Hurricane Milton, though downgraded in intensity, still wreaked terrifying havoc as it made landfall in the U.S.
On the evening of October 8 (U.S. time, early morning of October 9 in Vietnam), Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida with a Category 3 rating on the U.S. hurricane strength scale, packing sustained winds of 120 mph (193 km/h) and even stronger gusts.
Despite its weakening as it moved inland, the destruction caused by Milton remained intense and dangerous. Forecasted to be the largest hurricane of 2024 globally, Milton unleashed numerous tornadoes, powerful winds, and heavy rain.
A video capturing the chaos as Hurricane Milton battered Florida on October 9 went viral, quickly drawing the attention of 31 million viewers due to the shocking devastation.
The Destructive Power of Hurricane Milton Captured on Video
Fortunately, despite concerns from authorities and meteorologists that Tampa would suffer the worst impact, the city appeared to avoid the massive 16-foot storm surge that had been predicted.
However, rainfall exceeded expectations. The city, home to 3.3 million residents, received the equivalent of five months’ worth of rain in just a few hours. Streets in the Tampa Bay area were flooded with over 9 inches (228 mm) of rain in just three hours, accompanied by violent wind gusts.
St. Petersburg declared the rainfall as a “1,000-year event” (a term describing an extreme weather event with a 0.1% probability of occurring each year). City officials shut off water services across the entire city to respond to a major water main break.
Power outages swept across Florida, with 2 million homes and businesses losing electricity within just three hours, according to PowerOutage.us.
Residents were still being urged not to venture outside, even though the worst of the storm seemed to have passed. Downed power lines and other hazards remained a significant threat to life. There have already been reports of casualties related to the hurricane.
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