Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night, causing widespread destruction and immobilizing critical infrastructure. The extent of the damage is not yet known.
Maximum sustained winds are near 130 km/h, meaning Hurricane Milton is now considered a Category 1 storm.
Follow along for updates through the day.
2 p.m. EDT: Thousands of flight cancellations
Thousands of flights in and out of the U.S. have been cancelled this week as Hurricane Milton barrelled into the Gulf of Mexico and plowed across Florida — causing many airports to close their doors in the path of destruction.
And airlines across the country grounded flights as a result. There were more than 2,250 U.S. flight cancellations as of midday Thursday, according to tracking service FlightAware, following 1,970 on Wednesday.
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and David Koenig
12:50 p.m. EDT: 14-year-old boy, seniors rescued from serious floods
“We’ve got blankets coming for you,” says a rescue worker as she hands out snacks to assisted-living evacuees in Tampa. “You guys need any water or juice?”
More than 135 residents from the Great American Assisted Living facility in Tampa were moved to dry land Thursday morning after significant flooding in the area. Video published by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s department shows staff tending to a large group of seniors, with two women sitting in walkers and others in wheelchairs.
Other footage posted on social media depicts teams travelling by boat through murky floodwater. Buildings appear half-submerged. Tree branches splay out of the water, their trunks hidden beneath the surface.
In another video update, a 14-year-old boy can be seen wading through neck-deep water as officials approach in a motorboat.
“Let me turn around,” said one of the men on the boat, driving closer. The boy appeared to be sitting cross-legged on a large, wooden pallet as a raft. Sheriff Chad Chronister bends down toward him, and with the help of another rescue worker, he pulls the child aboard.
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12:30 p.m. EDT: Disney prepares to reopen
Orlando’s Walt Disney World Resort is assessing the impacts of Hurricane Milton as it prepares for its planned reopening on Friday.
“Our hearts are with our fellow Floridians who were impacted by this storm,” Thursday’s press release says.
All theme parks and Disney Springs are to remain closed on Thursday, though few activities are still available for those currently lodging at the resort’s hotels.
Disney is offering lodgers free Disney movies, and free play at the arcade, and select dining locations are still operational.
12:15 p.m. EDT: Eye of storm north of Bahamas
In Bahamas, ripping winds are expected through the day, and life-threatening surf is forecast to occur through the week, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
A storm surge warning is still in effect for portions of the east coast of Florida and southern coast of Georgia, and flooding is expected to continue through the afternoon.
11:30 a.m. EDT: Donald Trump commends DeSantis
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has expressed condolences to victims of the hurricane online.
“Hello Florida,” said the Republican candidate, appearing in a video posted on X. “You are in our thoughts and together we will come back better than before.”
“Your governor is doing an excellent job. I’ve been talking to him, and watching; Ron (DeSantis) is doing a really good job. We’re proud of him.”
10:30 a.m. EDT: Four reported dead on east coast of Florida
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed in an update on social media that four people have died due to hurricane conditions in the Lakewood Park neighbourhood, on the southeast coast of Florida.
Rescue crews were able to move 25 people out of the area through the night, said Pearson, who has appeared for periodic updates on social media, speaking to the camera in front of a wreck of steel and iron that was once a parking structure for police cars before a major tornado ripped it apart.
He urged people to let crews survey the damage and clear debris before leaving their homes.
9:50 a.m. EDT: Biden: ‘I urge you to stay inside’
“To everyone impacted by Hurricane Milton: I urge you stay inside and off the roads,” reads a social media post from U.S. President Joe Biden.
He warned of risks posed by downed power lines and washed-out roads – echoing comments from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who also cautioned that floodwaters could be contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
Biden wrote, “Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it’s safe to go out.”
8:40 a.m. EDT: ‘Not the worst-case scenario,’ says DeSantis
“The storm was significant. But thankfully, this was not the worst-case scenario,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters at a Thursday morning news conference.
Facing questions on the prospective death toll, he said it “seems very likely that there were some (fatalities) with the tornadoes,” but “it’s too soon to tell.”
The eye of the storm, now located in Atlantic waters, is expected to continue northeastward towards the Bahamas today. Some areas are still at risk of storm surge and flooding. Crews have been dispatched across the state for rescue and damage assessment.
In areas near the landfall in Sarasota County, DeSantis said the storm surge reached between eight and 10 feet (2.5 to 3 metres). For contrast, the surge during Hurricane Helene two weeks ago reached 15 feet (4.6 metres) in some areas.
Drones, first responders and local authorities are expected to provide details on the impact of the storm through the day.
There are more hazards in store for communities off the Saint Johns River – a major waterway in the state’s northeast. Swells in that river could lead to flooding for weeks as it slowly empties into the Atlantic.
It could take up to 45 days for the river to return to normal levels. Officials fear they could see a repeat of the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022, when hundreds of homes remained flooded for days after the storm.
7:40 a.m. EDT: Collapsed buildings, torn roads
We’re seeing new images from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office showing what appears to be serious damage to structures and roadways warped by Milton.
The images show the sun rising over a stretch of beachfront properties located on the southwest peninsula. In another image, large rocks appear to have been thrown across the roadway, which was disfigured during the storm. Officials also reported a long list of streets blocked by fallen poles and tornado debris. In some areas, over three feet of standing floodwater has made travel by car impossible.
7:05 a.m. EDT: Tampa’s Tropicana Field in tatters
Images of Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, show a large section of the roof was destroyed.
Fabric can be seen hanging from the frame of the structure. It’s unclear if there is any damage to the interior of the stadium.
Local officials had earmarked the location for a massive redevelopment project, which includes an upgraded ballpark, as part of a US$6.5 billion downtown revitalization scheme.
Tropicana Field opened in 1990, originally costing $138 million.
6:35 a.m. EDT: 'Teams on the ground'
Rescue teams in Hillsborough Country, which includes Tampa, have reported serious flooding and downed trees and power lines.
Images posted by the county sheriff’s office depict low-lying areas waterlogged by floodwaters. Torn aluminum siding scattered across a roadway, and a crowd of people packed into the back of a rescue vehicle.
“Our teams are on the ground, moving people to safety,” reads a social media post.
6 a.m. EDT: Rapid rescues, hospital transports
It’s still too early to know how much damage the storm has caused.
More than 3 million homes and businesses are without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages across the country.
The storm touched down in Siesta Key in Sarasota County, about an hour south of Tampa.
The hurricane spawned a series of tornadoes in central and south Florida Wednesday afternoon, some of which caused serious damage to homes and sent residents to hospital, according to first responders in Palm Beach County.
“Firefighters located and rescued multiple people from damaged structures and vehicles,” reads a social media post from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. “Some were trapped under rubble or stuck in overturned vehicles tossed by the strong winds.”
Keith Pearson, sheriff of St. Lucie County on the east coast, told WPBF News, “We have lost some life.”
He didn’t say how many people were killed.
5:15 a.m. EDT: The hurricane is now leaving the state
The centre of the storm is now leaving the state near Cape Canaveral, a small coastal city east of Orlando.
There remains the potential for life-threatening storm surge from east-Florida to southern Georgia, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NOAA).
Hurricane-force winds are expected to rip through east-central and northeastern Florida as Milton moves east. Residents have been asked to keep their distance from windows. Continued heavy rainfall means flash flooding could still occur.
