At least nine people have died after Hurricane Milton devastated parts of Florida, leaving residents assessing the damage. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, bringing multiple tornadoes, 28-foot waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surges.

This brick wall collapsed in downtown Tampa during Hurricane Milton pic.twitter.com/YA2xllRqqJ

— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) October 10, 2024

Four people in a retirement village in St. Lucie County were killed by tornadoes spawned by the hurricane after a dozen twisters formed in the area within just 20 minutes. Ferocious winds caused a crane to collapse onto the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg, while the roof of Tropicana Field baseball stadium sustained significant damage.

Now that the sun is up, here’s a 360-degree view of the damage Hurricane Milton caused to Tropicana Field’s roof and the inside of the ballpark. Absolutely heartbreaking 💔 pic.twitter.com/ZCtPHv6rE9

— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024

More than 3.3 million homes and businesses in Florida were left without power, with the west-central region being the hardest hit. Evacuation alerts were issued to millions, and Bradenton Police Chief Melanie provided a bleak prognosis for those who ignored the warnings. “What we’ll probably be finding in the morning are bodies,” she said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program Thursday morning.

Flash flooding in Downtown Tampa from Hurricane Milton 8-14 inches of rainfall pic.twitter.com/jZCaLer77z

— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) October 10, 2024

After making landfall, Milton weakened to a Category 1 hurricane and is moving off Florida’s east coast, with residents still battling brutal winds and storm surges.

St. Lucie County Commissioner George Landry stated, “This has been a tragic 24 hours.” Search and rescue efforts are ongoing in the county, which has confirmed five fatalities. Approximately 12 tornadoes were reported in a 90-minute period, leading to over 900 calls to the local emergency center.

The Sarasota Memorial Healthcare System is operating at full capacity, attending to 4,700 individuals across its two sites as Hurricane Milton hit. “Our two hospitals, North Port ER and Nursing & Rehab Center withstood the impact of the Category 3 hurricane, and we were able to continue caring for approximately 1,000 patients and medical evacuees,” the system said in a Thursday update.

A medida que #Milton sale de Florida, los peligros permanecen después del huracán. Tenga cuidado con las líneas eléctricas caídas y los edificios dañados. Evite las áreas inundadas, ya que pueden ocultar una variedad de peligros, y nunca conduzca a través de ellas, ya que no se… pic.twitter.com/h1gz6lDkB1

— National Weather Service (@NWS) October 10, 2024

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the online hate speech related to aid for Hurricane Milton victims, asserting that “it has got to stop.” He also noted that measures are being taken to ensure residents in hurricane-affected states have access to vote before the November 5 presidential election.

You might also be interested in its Spanish version: Huracán Milton: aumenta el número de muertos en Florida