Hurricane Milton, an “extremely dangerous” hurricane, made landfall on Wednesday evening in the US state of Florida, accompanied by violent winds and heavy rain, causing floods in the middle of the peninsula located in the southeastern United States.
On Wednesday, local authorities in St. Lucie County, Florida, reported “several deaths” due to the hurricane.
The American network “CNN” quoted its channel “WPTV”, that there were many deaths in St. Lucie, but the details remain unclear so far.
St. Lucie County is located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, about 140 miles east of Sarasota, on the Gulf Coast.
“Milton” made landfall in Florida, with the strength of an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane on a scale of five ascending categories, accompanied by a devastating storm, strong winds, and flash floods, according to what the US Hurricane Center announced.
Dangerous hurricanes: 5 categories that determine wind speed and destructive power
As Wednesday night fell, Hurricane Milton, which the US authorities described as “extremely dangerous,” swept across the coast of Florida, bringing back bitter memories to its residents of only two weeks ago, when they were struck by another devastating storm.
The National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin issued Thursday, “Data indicate that the eye of Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency continued its hurricane warnings, calling on Florida residents to “take shelter” as the hurricane continued to move through the state.
CNN reported that there are about 70,000 people in shelters, which shows that residents listened to the instructions.
Before the hurricane hit the coast of Florida, the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said during a press conference, “Well, the storm has arrived. It’s time for everyone to take cover.”
Video.. Watch the moment Hurricane Milton arrived in Florida
Camera lenses captured the moment Hurricane Milton made landfall in the US state of Florida, on Wednesday evening.
He added that it had become too dangerous to evacuate anyone, thus calling on people to stay in place and withstand the storm wherever they are.
“Stay indoors and stay off the roads. Flood waters and high waves are very dangerous,” the governor said.
Due to the hurricane, Tampa and Sarasota airports are closed until further notice.
Hurricane Milton arrived just two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Helen, which struck Florida and other states in the southeast of the country, causing massive destruction and huge human losses.