Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall on Florida’s West Coast, Downgraded After Sweeping Through Central Florida
Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday night as a powerful Category 3 storm. Striking near Siesta Key, a barrier island in Sarasota County, at approximately 8:30 PM EDT (03:00 GMT), Milton initially packed maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (120 mph), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Milton, which started as a tropical depression on October 5, intensified into a Category 1 hurricane by October 6. By Monday, it had rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 storm, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale. However, by the time it reached Florida’s coast on Wednesday, it had weakened slightly to Category 3.
As Hurricane Milton barreled through central Florida, it quickly weakened further to a Category 1, bringing heavy rainfall and widespread power outages before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean. The storm’s aftermath adds to the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which struck the Gulf Coast on September 26, claiming over 225 lives.
While the impact of Hurricane Milton is still being assessed, Florida residents are dealing with flooded roads, downed trees, and disrupted power supplies across the state.
This back-to-back hurricane activity raises concerns over the increased frequency and intensity of storms in the region, as experts analyze the implications of this year’s hurricane season on Florida’s coastal communities.
Stay tuned for more updates on recovery efforts and ongoing weather forecasts as Milton moves further into the Atlantic.
Source : Swifteradio.com
