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*Flash flood emergency issued
Hurricane Milton on Thursday hit central Florida, after a landfall on the state’s west coast earlier, demolishing homes, power plants and displacing nearly 2 million people.
The storm hit land near Siesta Key at around 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
As of 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), Hurricane Milton’s wind speeds decreased to 105 mph (165 kph), classifying it as a Category 2 hurricane, though it remains extremely dangerous. The storm’s eye is located 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Orlando, Florida.
A flash flood emergency has been issued for the Tampa Bay region, which includes Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. St. Petersburg has already recorded 16.6 inches (422 mm) of rainfall on Wednesday, according to the hurricane centre.
The storm’s eye struck Siesta Key, a barrier island town with a population of approximately 5,400, located about 60 miles south of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, which houses over 3 million residents.
Governor Ron DeSantis expressed optimism that Tampa Bay might escape significant damage, noting that the storm’s landfall, occurring before high tide, could help mitigate the worst of the anticipated storm surge.
Forecasters, however, warned that seawater levels could still rise up to 13 feet.
DeSantis made a statement upon landfall, “At this point, it’s too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down.
AFP
