Millions without power after Hurricane Milton, 6 deaths confirmed

Millions of people in Florida were without power Thursday after Hurricane Milton spawned tornados, flooding, and powerful winds. Six storm-related deaths have been confirmed across the state.

Authorities in Florida are currently assessing the damage after Milton made landfall Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm near Siesta Key on Florida’s west coast about 70 miles south of Tampa Bay.

The storm churned east-northeastward toward Cape Canaveral with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour and is moving off the coast of Florida into the Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center.

More than 3 million people were left without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us.

At least four people were confirmed dead in St. Lucie County from two tornadoes that touched down around 4:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, according to the county sheriff.

St. Petersburg police confirmed two people died in the city following the hurricane. St. Petersburg Chief of Police Anthony Holloway said in a news conference that one death was from a “medical” incident, while they have not yet been able to confirm the other’s cause of death.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a press conference on Thursday that the city has not recorded extensive injuries or any deaths following the hurricane.

“I really think it’s due to Hurricane Helene,” she said. “When people get to see firsthand the power of Mother Nature, it’s very impactful, literally and figuratively. And so I think that people heeded that warning and got out and were able to stay safe.”

About half a million homes are without power and damage from flooding is not at the same level as after Hurricane Helene, according to the mayor.

The City of Tampa posted on X for locals to stay in place until public officials say otherwise, as first responders work on the ground to assess and clear any hazards.

President Biden asked Floridians to stay inside and off any roads as downed power lines, debris, and flooding have created dangerous conditions.

“Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it’s safe to go out,” he said in a post on X.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said the evacuation orders prior to the hurricane saved lives.

She added that the full extent of the damage is not yet known, and that FEMA is working to speed up recovery efforts in case of further storms.

“It wasn’t the worst-case scenario that [first responders] were planning for, but they prepared for it, which is making it so much easier to go out and support the communities today,” Criswell told MSNBC on Thursday.

Access to Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg and the barrier islands west of Tampa, has been restored as of 8:45 a.m., according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department.

Powerful winds from the hurricane tore apart the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ home stadium. The ballpark, Tropicana Field, is located in St. Petersburg and was planned to be a 10,000-person basecamp for workers to use when responding to the storm.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida had avoided the worst-case scenario, a major hurricane directly hitting the densely populated Tampa Bay area.

Earlier this week, Milton was a catastrophic Category 5 storm on track to make landfall near Tampa, but weakened before hitting Siesta Key.

DeSantis said the storm had sucked water out from the Tampa area, rather than causing a 10- to 15-foot storm surge.

“In that sense, we did not have as much surge overall than we did with Hurricane Helene just a couple weeks ago,” DeSantis told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Thursday morning. The power outages, however, are larger than those caused by Helene, and there is also damage on Florida’s east coast, he said.

Milton spawned multiple tornados ahead of landfall on Wednesday, with the National Weather Service confirming five of the seven reported. Gov. Ron DeSantis said earlier that 19 tornado touchdowns had been confirmed.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates