Hurricane Milton makes landfall, slamming into Florida with destructive winds, catastrophic storm surge
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed multiple fatalities during an appearance on Fox Weather
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds on Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida, slamming into the state's west coast before churning its way eastward.
During an appearance on Fox Weather, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed there have been 17 tornadoes along with several fatalities.
"We can confirm 17 tornadoes hit St. Lucie County, Florida, with multiple fatalities, a rescue mission ongoing, and hundreds of homes destroyed," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The catastrophic landfall comes barely two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which battered Florida before causing devastation in North Carolina. Florida residents have spent the interim boarding up windows and evacuating their homes in preparation for Milton.
"Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida," the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene damage (National Weather Service)
The storm is expected to pass over central Florida and into the Atlantic through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
As of 11 p.m., power was out for 1.8 million customers, with roughly 300,000 customers losing power in one hour.
Milton poses a threat of a historically deep storm surge, as well as wind gusts well over 100 mph over the next 36 hours. Storm surge forecasts along the central western coast are predicting 10 to 15 feet of water topped with devastating waves driven by hurricane-force winds, according to FOX Weather.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}HURRICANE MILTON LEADS TO CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS BEING AIRLIFTED TO SAFETY
"Yes, you might have ‘been through hurricanes before,'" FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross said. "But you weren't through the 1921 storm that put water over much of Pinellas County, or the 1848 hurricane that put 15 feet of Gulf water where downtown Tampa is today."
A Lee County Sheriff's officer patrols the streets of Cape Coral, Fla., as heavy rain falls ahead of Hurricane Milton, Wednesday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has activated thousands of National Guard members who are standing by to conduct search and rescue following the storm. President Biden's administration has also pre-deployed resources and hundreds of personnel.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Biden declared Florida a disaster area ahead of Milton's landfall to facilitate FEMA's preparations and response.
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Broken utility poles downed by strong wind gusts are seen as Hurricane Milton approaches Fort Myers, Fla, Wednesday. (Reuters/Ricardo Arduengo)
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned early Wednesday evening that the northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton had started to spread onshore along the Florida Gulf Coast, and told residents to "shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Public Safety Information Manager for Florida’s Incident Support Team James Lucas warned that weather conditions will prevent rescuers from saving lives as Hurricane Milton makes landfall and wallops the state.
An apparent tornado caused by Hurricane Milton tore the awning off a 7-Eleven convenience store, in Cape Coral, Fla., Wednesday. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
"Weather conditions will deteriorate so rapidly that rescue workers cannot get in," Lucas told Fox News Digital’s Gabriele Regalbuto. "That means that law enforcement officers are not going to be able to respond to any emergencies … as the storm is pushing through at 100 mph."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lucas said the life safety of first responders and citizens is paramount.
"We’re not going to be able to make it into those affected areas during the storm," Lucas said. "That’s why the Mayor of Tampa, the Governor of Florida is asking people in those areas to evacuate."