.' That's not a reason to relax," Graham said. "That means we've expanded the wind field. The impacts don't change associated with that."
Milton is also expected to remain a hurricane as it churns across Florida for 12 hours and enters the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds began reaching Florida's west coast Wednesday afternoon.
Local resources
Member stations across the NPR Network in Florida are .
For those that might lose power or cell service, please note the frequency of your local station for your emergency radio needs.
鉃★笍 | | Radio: 89.7 FM
鉃★笍 | Radio: 88.5 FM
鉃★笍 | | Radio: 90.7 & 89.5 FM
鉃★笍 | Radio: 90.1 & 91.7 FM
鉃★笍 | Radio: 91.3 FM
鉃★笍 | | Radio: 89.1 & 90.1 FM
鉃★笍 | Radio: 89.9 FM
鈥淵ou need to prepare for catastrophic impacts,鈥� FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, speaking to anyone in Milton鈥檚 path. 鈥淭his is going to be a serious storm, one that could forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene.鈥�
She urged people to seek safety and added, 鈥淲e do not need to lose any lives as a result of this storm.鈥�
Biden and Harris addressed the storm on Wednesday afternoon, urging residents to get to safety.
"We鈥檝e been working around the clock to prepare for Hurricane Milton,鈥� Harris said. She addressed those in the path of the hurricane, saying it would be different than others residents might have experienced. 鈥淲e urge you to take this storm seriously. This is a storm that is expected to be of historical proportions."
Biden talked of a campaign of disinformation related to the storm and its aftermath. 鈥淔ormer President Trump has led the onslaught of lies. 鈥� It鈥檚 got to stop," he said.
"Even one congresswoman suggesting that I control the weather and implying that I'm sending it to red states," Biden said in reference to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The far-right Georgia Republican tweeted in the wake of Hurricane Helene that an unspecified "they" can control the weather, implying that it might be in an effort to influence the Nov. 5 election.
"I mean, it鈥檚 stuff off the wall. It鈥檚 like out of a comic book," Biden said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: "False information only is fuel for the criminal element to exploit individuals in positions of vulnerability."
Harris added that: "Anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable.鈥�
TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami)
Parts of South Florida were also put under Wednesday morning. Several tornadoes were spotted, including one near the Miccosukee Service Plaza along I-75 鈥� where it crossed the interstate, according to the .
Heavy rain spread over southwestern and west-central Florida early Wednesday, bringing some of the hurricane's first direct effects to the U.S. Conditions deteriorating as the day wears on, people in the storm鈥檚 path were being urged to finish any preparations and evacuate if ordered to do so.
A mass exodus from coastal areas has affected gas stations, with the GasBuddy platform reporting that of in Florida as of 2:43 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Where is Milton now?
As of 9 p.m. ET, Milton was a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 115 mph, the NHC 鈥� a welcome decrease from the 160 mph speeds seen in the early morning. It was about 5 miles north of Sarasota and traveling at 15 mph. Multiple safety advisories and evacuation orders are in effect in western Florida. The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm surge could get as high as 13 feet in some places, and rainfall totals could reach 18 inches.
Storm surge warnings are in effect for Florida's west coast from Flamingo northward to Yankeetown, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane warnings also are in effect for the state's east coast from the St. Lucie-Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach.
鈥淚f you are in those storm surge evacuation zones in that region, please escape now, while you still can,鈥� National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan .
Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued states of emergency in 51 out of 67 counties.
Debris from Helene could become "projectiles"
Residents and leaders are highlighting concerns about debris from Helene becoming ammunition for Milton鈥檚 winds and water.
鈥淲e just hadn't even completed our clean up from Helene,鈥� Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert . 鈥淥ne of the really bad things is that people's things are still on the side of the road and, you know, that's disturbing enough to see 鈥� and then now those things are going to become projectiles or battering rams in this surge.鈥�
Noting Milton鈥檚 imposing surge levels and strong winds, Alpert added, 鈥淭his is really scary.鈥�
The mayor said people were moving out of the way of the storm.
鈥淎 lot of people have left,鈥� Alpert said. 鈥淓specially on our barrier islands 鈥� because they will just be entirely under water. It won鈥檛 be survivable.鈥�
Thousands have left their homes to seek safety
For days now, officials have been imploring people to take evacuation orders seriously, emphasizing that people who can relocate even a relatively short distance away from flood-prone areas can find more safety and security. As of Wednesday morning, some of those shelters were at capacity.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, had urged people in the storm鈥檚 path to find a place to stay with family or friends, or in a hotel beyond an evacuation zone.
鈥淪helters are a last resort and should be used only if you have no other options for evacuation,鈥� the county said.
In Sarasota County, 鈥渕ore than 4,130 people and close to 700 pets鈥� were in evacuation centers as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, reports.
Buses had been giving free rides to shelters in Sarasota, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco counties 鈥� but that service stopped at noon, due to the approaching storm.
Hoping to blunt the storm鈥檚 impact, the says it has distributed 726,200 liters of water; 581,000 MREs; 237,000 sandbags; nearly 33,600 tarp kits.
FEMA chief heads to Florida ahead of Milton鈥檚 arrival
Criswell said she will join FEMA staff in Florida on Wednesday 鈥� traveling from North Carolina, where she鈥檚 been overseeing the agency鈥檚 response to the massive devastation left by Helene.
鈥淲e have over 1,000 personnel that have been in Florida responding to Hurricane Helene鈥� and other storms, she said. In addition to that number, Criswell added, 鈥淲e鈥檝e moved in over 1,200 search and rescue personnel.鈥�
Other federal personnel are also in Florida, to help towns and cities assess vital services such as health and medical needs and power. Across all the states impacted by Helene, Criswell said, more than 5,200 federal responders are at work.
鈥淲e are here to help people, we are here to save lives and that is exactly what we are postured to do for these incidents,鈥� she said.
Milton became a hurricane on Sunday after its wind speeds increased over very warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Milton's arrival comes just under two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic levels of storm surge, rain and strong winds to Florida.
Copyright 2024 NPR