DeSantis warns residents to 'hunker down' as Milton makes landfall
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday that Hurricane Milton “is currently in the process of making landfall” as a Category 3 hurricane in Sarasota County, and he warned residents to “hunker down” until the storm passes.
"So the storm is here. It's time for everybody to hunker down," DeSantis said at a press conference Wednesday evening.
“At this point, it's too dangerous to evacuate safely, so you have to shelter in place and just hunker down,” DeSantis added.
DeSantis said the storm was making landfall with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph and was moving northeast at 17 mph.
The National Hurricane Center's (NHC) 8 p.m. bulletin put the storm's center 20 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, moving east-northeast at 15 mph.
DeSantis said the storm will continue moving across central Florida throughout the night and into the early morning hours, and both the east and west coasts of Florida should prepare for continued storm surge and heavy rainfall.
Peak storm surge is now predicted between five and 13 feet, with some variation along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
The governor noted the storm had been weakening over the past 24 hours and sped up prior to making landfall, which, he said, avoided high tide and potentially mitigated some storm surge.
DeSantis further warned about the tornadoes that have already touched Florida ahead of the landfall.
So far, he said, there have been 116 tornado warnings, with 19 confirmed touchdowns in the state. There have been nine flash flood warnings and four additional flood watches, DeSantis said, adding that residents should expect "many, many more to come."
Updated at 8:33 p.m. EST.
Date: |
-
Top stories - The New York Times
Florida Residents on High Alert as Milton Bears Down
Despite repeated tropical storms, the nation’s third most populous state continues to attract more newcomers and sees no end to development.2 hours ago - Florida -
World - The Guardian
Hurricane Milton live updates: warnings of major flash flooding as more than 1.5 million without power in Florida
National Hurricane Center also warns of extreme winds, after storm came ashore south of Tampa. Full report: Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida Some locals choose to stay: ‘We have ...26 minutes ago - Florida -
Business - Financial Times
Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida
US state’s residents warned to evacuate before ‘deadly and catastrophic’ storm that could cost $60bn in insurance losses2 hours ago - Florida -
Politics - The Hill
Milton makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane
Hurricane Milton made landfall at approximately 8:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, Fla., the National Hurricane Center (NHC) ...2 hours ago -
Top stories - CBS News
Milton makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane
Hurricane Milton made landfall just after 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm. Jonathan Vigliotti, Vladimir Duthiers and Nicole Valdes report from the impact zone.1 hour ago -
Top stories - BBC News
Florida webcams show Hurricane Milton making landfall
Cameras in Fort Myers, Tampa and Sarasota have captured the storm making landfall.52 minutes ago - Florida -
Top stories - CBS News
Watch: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives update on Hurricane Milton ahead of landfall
Mass evacuations are underway with Hurricane Milton set to make landfall overnight in Florida. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided an update Wednesday on preparations the state is making ahead of ...13 hours ago - Florida -
Top stories - ABC News
Hurricane Milton tracker: Monster storm pummels Florida after landfall
Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane on Florida's west coast near Siesta Key.14 minutes ago - Florida -
Business - CNBC
Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida as Category 3 storm
The NHC said the storm had sustained winds of up to 120 mph as it warned of a life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding.2 hours ago - Florida
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Recap: Hurricane Milton makes landfall near Sarasota, as Florida sees flooding and tornadoes
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned residents to stay in place as Hurricane Milton makes landfall as a Category 3 storm, bringing with it flooding and tornadoes.26 minutes ago - Florida -
Politics - The Hill
Florida rep expects 'catastrophic devastation’ to coastal communities from Hurricane Milton
Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) predicted on Wednesday that Hurricane Milton would bring "catastrophic devastation" to coastal communities in Florida but said he hoped it wouldn't bring "catastrophic ...46 minutes ago - Florida -
Politics - The Hill
Trump shuts the door on another debate after final pitch from networks
Former President Trump on Wednesday made clear there would be no second debate between him and Vice President Harris in the closing weeks of the campaign, seemingly shutting the door for good on ...3 hours ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
South Florida sees nearly 100 tornado warnings as Milton nears
South Florida has seen close to 100 tornado warnings Wednesday, the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Miami forecast office said, as Hurricane Milton makes landfall in the Sunshine State. NWS Miami ...3 hours ago - Florida -
Politics - The Hill
Taylor Swift donates $5M to Feeding America's hurricane relief efforts
Taylor Swift donated $5 million to Feeding America’s disaster relief efforts for those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the nonprofit agency announced Wednesday. “We're incredibly ...3 hours ago