- Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm at 8.30pm last night (1.30am UK time) near Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota – with 100mph winds.
- At 5am (10am UK time) the centre of the storm was around 10 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral and making its way towards the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, meaning it is now a Category 1 hurricane.
- Multiple deaths have been confirmed in St Lucie County on Florida’s Atlantic coast, where officials said tornadoes touched down.
- More than three million households were left without electricity in Florida as of 4am (9am UK time).
- Videos show a stadium roof ripped off by high winds, a crane that has collapsed into a large building, streets engulfed in water and cars partially submerged by the resulting storm surge.
- President Joe Biden said he pre-deployed thousands of federal personnel to areas affected by the storm, including more than 1,000 Coast Guard members.
Hurricane damage ‘quite devastating’
The damage caused by Hurricane Milton is expected to be “quite devastating” when Americans wake up this morning, a federal official has told Sky News.
Jennifer Hubbard, from the National Weather Service, said storm surges of more than 6ft had been recorded overnight in the Fort Myers area.
However, she warned water levels “much higher” were likely to have occurred.
Speaking just now, she said Milton was still currently classed as a Category 1 hurricane.
She adds: ‘[It is] just off the east coast of Florida now, and it is expected to continue weakening as it moves out.
“But it’s still bringing quite a bit of wind on the back side of the hurricane still for the eastern half of the state.”
Ms Hubbard, who is a warning coordination meteorologist, says Tampa Bay and the area to the south “really got the worst of the winds”, while there was “horrible flooding” in several counties.
She adds: “As soon as we get some daylight I’m sure it’s just going to be quite devastating seeing what we actually have, damage-wise…
“It’s going to be quite bad, and we [also] have numerous areas with 70% to 90% power outages”.
Number without power rises
The number of energy customers without power in central Florida has risen to around 3.25 million, NBC News is reporting.
It reports that the number of outages has gone up, according to PowerOutage.us.
Hurricane Milton made its way across the state as a Category 1 hurricane and forecasters warned in advance that disruption to power networks could potentially take weeks to fix.
Guests ‘trapped in flooded hotel’
A rescue operation is under way following reports that people have become trapped at a Hotel Inn in Plant City, Florida.
Flood water is said to be rushing into the bottom floor of the hotel in the city, which is just to the east of Tampa.
Sheriff Chad Chronister told CNN: “We don’t know how many people are staying at the hotel. We just know we have to go rescue them.”
Amphibious vehicles are being used in the operation, he added.
Dozens of residents are also said to be trapped in an assisted living facility, the broadcaster reports.
It said the affected building was not in a flood zone or evacuation zone, with the flood waters taking authorities by surprise.
Windows torn from building as back end of hurricane rips through Florida
More video from Florida shows evidence of the destructive force of Hurricane Milton – even as it fades away.
In footage from downtown Sarasota, windows can be seen torn out of a large office building.
Josh Morgerman, the so-called storm chaser who filmed the spectacle, suggested the winds at the back end of the hurricane were seemingly more destructive than those at the front.
‘Steel has been shredded’: Briton on holiday speaks to Sky News
Chris Ball is on holiday in Florida with his family.
Earlier, he told Sky News in the area of the state where they are staying, there has not been an evacuation order, just a warning to take shelter.
“Our holiday company got in touch and told us it was safe to be here,” he said.
But describing the devastation of the hurricane where his family are, he added: “We have a steel frame gazebo for our pool and that’s been shredded.
“There’s not much left of that.”
His wife and son are “scared” and have locked themselves in their rooms, he said.
Asked why he chose to visit Florida, he said the family had visited before but did not realise the potential risk from hurricane season when booking a trip for October.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be as bad as this,” he said.
What’s it like being in the eye of a hurricane?
The eerie calm of the centre of Hurricane Milton has been captured on camera by Florida resident Ryan Rolland.
His footage shows howling winds shaking trees near his home – before they suddenly become still and silence descends on his neighbourhood.
Mr Rolland can be heard saying: “Well, here we are. This is the eye of the storm everybody. This is the same palm tree I was just filming.”
He adds: “Some people still got power up the road – we’re out.”
The footage was filmed in the city of Sarasota, which is just south of Tampa on the west coast of the state.
The US National Hurricane Center estimates that the eyes of hurricanes are usually 20 to 40 miles across.
It says: “People in the midst of a hurricane are often amazed at how the incredibly fierce winds and rain can suddenly stop and [how] the sky clears when the eye comes over them.
“Then, just as quickly, the winds and rain begin again, but this time from the opposite direction.”
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