The shelter of a petrol station forecourt came down in Gibsonton, south of Tampa. Hurricane Milton has torn through Florida, bringing tornadoes, floods, and storm surges. More than three million homes and businesses are without power, and there have been “a number of deaths” reported on the Atlantic coast. In St Petersburg, on the west coast of the state, the water supply has been cut, a crane crashed into a newspaper building, and the roof of a Major League Baseball stadium was ripped off.
Some parts of the state are having 1-in-1000 year amounts of rain. Milton is moving into the Atlantic, but will still produce hurricane-force winds and heavy rain over land. Emergency services in Florida say it’s too dangerous to respond to some calls. Florida county shuts all access pointspublished at 11:57 British Summer Time11:57 BST
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office just announced all access points in and out of the county – which includes St Petersburg – will remain closed until further notice due to “hazardous conditions”. They say the closure also applies to the barrier islands, including Fort de Soto and Sand Key.
Earlier, the local emergency management department confirmed Hurricane Milton had brought over 18 inches of rain and “gusts to 101mph”, causing extensive damage and flooding. 16 people rescued after trees fall in Tampapublished at 11:45 British Summer Time11:45 BST
Tampa chief of police Lee Bercaw says 15 people “including young children” were rescued after a tree fell on a home in hurricane-force winds. He says water was pouring into the house but officers managed to “get there safely” and relocate the group to a local shelter. Tampa fire chief Barbara Tripp adds another person with “head injuries” was rescued and taken to hospital after a tree fell onto another home.
It’s almost 06:40 in Florida and we’re starting to see more of the damage Hurricane Milton caused overnight. If you’re just joining us, this is the latest:
- Milton is now moving away from Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, but hurricane-force winds and rain are continuing
- Over three million people are now without power across Florida, with Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and Highlands among the worst impacted areas
- Five people are in hospital in Palm Beach due to tornado touchdowns, while a crane crashed into a newspaper building in St Petersburg
- In Plant City, east of Tampa, 35 people were rescued from high water – and residents have been told to stay out of “toxic” flood waters
- Milton is a “one in a thousand year rainfall event” our weather presenter says
SOURCE: BBC
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