Hurricane Milton churned away from Florida Thursday morning, downgraded to a downgraded Category 1 storm. With wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and 13-foot storm surges inundating some communities, around 3 million remain without power, and at least four people were killed.
Tampa’s National Weather Service warned that “flash flooding of creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses” is expected.
“Between 6 and 12 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly,” the service noted.
Hurricane Milton was downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it left Florida.
The once-in-a-century storm’s effects hit the Sunshine State, bringing tornado outbreaks, drenching rain and thunderstorms. The National Hurricane Center warns that “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
This live blog has ended. Follow The Post’s Hurricane Milton live updates here.
Pinellas County has shut down all access points due to hazardous conditions, the sheriff's office announced in a post on X. "All access points to Pinellas County are closed until further notice due to hazardous conditions," the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said. A Florida car lover took extra precautions for his brand-new whip ahead of Milton's landfall Wednesday. John Santos, who goes by Gucci_lemon_reloaded on TikTok, wrapped his Corvette in sheets of plastic to protect it from the once-Category 5 storm. Santos began the elaborate process when he moved the car into his Palm Beach garage, before putting on the regular branded cover and then the DIY "gift wrap." TikTok users poked fun at Santos' unique protection method, saying the new car looked like a present. "That was very kind of you to gift wrap your car for Milton," one user wrote. "Milton is gonna be so excited for his new car! It’s wrapped, just missing a big bow!!" another added. Others hoped floodwaters from Milton would float the car to them. "Santa please put this car in my driveway." Santos stood by his decision, saying he wasn't too worried about any flooding, as he was 9 miles from water and the car would be in a garage with at most 2 feet of water.Pinellas County shuts down
By David Spector Car lover mocked for going extra mile to protect his new ride ahead of Milton's flooding: 'Just missing a big bow'
By Nicholas McEntyre
More than 3.1 million people across Florida were left without power after Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday evening, according to poweroutage.us.
Milton has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph, the National Hurricane Center at 5 a.m. Thursday.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, suffered at least 513,000 power outages, according to WESH.
Residents in St. Petersburg, in Pinellas County where 395,000 people are without power, filmed an illuminated sky as transformers blew out during the storm.
The center of the storm is around 10 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral and is making its way toward the Atlantic Ocean.
However, Milton is still producing hurricane-force winds and heavy rain in east-central Florida.
A storm surge warning is still in effect for Florida's west coast from Bonita Beach north to the middle of Longboat Key, including Charlotte Harbor, and Sebastian Inlet, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, including the St. Johns River.
CNN host Anderson Cooper was drilled in the face with flying debris as he reported on Hurricane Milton Wednesday night.
The commentator was standing near the 36-mile-long Manatee River in Bradenton, Fla. thirty minutes after the storm made landfall when he was smacked with the white flying object.
"At the water now which is really starting to pour over, if you look at the graph woah!" Cooper says, according to footage posted to X.
"OK, that wasn't good. We'll probably go inside shortly."
A Fox Weather correspondent and his crew came inches from being hit by a falling tree as had just wrapped up an on-air segment on the west coast of Florida, Wednesday evening.
Robert Ray had just finished a live report in Bradenton, Fla. when the giant pine tree toppled over and crashed down on parts of his car around 7:52 p.m. — more than 30 minutes before Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Sunshine State.
"I had just gotten done with a live report, where I was showing the Manatee River, which is right beyond this tree, walked to my vehicle, looked at my phone," Ray recalled.
"All of a sudden, boom, the whole tree comes down and partially goes into the vehicle."
Ray gave his entire weather spot as he stood inside the fallen tree.
The camera operator with Ray had covered the lenses with a towel to avoid any debris or water splattering on the equipment.
Ray says the moment the tree fell wasn't captured but is certain it was a hurricane wind gust that caused it.
Ray revealed he was afraid another part of the tree was ready to fall as heavy rain and wind continued to barrel through the area.
The one-legged, sailboat-dwelling Florida man affectionately nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” is OK after riding out Hurricane Milton’s wrath in Tampa Bay — despite the mayor insisting he went to shelter ahead of the powerful storm.
The sailor who went viral for refusing to leave his ship never left his boat, which he lives in, as Milton swelled to a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall south of Tampa as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor claimed that Tampa police “just saved Lieutenant Dan” during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“He has been rescued, and he is now in a shelter as well. If we can get Lieutenant Dan to go to a shelter, we can get anybody to do that,” she told reporters.
But Lieutenant Dan, whose real name is Joseph Malinowski, was spotted on his small sailboat docked in Tampa Bay just moments later.
“I know the Mayor of Tampa just said in her press conference that Lieutenant Dan went to a shelter. He didn’t, I’m standing right here,” NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin tweeted just before noon alongside a photo of Malinowski popping his head out of the canvas covering his sailboat’s cabin.
Entin returned to check on Malinowski — who’s been nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” in a nod to Gary Sinise’s seafaring amputee character in “Forrest Gump” — after Milton made landfall and found his sailboat tied to a dock in Tampa Bay, where water had been dragged out by the storm
He called out to “Lieutenant Dan” a few times before the top of the sailboat cabin opened up and the reporter asked if the stubborn sailor was OK, according to a video he posted shortly before midnight.
“I’m fine,” Malinowski said nonchalantly as he popped his head out.
Multiple people were killed after more than a dozen powerful tornadoes associated with Hurricane Milton ripped through parts of Florida Wednesday, authorities said.
Milton proved fatal before making landfall Wednesday night when twisters within the storm’s outer bands struck a senior community in St. Lucie County.
Sheriff Keith Pearson said “multiple fatalities” were reported at the Spanish Lakes Country Club in Fort Pierce, according to reports.
The Florida man who went viral for braving out Hurricane Helene from a kayak inside his flooded living room is "safe" and "dodged a bullet" during Hurricane Milton's wrath on Wednesday night.
Matthew Heller, the CEO of HornBlasters, rode out Milton from the Tampa home that he has owned for eight years.
Heller says he is safe and luckily didn't get any water into his home as of early Thursday morning and the storm was "pleasantly uneventful."
"The house is ok, I'm super happy, my boat is still here. The lights are not on," he said on TikTok.
Although there is no electricity, Heller conducted a candlelit live stream his thousands of viewers.
The lifelong Floridian had ignored Tampa officials' warnings to evacuate the area, saying he wanted to protect his home.
"Some of my neighbors have smaller children. For me, it's just me. My house is my livelihood, so I plan on hunkering down. But I have seen other folks leave," he told Fox News.
Heller made headlines in September when he live-streamed himself inside his flooded home as he paddled around the living room in his purple kayak.
“The kayak was my escape plan in case stuff got too hairy, we could get out,” Heller told CNN. “I didn’t think I was gonna need it in my living room.”
Emergency workers in Orlando have been forced to suspend their operations early Thursday due to Hurricane Milton's dangerous winds.
Orlando police and fire “have been pulled from the roads to shelter in place as winds have reached over 40 mph,” the City of Orlando posted on X at around 12:21 a.m.
“When the wind speed decreases they will be able to respond to calls for service.”
The city has advised its residents to remain in shelter and not to venture out as Hurricane Milton continues to destroy the Sunshine State.
The storm was around 60 miles south-southwest of Orlando around midnight.
Hurricane Milton was downgraded to a Category 1 storm around 1 a.m. on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
However, flash flood warnings continue throughout West-Central Florida, and winds are sustained at 90 mph.
The public has been advised to continue to have shelter in place.
More than 2.4 million homes and businesses have lost power across Florida, poweroutage.us reported.
A massive construction crane collapsed in St. Petersburg on Wednesday as Florida battled Hurricane Milton's wrath.
The crane fell from a building under construction in the city’s downtown area and collided with a neighboring building, according to footage of the aftermath, obtained by Fox 13.
Twisted metal from the collapse was also seen scattered throughout the street.
The building is home to the Tampa Bay Times offices, according to the newspaper.
St. Petersburg city officials said no one was injured when the crane came plummeting down due to the force of Hurricane Milton’s winds.
Officials have asked the public to continue to shelter and avoid the area until further notice.
First responders will do a damage assessment of the area when conditions are more safe.
