FLORIDA (AP) -- As Hurricane Milton barreled into and across Florida, it spawned dozens of tornadoes, knocked out power to millions, damaged homes, flooded neighborhoods and led to hundreds of rescues. But the damage wasn't as bad as had been feared.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said that while the storm “was significant,” it “was not the worst-case scenario.” He noted that as he flew over some of the hard-hit areas, he saw that many homes that were built in recent years fared well.
“I’ve seen a lot of grit, I’ve seen a lot of determination and I’m very confident that this area is going to bounce back very, very quickly,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Sarasota, near where the storm made landfall on the Gulf Coast
The storm caused at least eight deaths in the state, where some communities were still dealing with the damage from deadly Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.
Milton came ashore Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm in Siesta Key, a barrier island of white sand beaches about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of the Tampa Bay area.
While the Tampa Bay area, home to over 3.3 million people, was spared a direct hit, there was still flooding and damage.
By Thursday afternoon, Milton had moved off Florida's east coast and became a post-tropical cyclone that no longer had hurricane-force winds.
Officials in hard-hit counties have warned people to beware of downed power lines, trees in roads, blocked bridges and flooding. Before Milton even made landfall, heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida.
The storm knocked out power across a large section of the state, leaving over 3 million homes and businesses without electricity, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. By 9 p.m., that had dropped to 2.8 million.
In St. Petersburg, a crane working on a 46-story building toppled and a water main break led the city to shut down service. Also the roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, was destroyed.
Just inland from Tampa, the flooding in Plant City was “absolutely staggering,” according to City Manager Bill McDaniel.
The National Weather Service said almost 19 inches (48 centimeters) of rain fell in the St. Petersburg area.
A manufacturer of IV fluids critical to hospitals nationwide said its Daytona Beach factory and distribution center were left intact after Milton.
Officials were reporting at least eight deaths as of Thursday.
Five people were killed when a tornado hit in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on the Atlantic Coast, authorities said.
In Volusia County, a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange died after trees crashed into their homes, the sheriff's office said.
And in Tampa, police said the body of a woman in her 70s was found Thursday morning under a large tree branch.
DeSantis said in the afternoon that search-and-rescue operations were ongoing, with at least 340 people and 49 pets rescued so far.
It reached Category 5 strength with winds of 180 mph (290 kph) while still in the Gulf of Mexico, but then encountered wind shear nearing land that dropped it to Category 3 — less powerful but plenty strong. At landfall, maximum sustained winds were measured at 120 mph (about 205 kph).
Storm surge — one of the most devastating elements of any hurricane — was believed to top out at 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) in Sarasota County. That was less than feared. By comparison, Hurricane Ian’s 15-foot (4.6-meter) storm surge devastated the community of Fort Myers Beach two years ago.
Some might wonder if it is possible to control extreme weather events. But scientists say hurricanes are too powerful for that, and climate change is providing more fuel than ever for storms like Milton and Helene.
Three major theme parks in the Orlando area — Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld — all closed as Milton approached but planned to reopen on Friday.
Several airports ceased operations as well. Orlando International Airport — the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked — began receiving some domestic arrivals Thursday evening and said domestic and international departures would resume the following morning.
The Orlando airport said it sustained only minor damage, including a few leaks and downed trees.
Tampa's airport planned to reopen Friday morning. Milton damaged six jet bridges used to board planes, and crews were repairing leaks in the main terminal.
