More than a million Florida residents have been left without power, as shocking images show a tornado tearing through a Florida neighborhood, destroying power lines.
Outages are concentrated in Sarasota and Manatee County, according to USA today data.
The horrifying images, posted to Instagram by Abc7ny, show a tornado linked to Hurricane Milton tearing through the sky in Wellington, Florida.
Power lines are seen bursting brightly as the tornado ripped them apart. The cars in the video sped away from the unexpected sparks.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night.
The rating marks only the speed of Milton’s wind gusts, as forecasters warned the storm will be one of the worst in recent memory when hurricane-force winds hit the coast later today.
Floridians have already been hit by heavy rain and a powerful tornado outbreak that prompted at least 90 tornado warnings across the state on Wednesday.
Onshore winds of over 120 miles per hour and several inches of rain have already been reported and a “catastrophic” flooding situation is developing in Tampa Bay.
Tornadoes touched down in the Everglades and Fort Myers. Forecasters warn that more could appear in central and southern Florida.
The greatest danger is posed by the wall of water, known as a storm surge, which Milton will fan. It was initially feared to be fifteen feet high, but forecasters now believe the storm surge will reach a record height of 12 feet.
Florida residents were advised to flee before the storm hit.
NOAA released terrifying drone camera footage showing massive 28-foot waves caused by Hurricane Milton.
The waves measure approximately 28.12 feet (longer than a London bus and four times higher than Andre the Giant) and have wind gusts of just over 120 kilometers per hour.
The video is part of a program with drone manufacturers Saildrone in an “effort to better understand and predict devastating events like Hurricane Milton.”
Emergency efforts have been deployed across the state as people have been advised to evacuate.
The Florida Department of Health deployed more than 200 emergency response vehicles, according to the governor’s website.
Winds of up to 120 mph have been reported in Florida
Florida residents who refused to leave their homes were advised to write their names on their legs so authorities could identify their bodies.
Millions of people across Florida are caught in a desperate race against time to evacuate before the “storm of the century” hits Tampa tonight, and officials warn that those who choose to stay and ride out Hurricane Milton will have to fend for themselves. themselves.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged locals to evacuate before the 15-foot storm surge expected to hit their city submerges entire properties. He has repeatedly warned those who refuse to leave that they could die at home.