Hurricane Milton tracker: Path after landfall, latest radar
FLORIDA - Hurricane Milton moved off Florida's east coast early Thursday morning after making landfall Wednesday evening south of Tampa near Sarasota.
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The powerful storm brought destructive winds, widespread power outages affecting over three million customers and a significant outbreak of tornadoes across the Sunshine State.
Tragically, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, located on the state's east coast, confirmed "multiple fatalities" resulting from the twisters that swept through the region.
The hurricane’s power caused the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices to warn of a life-threatening storm surge that, in some communities, was forecast to eclipse records set during the 1920s.
Florida hurricane: Milton current radar
A three-hour radar loop showing where showers and thunderstorms are ongoing. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are indicated in yellow. Tornado Warnings are indicated in red, while Tornado Warnings with a confirmed tornado are indicated in purple. Flash F
Aftermath of Hurricane Milton: What's the latest?
The once-Category 5 hurricane formed in the Bay of Campeche on Oct. 5 and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane within the system’s first 72 hours as a tropical cyclone.
Current info on Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Milton’s intensity made it the fifth-strongest cyclone on record in the Atlantic Basin, only falling short of records held by Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988) Labor Day (1935) and Rita (2005).
Wind gusts reached 102 mph in St. Petersburg, Sarastota and Siesta Key, while the strongest gust in the state was 107 mph south of Sarasota around Venice.
A look at the peak wind gusts so far from Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
A gust of 92 mph was also recorded in West Palm Beach, likely due to proximity to a tornado.
As Milton raced across the Florida Peninsula overnight, an 84-mph wind gust was reported in Daytona Beach around 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday morning. Orlando International Airport also clocked a hurricane-force wind gust of 74 mph around midnight.
Power outages Florida
After racing through Central Florida overnight, Hurricane Milton emerged out over the Atlantic Ocean before sunrise Thursday, but the damage had already been done.
Due to the combination of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes, more than three million power outages were reported across Florida by early Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us.
A look at the current power outages in Florida. (FOX Weather)
The former major hurricane will continue to produce heavy rainfall, gusty winds and large swells until it moves far enough into the western Atlantic to minimize impacts on the Sunshine State.
Following Wednesday evening's landfall, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued around the Tampa metro after more than 10 inches of rain was reported in less than three hours.
Hurricane Milton damage so far
In addition to the hurricane-force winds and storm surge, Milton triggered a historic and record-breaking tornado outbreak.
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Tropicana Field roof ripped off by Hurricane Milton: VIDEO
Tropicana Field, located in St. Petersburg, Florida, was not able to avoid the wrath of Hurricane Milton.
More than 120 Tornado Warnings were issued across Central and South Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton's powerful outer bands found an atmosphere ripe for tornadic development.
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St. Petersburg construction crane falls from high rise during Hurricane Milton
A construction crane in downtown St. Petersburg came tumbling down as Hurricane Milton lashed the city.
One of the hardest hit areas was in St. Lucie County in Southeast Florida. Officials with the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said there were "multiple" fatalities from tornadoes as part of the outbreak on Wednesday.
How many people died in Hurricane Milton?
Multiple people were killed as several tornadoes swept through Florida's St. Lucie County on Wednesday, the sheriff's office said.
Sheriff Keith Pearson said search and rescue crews were searching for victims in Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, where a significant tornado moved through.
"They didn’t stand a chance," stated Pearson. "Everything in (the tornado's) path is just devastated. Our deputies are out there even while the storm Milton is approaching with National Guardsmen, with search and rescue teams going through the rubble."
The sheriff said he did not have specific numbers as to the number of people trapped and needing rescue, but said hundreds of homes were either damaged or destroyed throughout the county.
FOX Weather helped contribute to this report.