Live updates: Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida | CNN (2024)

Over 3.3 million customers across Florida were without power as of 830 a.m. ET Thursday, according toPowerOutage.us.

The outages were most significant along Florida’s west coast in places includingHardeeCounty, where over 9,000 customers were almost all out of power andHighlandsCounty – where nearly 90% of customers were without power.

Milton still has winds of 85 mph and is centered 75 miles off of Florida’s Atlantic coast, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

All storm surge warnings have expired for the Gulf Coast of Florida, but conditions are still gnarly on the state’s Atlantic Coast.

Damaging winds will continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeastern Florida. There is also still the danger of storm surge along the east coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina this morning.

“Heavy rainfall across the central to northern Florida Peninsula through this morning continues to bring the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding along with moderate to major river flooding, especially in areas where coastal and inland flooding combine to increase the overall flood threat,” the hurricane center said.

Four people have so far been confirmed dead in St. Lucie County following tornadoes spawned asa result of Hurricane Milton, county officials said in a news release Thursday morning.

“First responders and public works/utility crews are conducting response and recovery efforts caused by two confirmed tornados that touched down prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton Wednesday, Oct. 9 starting around 4:30 p.m.,” the release said. “The St. Lucie Medical Examiner has confirmed four fatalities as a result of these tornadoes.”

After evacuating the island for safety during Hurricane Milton, first responders are finding severely flooded roads as they return to Sanibel, Florida.

“First reports from crews on the island indicate that there is substantial water over roadways in excess of three feet in some areas,” the city said in a press release.

The island was under a mandatory evacuation order, although some residents chose to stay. The one roadway onto the island is closed until further notice as the city remains under a 24-hour curfew.

“There is no need to line up at the entrance to the Sanibel Causeway as it will likely be some time before the island is safe for residents and businesses to return,” the city said.

Milton’s center is about 50 miles off of Florida’s Atlantic coast, but its rain, wind and storm surge are ongoing.

Heavy rain and the storm’s current strongest winds are pounding the east coast of Florida from south of Daytona Beach to the Port St. Lucie area. Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph are still battering parts of the Space Coast and nearby shores.

A majority of Milton’s rain will come to an end this morning, but some showers near the east coast could linger into the early afternoon.

Multiple feet of storm surge flooding is also underway along the northeastern coast and into parts of coastal Georgia. Surge levels have started to retreat along the western coast.

Milton will track farther over the Atlantic throughout the day, but breezy conditions will persist over much of the Florida Peninsula – especially for eastern coastal areas.

Rough seas and dangerous rip currents will linger through the weekend along much of the southeast Atlantic coast.

Milton is centered over the Atlantic Ocean, just off of Florida's east coast Thursday morning.

Hillsborough County has deployed three amphibious vehicles as it undertakes rescue operations Thursday morning, including at an assisted living facility and at a hotel where elderly people had sought shelter, Sheriff Chad Chronister said.

As for those at the hotel: “These aren’t people who didn’t heed the warning. These are individuals in areas where we’ve never seen flooding, never seen flooding.

“And to go from no flooding to 3 feet of water up over your knees, I could imagine how frightening that was for everybody here,” Chronister said.

Water rescues underway Thursday at Clearwater apartment complex.

Several people called 911 overnight to report they were trapped inside of their Clearwater apartment complex due to flooding from Hurricane Milton, according to Clearwater police.

Water rescues are underway as of 7 a.m. Thursday, Clearwater Police Department Public Information Officer Rob Shaw told CNN affiliate WFTS. Video shows crews loading residents onto boats in near darkness.

“We’ve got some serious flooding here at the apartment complex,” Shaw said. “We’ve had multiple calls, possibly as many as 18 residents reported they’re being trapped.”

Rescue crews found themselves maneuvering in waist deep water at the complex, according to Shaw. Residents told officials the water was chest deep at one point.

“Our crews are using inflatable boats and highwater vehicles to try to go door to door to check on people,” Shaw added. “This is probably the just tip of the iceberg and one of the reasons why we’re encouraging people to stay home and stay safe.”

Clearwater is about 30 miles west of Tampa.

First responders work the scene of where multiple fatalities have been reported in St. Lucie County, Florida on October 9.

Multiple people have died in St. Lucie County as a result of the storm, Sheriff Keith Pearson told “CNN News Central,” though he could not say exactly how many.

“Unfortunately, I do have to report that we do have multiple fatalities,” he said.

Pearson indicated a “modular home community” for residents 55 and older was hit by a tornado.

“Their whole homes with them inside were lifted up, moved, destroyed. I mean everything in the hurricane or this tornado’s path is gone.”

Pearson’s agency remains focused on rescue operations and “saving as many people as we can,” he said, noting first responders have so far completed rescues of at least 25 people.

People at a Holiday Inn in Plant City, Florida, east of Tampa, got pinned in by floodwaters overnight, shocking locals who’ve never seen the water get so high, so far inland.

Coleman rode out Hurricane Milton along with hotel guests and her 77-year-old mother, Patricia Meier.

“When the water started coming in, that’s when it really got to the best of us,” Meier said.

Coleman sent ground-level guests to a higher floor as water got a foot deep inside the lobby. “We just had to pull together and make sure everybody was safe,” she said.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office used amphibious vehicles to get people out of the hotel, including lifelong Plant city residents Jack and Liz Gibbs. They have taken refuge at the Holiday Inn for past hurricanes, but this time water breached their room.

“It was about an inch or two, and she said, ‘We’ve got to do something,’” Jack Gibbs said.

By the time they got to the lobby, Gibbs said the water was nearly knee-deep, and they were relieved when they saw rescuers.

“It was scary, but praise God,” Liz Gibbs said.

No one was injured, but the manager admits she was still shaken by the damage.

“I always tried to treat this (hotel) like it’s mine, so to see this – it’s hard,” said Coleman, wiping away tears.

Davis Jones looks out the door of the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton, in Tampa, Florida on October 9.

Pinellas County issued a stern warning to residents Thursday after Hurricane Milton left the county in shambles.

“ALL RESIDENTS REMAIN SHELTERED. SEVERE DAMAGES COUNTYWIDE,” the emergency alert read.

“Many roads impassable due to downed power lines, fallen trees, debris. St. Pete, Gulfport and Lealman without water. YOU MUST STAY OFF THE ROADS until advised otherwise by county officials. This is required for emergency responders and crews to complete rescue and recovery. STAY PUT NOW.”

The county is also cut off to evacuees trying to get back home.

“Efffective immediately, all access points to Pinellas County are closed until further notice due to hazardous conditions,” the sheriff’s office posted on X. “The barrier islands will remain closed.”

Pinellas County, home to St. Petersburg and Clearwater, is in the Tampa Bay area – not far from where Milton made landfall as a devastating Category 3 hurricane.

In nearby Tampa, which has an “unprecedented” number of power outages, city officials also gave a blunt warning:

“DO NOT travel or return home until deemed safe to do so by public safety officials,” the city’s website says.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents to be patient with rescue crews as they work throughout the night to conduct rescues and try to get to those in need of help.

“There are so many trees and powerlines down that we have to literally cut our way into these neighborhoods to be able to assess just how damaged they are,” Chronister said.

“Please be patient with us, these roadways are too dangerous – coming out here we had to change our route three different times because of downed powerlines,” the sheriff told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Thursday morning.

Chronister said that his team currently operating on the east side of Hillsborough County, an area known for berry agriculture that typically remains above water during storms. But in the wake of Milton, the area is submerged under 2 to 3 feet of floodwater.

In the northern part of the county, another area that usually withstands storms without flooding, the water levels rose so high at an assisted living facility that rescue crews had to deploy airboats to evacuate residents.

“Out here they’ve lost power, they’re standing in 2 to 3 feet of water, as you can imagine, they’re quite traumatized,” Chronister said.

The sheriff urged residents weathering the storm to refrain from taking any actions on their own. “It’s too dangerous,” he emphasized. “I understand that everyone is eager to leave, but please, wait for our official all-clear.”

“Hang tight for just a little bit longer, until we can assess what’s safe and what’s unsafe.”

Wind-driven rain soaks a street in downtown Tampa, Florida, on October 9.

The danger of flooding in Tampa will continue this morning, even though the city avoided the worst storm surge fears, the mayor said in a briefing Thursday morning.

Castor said she will take an aerial tour of the city at first light to get a better look at damage, which knocked out power to most Tampa Energy customers.

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said officers responded to a house overnight where 15 people were trapped by a fallen tree, including young children. All of them were rescued.

Multiple residents in Palm Beach County were rescued after tornadoes reportedly touched down in the area on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

Some of those rescued were trapped under debris or stuck in vehicles that were overturned due to the strong winds, according to the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

Emergency 911 calls started around 5 p.m. on Wednesday and continued for nearly an hour, according to fire rescue.

“Our crews on the scene reported several damaged homes, vehicles picked up and moved, and debris all over the area,” Fire Rescue said in a post on Facebook.

Fire officials urge residents to stay off the roads in the area as they work on removing debris.

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Video shows structure damage in Tampa

00:14 - Source: CNN

Five patients, including three trauma patients, were transported to local hospitals and many other walk-up patients were treated for minor injuries, according to the post.

Hurricane Milton ripped off the roof of Tropicana Field, a Major League Baseball stadium that was set to be the makeshift shelter for thousands of first responders and cleanup crew.

Aerial footage above the stadium showed rows of empty cots surrounding the baseball diamond where the Tampa Bay Rays play.

Tropicana Field was supposed to serve as a base camp for thousands of storm personnel after Hurricane Milton.

“This is one of the most surreal things ever,” storm chaser Jonathan Petramala told CNN after he arrived at the stadium in downtown St. Petersburg.

Petramala said it was “like a maze to get through” the floodwater and debris as he drove from Tampa to St. Petersburg. He said several mobile home and trailer parks were “getting ripped to shreds.”

Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tropicana Field would be used as a 10,000-person base camp for debris cleanup operations and first responders.

No injuries were reported after the roof was destroyed, and officials urge residents to avoid the area of downtown St. Petersburg, a spokesperson for the city said.

CNN has reached out to the Rays and MLB for comment.

CNN’s Colin Jeffery and Jacob Lev contributed to this report.

Powerful winds that lashed the Tampa area as Hurricane Milton made landfall left 70% of Tampa Electric’s utility customers in the dark.

“We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins told CNN’s Kasie Hunt Thursday morning.

Collins said the full extent of the damage to the local power grid is not known because it’s still not safe for crews to travel.

Hurricane Milton was the worst he’s ever personally seen when it comes to damage to power systems, Collins said.

“It’s going to be a busy day today, just trying to prioritize safety and open things up here in our community,” he said.

The eye of Hurricane Milton, which traveled overnight from near the Tampa Bay area east toward Orlando and Cape Canaveral, is now moving past the Florida peninsula and exiting the east coast, according to CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

But the storm – currently a Category 1 hurricane – is still slamming parts of the coast with onshore wind that could create tornadoes along Florida’s Treasure Coast, Van Dam said. For instance, Daytona Beach is recording wind gusts of 83 mph. Storm surge of up to 4 feet is still possible along the coast as the storm departs.

Heavy rains also still pose a risk, with some places receiving months’ worth of rainfall within one day. Flash flooding is now being reported in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, stretching north and east toward Orlando where flood warnings are still in place.

That mix of water – inland flooding trying to drain away through rivers and creeks toward the coast, and storm surge coming the other way – could cause even worse flooding that might not drain until the hurricane has traveled farther away.

As authorities report fatalities have occurred in Florida due to tornadoes spawned from Hurricane Milton, details are trickling in regarding the extensiveness of the devastation.

A witness told Treasure Coast Newspapers that a tornado was spotted at the Spanish Lakes Country Club north of Port St. Lucie, along Florida’s Atlantic coast.

“It looked like someone had dropped a weight from the sky and flattened a bunch of houses,” Doug Anderson, a resident of Lakewood Park in St. Lucie County, told the news outlet.

Anderson saidhe witnessed numerous people with injuries, and property damage from the tornado was also extensive.

“One of the last houses I went to looked like it had been ripped in half,” he was quoted as saying. “The people were out front crying.”

Water rescues are now underway in Hillsborough County, the sheriff’s office said.

There are reports of people trapped at a Holiday Inn near Interstate 4 in Plant City, with water rushing in to the bottom floor. Plant City is east of Tampa.

The sheriff said rescuers will be using amphibious vehicles to reach people inside the hotel.

Col. Anthony Collins of the sheriff’s office said they are also responding to an assisted living facility with dozens of patients reportedly unable to exit due to flooding.

“This assisted living facility is not in a flood zone. They’re not in an evacuation zone,” said Chronister. “They never thought in a million years they would have this kind of water. Now they’re in too deep.”

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First responders work the scene of where multiple fatalities have been reported in St. Lucie County, Florida on October 9, 2024.

Several communities in the Port St. Lucie area were impacted by direct hits of tornadoes overnight, according to the city manager.

One of the areas hit by tornadoes was a senior mobile home retirement community, Port St. Lucie Assistant City Manager Teresa Lamar-Sarno said.

First responders in the area are working on search and rescue where needed, Lamar-Sarno told CNN’s Victor Blackwell on Thursday morning.

Crews are receiving consistent calls from residents while dealing with strong winds in the area.

Once daylight breaks, crews will be able to better assess the areas that were damaged by the tornadoes, authorities said.

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson previously told CNN that fatalities were reported after a tornado ripped through a mobile home retirement community in St. Lucie County.

More than 3 million households and businesses have lost power across Florida, according to PowerOutage.us.

So far the worst-hit communities are mostly in the Tampa Bay area, such as Hardee County with 97% of tracked customers out of power, and Manatee County with 85% of customers out of power.

The number of power outages may continue to rise as Milton, now a Category 1 hurricane, makes its way to Florida’s east coast. The extent of its damage so far remains unclear as officials wait for daybreak to assess conditions, with some beginning recovery efforts in the early hours of Thursday.

Post-storm recovery efforts began in some parts of Hillsborough County, Florida, early Thursday morning – about seven hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a dangerous Category 3 storm.

“Please stay home, as we have received reports of downed trees and flooded streets,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Wind gusts of 100 mph were recorded near Tampa, where a flash flood emergency was issued and emergency services have been halted.

Over 500,000 homes and businesses throughout Hillsborough County were left without power as of 3:30 a.m. ET.

Technicians have been working to address power outages in order to keep its communications center running, the sheriff’s office said, so residents can reach law enforcement if they need assistance during the storm.

Orlando’s police and fire department personnel are back on the road to respond to calls for service after briefly taking shelter due to powerful wind speeds overnight, the city of Orlando announced.

However, residents should continue to shelter in place and only call 911 in cases of emergency, the city said.

For less urgent reports, such as damage and downed trees, people can call the city’s Citizen Info Line.

Some residents in Pinellas County were rescued from floodwaters as high as their waists after Hurricane Milton passed through the area.

Jennifer Hubbard, warning coordinator meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told CNN’s Erica Hill on Thursday morning that some areas will see continued rain and frequent wind gusts as Milton pushes off the east coast on Thursday morning.

“It’s going to be awhile with all of the water that fell from the sky today that we’re going to be dealing with through at least next week,” Hubbard said.

Water rescues took place in Pinellas County throughout the night as there were reports of residents being waist-deep in water in their homes, according to Hubbard. She did not have an exact number of people rescued.

NWS is expecting “moderate to major” river flooding throughout the week as a result of the significant rainfall from the storm.

Pinellas County is on the west coast of Florida and is home to St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Dunedin.

On Wednesday evening, LeeAnn Golson watched as the floodwater that had engulfed Fort Myers receded – and feared it meant the worst had yet to come.

“We were underwater and now the streets are dry, it’s really eerie for what’s to come,” said Golson, who runs LeeAnn’s Paradise Vacation Rentals at Fort Myers beach.

Videos shared by Golson show houses half-submerged and the entire street flooded, with palm trees whipping furiously in the strong wind.

Golson stayed behind despite evacuation orders in Lee County, and said the power has been out for the past 3 to 4 hours.

“[Hurricane]Ian was the absolute worst and I pray to God this is not that,” she said.

Watch the video:

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Video shows floodwaters engulfing Fort Myers

01:41 - Source: CNN

Oscar Garcia and his family stand outside his house after it was hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, during the approach of Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024.

At least 27 tornadoes were reported in Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton loomed over the state, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS is still working to confirm all of the reports, an activity that will take some time due to storm conditions.

Cumulatively, more than 125 tornado warnings were issued Wednesday by NWS offices in Tampa Bay, Melbourne and Miami. This is the most tornado warnings ever issued in a single day for the state of Florida, crushing the previous record of 69 set on September 10, 2017 (during Hurricane Irma).

A tornado in St. Lucie County proved deadly for some residents of a mobile home retirement community, county sheriff Keith Pearson told CNN. The sheriff declined to provide an exact number of deaths, but said it was “more than one person.”

Ultimately, hundreds of homes were “completely totaled” by tornadoes in the county, Pearson said. And that was before Milton had even arrived.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio transmitter serving seven central Florida counties is currently off the air, according to the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Florida.

The Daytona Beach transmitter, operating on a frequency of 162.400 MHz, serves Lake, Brevard, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Putnam and Flagler counties, the weather service said in a post on social media early Thursday morning.

NOAA Weather Radio is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from National Weather Service offices across the country. The broadcasts include warnings, watches, forecasts, current weather observations and other hazard information, 24 hours a day, according to the service.

Alternate transmitters that serve the Daytona Beach listening area include: 162.475 MHz in Orlando, 162.425 MHz in Palatka, 162.500 MHz in Sumterville, 162.550 MHz in Melbourne and 162.475 MHz in Gainesville.

Officials in Florida are awaiting daylight to assess damage in their cities as Hurricane Milton continues to barrel across the state.

“We don’t know what we’re going to see when it’s daylight here,” Tampa City Council Chairman Guido Maniscalco told CNN’s Erica Hill on Thursday morning.

Maniscalco said the strong gusts of winds have been terrifying to hear throughout the night.

“The wind is terrifying, I’ve never heard anything like it, and I’ve been in Tampa my whole life,” Maniscalco said. He says the biggest concern in the area is storm surge and any damage that may follow.

Charlotte County Commissioner Bill Truex says first responders are eager to get out when daylight breaks to help residents that may be in need following the storm.

“We do not have a hospital within 30 miles that’s open,” Truex said as hospitals in Charlotte County and nearby Englewood both closed ahead of the storm.

A few calls were made throughout the night, which first responders handled, but nothing significant was reported, Truex said.

Davis Jones looks out the door of the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton, in Tampa, Florida on October 9, 2024.

Though authorities and meteorologists had feared Tampa would bear the heaviest brunt of Hurricane Milton, it appears the city has avoided the kind of devastating 15-foot storm surge that had been forecast, said CNN Correspondent Brian Todd.

But, he added, the amount of rain surpassed the forecast – receiving up to five months’ worth of rain in just a few hours. “I’venever really seen sheets and walls of watercoming down from a hurricane,” he said, speaking from Tampa.

Now, several hours after Milton first made landfall, the eye of the storm has moved east through central Florida. But the Tampa Bay area isn’t out of the woods yet, Todd warned, calling it “one of the most relentless hurricanes I’ve ever covered.”

The wind and rain have picked up yet again after having died down somewhat earlier in the night, he said.

And he warned residents not to venture out just because the worst of the storm might have passed. Downed power lines and other dangers could easily turn fatal, he said – including ponds on streets that are far deeper than they appear, which could potentially drown unaware drivers.

Earlier in the night, the storm pushed the water out of Tampa Bay, leaving it looking almost like “a dry riverbed,” he added. Now, in the early hours of Thursday morning, the water will begin being pushed back into the bay – and once daylight breaks, the extent of the storm surge and water levels will become more clear.

Nearly 2.8 million homes and businesses across Florida are without power early Thursday as Hurricane Milton sweeps across the state, according to PowerOutage.us.

The most significant outages surround Sarasota County, where Milton made landfall on the island of Siesta Key Wednesday night.

Hillsborough County had the most outages as of 2 a.m. ET with 510,000 in the dark. In nearby counties, between 80% and 97% of energy customers are without power, including in Sarasota, Manatee and Hardee counties.

Outages will only keep ticking upward as Milton’s far-reaching winds barrel toward Florida’s east coast Thursday morning.

Parts of Florida were scrambling to clean up the debris from Hurricane Helene that slammed the state just two weeks ago, leaving them with not enough time to prepare for Milton.

As fierce storms become more frequent,some mayors say people have heeded their calls to evacuate and prepare for the worst.

Here’s what they told CNN:

Fort Myers: At least two tornadoes touched down in Fort Myers, with one taking down pool furniture and streetlights and another ripping the covering off of gas pumps, said Mayor Kevin Anderson.

“The good thing about this storm is that our downtown businesses prepared for it. They didn’t prepare for Helene or Ian but this time they did,” he said.

Even though people are “getting used” to the storms, Anderson said he was concerned about the debris from the tornadoes and damage from winds.

“Right now, we are just waiting for the storm to pass, so they can get out of there to start clearing the roads and … start handling the services,” Anderson said.

Gulfport: Milton has brought the most significant windsMayor Sam Henderson has seen in Florida.

There’s a been a real difference from storm to storm, the mayor said. He said Helene had damaging storm surges while Milton brought in incredible wind and rains.

“But the worst of it has passed us by, thewinds are subsiding but we are still gettingsubstantial gusts, but we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Henderson said.

Henderson added that residents did heed calls to evacuate, saying consecutive storms have been “a real wake-up call for a lot of people.”

Hurricane Milton continues to spread dangerous flooding and damaging winds across much of central Florida.Hurricane-force wind gusts have now reached the state’s east coast.

Cape Canaveral recently reported a wind gust of 76 mph, and Daytona Beach had a 75 mph gust.

Milton continues to be a Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds. It is located 30 miles of Orlando and is moving east-northeast at 16 mph.

The center of Milton will move offshore of the state’s east coast before sunrise Thursday with rain and wind gradually easing during the morning hours.

A rare considerable flash flood warning has been issued for more than 2.5 million people in Florida and encompasses Orlando, Deltona and Daytona Beach.

Already, between 5 and 9 inches of rain have fallen, and additional rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches are possible in the warned area, the National Weather Service said.

The second out of three flash flood warning levels is used to indicate that “flash flooding capable of unusual severity or impact is imminent or ongoing and urgent action is needed to protect lives and property,” according to the weather service.

A crane in St. Petersburg, Florida that collapsed due to Hurricane Milton.

St. Petersburg resident Makenna Caskey and her aunt were sheltering from the storm when they heard what “sounded like a mix of thunder booming, and the metal screeching sound of a train wreck.”

That sound was a tower crane in the downtown area collapsing and falling onto a building – the one right across from Caskey’s own apartment.

At the same time, Caskey and her aunt felt “a massive rumbling tremor that shook our whole building,” she said. “Plates, bowls, furniture, it felt like something collided with our building.”

After the winds died down a little, she ventured outside, using trees and neighboring buildings to provide cover from the ongoing gusts, to investigate – and realized what had happened. Videos from CNN’s team on the ground show the crane lying horizontal on the road amid heavy rain.

“I’m safe, as are my aunt and our dog, and the residents in our building,” Caskey said. “But the collapse and crash of the crane was about a hundred feet or so from our building, and nearly had a very different outcome.”

Brandon Marlow walks through surge waters flooding the street after Hurricane Milton came ashore in the Sarasota area in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 09, 2024.

Hurricane Milton dropped thousand-year rainfall and unleashed life-threatening storm surge with destructive winds across a large stretch of Florida after making landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, Wednesday night.

The hurricane, which came ashore as a Category3storm with120mph sustained winds, weakened to a Category 1as it moved over land. But even as it weakens, it continues to be a dangerous storm.

President Joe Biden was briefed after Milton made landfall earlier Wednesday night, according to a statement from the White House.

Here’s what to know:

You can track Miltonhere.

Fatalities are reported after a tornado ripped through a mobile home retirement community in St. Lucie County on Florida’s eastern coast, the county sheriff told CNN.

Around 200 people from state and local agencies are searching for people trapped at the retirement community where the tornado “left a path of destruction,” he said. He added that search and rescue teams are facing 50 mph winds and rain as they look for those who may be stuck.

While the only fatalities appear to be in the retirement community, hundreds of homes were “completely totaled” by tornados across the county, Pearson said, including a 10,000 square-foot storage facility the Sheriff’s Department uses for emergency equipment.

The danger posed by Hurricane Milton’s over 100 mph winds has prompted officials in Tampa to halt emergency services until it’s safe for first responders to be on the ground, the city’s fire chief said.

“We had to cease all services because it’s too dangerous to put first responders out on the road,” Tampa Fire Chief Barbara Tripp told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “A lot of residents are without power. Milton is definitely visiting Tampa.”

Tripp noted the winds are also bringing gusts of 70 mph, and emergency units can safely operate in maximum 40 mph winds. At least 400,000 people in the city are without power, the fire chief said.

City officials in St. Petersburg, Florida, have shut off drinking water service citywide as they respond to a water main break.

“Residents and businesses should prepare for this temporary shutdown, which is expected to last until the necessary repairs can be completed,” the citysaidin a news release announcing the shutdown starting at midnight.

Water line repairs will begin once it’s safe for crews to be outdoors, the city said. Impacted areas may be experiencing low water pressure or service interruptions, according to the city.

The city has issued a boil water notice for all potable water used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth. Once the system is restored, testing will be conducted to ensure water is safe before the notice is lifted, officials said.

Officials in Martin County, Florida, say several injuries have been reported and dozens of homes have been damaged as Hurricane Milton slams the state with strong winds, heavy rain and damaging tornadoes.

Some homes have been “severely” damaged, Martin County Fire Rescue said in aposton X Wednesday night. Both serious and minor injuries have also been reported, but no fatalities have been reported at this time.

Residents should continue to stay off roads, Martin County officials urged. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has alsoimplementeda countywide curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. “because of the significant damage caused by multiple tornadoes in Martin County, as well as deteriorating weather conditions expected through the night.”

The county is in the southeastern part of the state near St. Lucie County, where “multiple fatalities” occurred from a tornado outbreak earlier in the day.

CNN correspondents on the scene in Florida are witnessing the ferocity of Hurricane Milton as intense winds, rain and tornadoes rip through the state.

Here’s what CNN is seeing around parts of Florida:

St. Petersburg:Heavy rain is being blown violently in one direction. Five inches of rain fell in just one hour, and more is to come in the following hours,according to CNN’s Bill Weir.

“I just can’t I can’t help think about all those souls went through Helene who already had to deal with moldy drywall, and now this is going to cause so much heartache or so much stress across Florida.”

Bradenton:“This thing is really changing every couple of minutes. It’s very unpredictable,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper reported, adding power has been flickering on and off over the past hour. “This storm has changed a number of times.”

Sarasota:Winds remain extremely strong after the eye of Hurricane Milton passed through the area, with CNN’s Randi Kaye saying “It’s like a punch to the gut when it gets you.”

Tampa:“It is relentless. It is violent and it is dangerous out here,” CNN’s Brian Todd said as heavy rain lashes downtown. No one could be seen out in the neighborhood as “it’s simply too dangerous.”

“This road is starting to flood and … the flooding is going to get much worse because this water basically has nowhere to go.”

Watch more from Anderson Cooper as Hurricane Milton made landfall:

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Anderson Cooper shows what Milton’s storm surge looks like

01:52 - Source: CNN

A record-tying three hurricanes have slammed into Florida this year: Francine, Helene and now Milton.

This has only happened in five other hurricane seasonssince 1871 – more than 150 years of history.

The last time three hurricanes struck Florida in a single season was 2005, according to hurricane expertPhil Klotzbach. It also occurred in 2004, 1964, 1886 and 1871.

No season on record has had more than three hurricanes strike Florida.

More than 9 inches of rain fell in only three hours as Hurricane Milton’s heaviest rain band parked itself over the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday evening. This represents more than a 1-in-1000 rainfall for St. Petersburg.

It also means that more than three months of average rainfall for the city fell in only three hours.