Hurricane Milton: Sheriff Confirms 'Loss Of Life' After Tornadoes; Power Outages Affect 2 Million Customers

Fire and emergency services were halted, millions were without power, streets and homes were flooded and power lines and trees knocked down as H​urricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night on Florida's West Coast.

The storm roared ashore in the Sarasota County community of Siesta Key, home to pricey houses and condos, daiquiri bars, and beaches often ranked among the best in the U.S.

The area just south of Tampa Bay was under a mandatory evacuation order ahead of the storm, and residents countywide were told to shelter in place as Milton moved in.

(MORE: Hurricane Milton Tracker | Latest Forecast For Milton)

Here are our live updates from Wednesday into Thursday:

(1​ a.m. ET) Milton Now A Category 1

Milton maintained hurricane strength early Thursday as it moved across Florida.

A​ccording to the 1 a.m. EDT update from the National Hurricane Center, Milton was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. It was located about 40 miles southwest of Orlando, moving east-northeast at a brisk 16 mph.

(1​2:30 a.m. ET) Crane Falls Onto Building That Houses Tampa Bay Times

A falling crane hit the building housing the offices of the Tampa Bay Times around 10 p.m. Wednesday. It apparently fell from a nearby construction site.

(12 a.m. ET) House Goes Up In Flames During Milton

Hurricane Milton caused chaos hours before landfall, sparking a house fire and sinking several boats on Florida’s West Coast. The home in South Bradenton caught fire amid power flashes from Milton’s outer bands. Several boats also sank in nearby waters of Manatee County.

(11:50 p.m. ET) More Than 2 Million Homes, Businesses Without Power

More than 2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. More than half of the outages are concentrated in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

(​11:15 p.m. ET) Roof Flies Off Tropicana Field

The roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, was ripped apart by Hurricane Milton on Wednesday. Numerous social media posts showed the roof in tatters after Milton’s Category 3 winds tore through the area. The stadium is home to baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.

(10:30 p.m. ET) St. Lucie County Sheriff: 'Loss Of Life' After Tornado

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed “loss of life” after at least one tornado ripped through Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Wednesday afternoon. “Search and rescue teams are on their way, our deputies are out here, the fire district is out here, we are going through the rubble…we are trying to provide any help that we can,” Pearson said in an interview. He did not confirm the number of deaths. “Unfortunately, it is going to be a fatal storm,” he said.

(​10:15 p.m. ET) Emergency Response Suspended in Sumter County, Florida

All emergency services in Sumter County have been suspended until conditions improve and it is safe to respond. As sustained winds reach 45 mph, emergency vehicles, including fire and rescue services, are unable to operate safely, according to the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners. Emergency officials there say these hazardous conditions make it extremely dangerous for responders to navigate the roads, putting both their safety and that of individuals in need at risk.

(​9:33 p.m. ET) Power Outages In Florida Top 1 Million

More than 1.2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us.

(9:19 p.m. ET) W​hy Milton's Landfall Was Different

From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles:

Milton's landfall in Sarasota County was a bit of a hybrid landfall. The hurricane was gathering energy from both the warm Gulf of Mexico and from a nearby jet stream that will help launch Milton into the Atlantic. This means that the effects of rainfall flooding and storm surge flooding will be bisected by the storm's path. Parts of Southwest Florida are inundated by onshore flow while Tampa Bay to Orlando may see 10+ inches of rainfall through the night. The landfall was the strongest landfall for the region in decades.

Milton will now cross Central Florida with tropical storm force winds and extremely heavy rainfall before getting into the Atlantic early Thursday. Conditions will rapidly improve for the remainder of the week.

(8​:42 p.m. ET) Milton Makes Landfall South Of Tampa Bay

(​8:40 p.m. ET) Taylor Swift Donates $5 Million To Feeding America To Benefit Hurricane Relief Efforts

Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America for Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts. The contribution will help communities rebuild, recover and help to provide food, water and supplies for those affected by the recent storms, according to the relief organization.

(​8:25 p.m. ET) Power Outages Surge Past 600,000

As Milton approaches landfall, more than 600,000 homes, businesses and other customers are without electricity in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. Here’s a breakdown of current numbers by county:

-St. Lucie with 25,996

-Indian River with 24,560

-Martin with 22,170

-Hillsborough with 83,703

-Pinellas with 116,250

-Manatee with 65,054

-Lee with 35,520

-Sarasota with 26,505

-Pasco with 52,160

(​8:19 p.m. ET) Winds Whipping As Milton Nears Landfall

H​ere's a look at some of the highest wind reports so far:

-A gust of 96 mph at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, south of Tampa Bay.

-​An 89 mph gust at Albert Whitted Airport, which sits directly on Tampa Bay in downtown St. Petersburg.

-Sustained winds of 71 mph in Venice, further to the south in Sarasota County.

(​7:47 p.m. ET) Fire, Police, Ambulances Stop Responding In Many Areas

Emergency services in many areas along Milton's path stopped responding to calls for service hours ago due to high winds. Others will likely follow suit as the night goes on. That means anyone who needs medical attention or rescue has to wait until the storm passes and conditions improve.

N​ote that this can be true in areas with or without mandatory evacuations.

I​n some cases, only some services are suspended. In others, response may continue on a limited basis.

Among the areas where some or all emergency services are suspended:

-​Pasco County.

-Pinellas County, including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

-Manatee County, including Anna Maria Island and the cities of Bradenton, Palmetto and Cortez.

-​Sarasota County, including the cities of Sarasota and Venice.

-​Charlotte County.

(​7:17 p.m. ET) Power Outages Top 300,000

M​ore than 300,000 homes and businesses are now without electricity in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. About half of those are in the Tampa Bay area including Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties. Outages are also widespread on the state's East Coast in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

(​7:02 p.m. ET) Extreme Wind Warning For Tampa Bay Area

A​n extreme wind warning is in effect for the metro Tampa area. Gusts more than 100 mph are possible as Milton moves closer to landfall along the southwest Florida Gulf Coast. The warning stretches from Palm Harbor south to near Sarasota and from the barrier island east to Plant City and Duette. The cities of Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg are all included.

(6:41 p.m. ET) T​ornado Damage At St. Lucie Sheriff's Office

V​ideo shared to social media shows what the poster says is damage to a Sheriff's Office facility in St. Lucie County, on Florida's East Coast. A rash of tornadoes and severe weather has been reported across the Florida Peninsula ahead of Milton's landfall on the West Coast.

(​6:34 p.m. ET) Pinellas County: Shelter In Place

R​esidents in Pinellas County just got an emergency alert telling them to "Shelter in place NOW."

K​ey notes from the alert:

-​First responders are now off the roads.

-​Wind gusts above 50 mph.

-​Settle into a safe place and stay put.

(​6:16 p.m. ET) No Water In Parts Of St. Petersburg

People in parts of St. Pete are being told to limit water usage, including showers, sinks and toilets. A social media update from the city said the city turned off power at two sewer treatment plants in order to protect employees and equipment from storm surge.

(​6:04 p.m. ET) Where's Jim Cantore?

T​he Weather Channel's Jim Cantore is live in Charlotte Harbor, where storm surge is starting to spread into waterfront parking garages and into streets.

T​he town is in Charlotte County, about 70 miles south of Tampa.

(​5:24 p.m. ET) Power Outages Soar

M​ore than 125,000 homes, businesses and other utility customers are without electricity in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. The outages are in several counties on both sides of the state. Here's a look at the numbers:

-​St. Lucie with 20,516

-​Indian River with 17,699

-​Hillsborough with 16,604

-​Pinellas with 17,797

-​Manatee with 11,933

-Lee with 10,410

(​5:04 p.m. ET) Milton's Latest Track

H​urricane Milton is about 60 miles west southwest of Sarasota, according to the National Hurricane Center's just-released 5 p.m. update. The storm is moving northeast at about 17 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph

(​4:42 p.m. ET) Milton Gets Bigger

F​rom weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks:

M​ilton is growing in size, which means more people will feel the storm’s impacts. Tropical storm force winds or higher stretch about 250 miles across.

W​inds higher than 110 mph are possible in the Tampa Bay area and points south down to around Naples. Winds greater than 74 mph are possible across Central Florida to the state's East Coast.

(​4:23 p.m. ET) Winds Near 70 MPH

A​ wind gust of 68 mph was already reported in Fort Myers Beach, about 90 miles south of Tampa Bay.

(​3:59 p.m. ET) What's The Difference Between A Tornado Warning And A Tornado Watch?

W​ith Hurricane Milton spawning tornadoes ahead of landfall, it's important to know the meaning of a tornado warning vs. a tornado watch. Simply put, a tornado warning means it's time to take action. A tornado has been seen or indicated on radar and it's time to move to shelter.

A​ watch means conditions make a tornado possible. It should be considered a heads-up to pay closer attention to the weather.

The National Weather Service had this to say about tornadoes so far today:

(3:46 p.m. ET) Power Outages Begin In Florida

Milton is already taking power away from some customers in Florida. More than 70,700 outages are reported in the state, according to PowerOutage.us.

About 9,500 of those outages are located in Hillsborough County. Another 8,500 are centralized in Lee County and 8,000 in Manatee County.

(2:57 p.m. ET) Images Show Damage From Apparent Tornado In Cape Coral

A 7-11 convenience store sustained damage after an apparent tornado in Cape Coral. Photos show a knocked-over ice machine and a damaged awning.

For more photos, click through our slideshow here.

(​2:45 p.m. ET) Major Tampa Bay Bridges Closed

M​ajor arteries into and out of Tampa Bay's largest cities are now closed. The state Department of Transportation announced about an hour ago that the Sunshine Skyway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, Gandy Causeway and Courtney Campbell Causeway are all shut down.

(2:31 p.m. ET) Sarasota County Issues Somber Warning To Those Who Didn't Evacuate

Erick J. Arroyo, commissioner from District 3 in Sarasota, says people who plan to stay in mandatory evacuation zones should write their names on their bodies with markers for identification purposes. The dire warning is clear: Those who aren’t evacuating are in danger.

(​2:17 p.m. ET) Hurricane Milton Could Be 10th Major Hurricane In Less Than 10 Years

M​ilton will likely strike Florida as a major hurricane. That would make it the 10th Category 3 hurricane or higher to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast since 2017.

T​he deadly and destructive streak started with Hurricane Harvey's landfall near the Texas Gulf Coast on Aug. 25, 2017. The most recent was Hurricane Helene, which caused damage up Florida's Gulf Coast before making landfall in the state's Big Bend region.

These storms have caused damages tallying up to more than $450 billion and caused the deaths of at least 550 people, according to weather.com meteorologist Jennifer Gray.

R​ead her full write-up here.

(​1:50 p.m. ET) St. Pete Residents Flee Milton: 'We're Very Scared'

S​t. Petersburg, Florida, was hit hard by Helene two weeks ago. Many residents there are now fleeing Milton.

“With Helene, we had about 6 feet of water inside our home, and they're predicting the surge to be about 10 to 15 feet, which is twice as much as Helene. So it's going to be tough to come back to," Karina Kobil, who drove to Miami with her family, told The Associated Press.

"And we're very scared about what's going to happen with our home. And my mom is on permanent oxygen. So we were fearful that we were going to lose power for too many days. And that's why we drove down here."

(WATCH: St. Petersburg Family Flees To Miami)

(​1:31 p.m. ET) Milton's Storm Surge Starts To Hit Southwest Florida

A​ webcam at the Naples Pier showed water washing high up onto the beach about 45 minutes ago, even though it was low tide. Tide gauges showed levels were about 1.5 feet above normal at the time.

(​1:12 p.m. ET) Nearly Every School District In Florida Closed Wednesday

F​orty-six of Florida's 67 county school districts are closed . Most also plan to remain closed Thursday and some have already announced closures for Friday, too.

T​he list of school closures includes five of the 10 largest school districts in the nation. Those are Miami-Dade, Broward, Hillsborough, Orange and Palm Beach counties.

(1:06 p.m. ET) National Weather Service Confirms Four Tornadoes In Miami Area

The tornadoes were located near the Miccosukee Service Plaza along I-75, I-75 mile marker 30, SR-80 in Clewiston and in Lakeport.

There was another potential tornado in Florida City/Homestead.

From weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce: “Tornadoes often occur with hurricanes approaching landfall, especially in rain bands on the right side, or in this case east side, of where the circulation center is tracking.”

Read more here about today's tornadoes so far.

(12:58 p.m. ET) More Than 1,500 Florida Flights Canceled Today

Several major airports in Florida are closed, resulting in hundreds of canceled arrivals and departures. Closures include airports in Orlando and the Tampa Bay area.

Among the most impacted airlines according to FlightAware.com are Southwest, American, Delta, JetBlue and United.

(12:18 p.m.) Florida Residents Wonder: Is Publix Open Today?

If you still need supplies, the hunt to find them needs to start now. Stores and businesses are closed in areas across the state.

That includes Publix, the state’s largest grocery chain. About 500 of the 871 Publix stores in Florida are closed or operating on modified hours Wednesday and possibly through at least Thursday.

Many Target stores are also closed. Walmart lists some stores open even in areas in the storm’s path.

(11:31 a.m. ET) NWS: “Particularly Dangerous Situation” West Of Clewiston

The NWS in Miami confirmed a large and dangerous tornado west of Clewiston, labeling it a “particularly dangerous situation.”

People nearby are urged to take cover. “You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible,” NWS warned.

(11:17 a.m. ET) Florida Shelters Housing Only A Fraction Of Total Capacity

Florida has opened 149 emergency shelters with the capacity to house nearly 200,000 people. However, only about 31,000 evacuees are currently sheltering at these locations.

Gov. DeSantis is still urging residents to evacuate, saying there is still a little time for people to get to a safe place.

“The roads and interstates, they are flowing,” he said in a morning press conference. “But the best option would probably be just to evacuate within your own county to one of the shelters.”

(11:03 a.m. ET) Tornado Crosses I-75 In Florida

NWS Miami posted on X that a tornado was crossing I-75 shortly after 10 a.m. “Seek shelter NOW!” NWS urged. The twister was near the Miccosukee Service Plaza.

Another tornado was confirmed near the town of Weston. A tornado watch is issued for virtually all of South Florida until 9 p.m. EDT.

(10:11 a.m. ET) Pinellas County: “Get Out Now”

Pinellas County is texting residents warning about the dangers of Milton.

“GET OUT NOW. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM,” the mass text read. It continued: “Deadly storm surge expected.”

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for zones A, B and C in the county, as well as all mobile homes.

Evacuees and residents can find shelter info, storm resources and sign up for alerts like this by visiting disaster.pinellas.gov.

(9:43 a.m. ET) Milton’s Rain Is Getting Started In Florida

Rain is already spreading across parts of Florida well ahead of Milton’s landfall. Photos show dark clouds and wet streets in Tampa and South Pasadena.

The hurricane is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rainfall, with catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding to the central and northern Florida Peninsula

(9:25 a.m. ET) 22.8% Of Florida Gas Stations Out Of Gas

GasBuddy data reports that 22.8% of Florida’s gas stations are out of gas. The largest percentage of outages is in the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas, where more than 46% of gas stations are out of gas.

GasBuddy.com has a Gas Station Outage Tracker focused on the storm, and Florida drivers can find gas by state and city through the website.

(8:56 a.m. ET) Price Gouging Complaints Surge

Florida’s Office of The Attorney General has received more than 200 complaints about price gouging as residents evacuate. Most of the complaints are about the price of fuel and water, and the top three areas of concern are Pinellas, Hillsborough and Highlands counties, Kylie Mason, spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said.

Other callers are reporting the prices of overnight accommodations, including an Airbnb listing for a “room in Tallahassee” priced at nearly $6,000 per night.

The Tampa area had the most reports of price gouging during Hurricane Helene, 10 Tampa Bay reported, and the state is deciding to crack down during Milton.

Excessive increases in the price of essential items such as food, water, gasoline, lumber, hotel rooms and safety equipment are against the law during a storm-related state of emergency. Citizens are encouraged to report instances of suspected price gouging to Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline.

(8:25 a.m. ET) More Than 5.5 Million Ordered To Evacuate

Millions of residents in areas vulnerable to Milton’s wrath, such as Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers are under mandatory evacuation orders. Tampa residents were advised to be in a safe place by 7 a.m. before the worst of Milton’s rains, winds and storm surge take hold.

The mass exodus slowed highway traffic to a crawl Monday and Tuesday. Officials are waiving toll fees, have set up additional fueling stations and recommended evacuees not travel further inland than necessary to try to free up evacuation routes, but roadways still saw 150% of normal traffic Monday, state officials said.

(​7:30 a.m. ET) Extreme Flood Danger For Millions

I​t's not just Florida's west coast – a "high risk" of flash flooding has been issued for areas all the way to the Atlantic coast through tomorrow morning. Some areas in the red shading could see more than a month's worth of rain from Hurricane Milton.

(​7 a.m. ET) Key Things To Know At This Hour

T​he National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office mentioned these key tidbits in its 7 a.m. briefing:

- The track of Hurricane Milton continues to be a worst-case scenario for the Tampa Bay region southward to Charlotte.

- Confidence is increasing that landfall will take place somewhere in the Tampa Bay region south to Sarasota as a Category 4 storm.

- Negative surge can occur north of the landfall location, but the average forecast error at this time is 40 miles and this is why values have not lowered as much around Tampa Bay.

(​6:45 a.m. ET) Tornado Threat Rising For South Florida

W​ell ahead of landfall, Milton is sending moisture into South Florida, and the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center warns that a few tornadoes could be spawned. Residents in this area should activate severe weather alerts on their smartphone and have at least one other way to receive alerts, too.

(6:30 a.m. ET) Evacuees Injured In Crash Of Small Plane

Three people were injured when a small plane crashed into Tampa Bay Tuesday after taking off from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Petersburg.

The three, plus one other person and a dog onboard, were evacuating ahead of Milton, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The dog and the other passengers were rescued by a good Samaritan, about 500 feet offshore.

The six-passenger plane sank to the bottom of the bay.

(​6:15 a.m. ET) Here's What Milton Looks Like From Space

N​OAA's GOES-16 satellite captured this jaw-dropping image of Hurricane Milton late Tuesday night, and the storm largely looks the same this morning, only a little closer to Florida:

(​6 a.m. ET) Police Department Moves Thousands Of Pieces Of Evidence

Members of the Bradenton Police Department spent Tuesday moving 41,000 pieces of evidence from their headquarters, which sits adjacent to the Manatee River on the south side of Tampa Bay.

They also moved equipment and records from their building.

“These items are secured off-site, with 24-7 security. No matter what Milton brings, we can ensure our community that we won’t miss a beat,” a social media post from the department read.

(5:45 a.m. ET) Florida East Coast Hospital Closing Ahead Of Milton

Cape Canaveral Hospital in Brevard County is closing and evacuating at 11 a.m.

The area is across the state from where Milton’s worst impacts are expected, but it sits on a narrow causeway between two barrier islands. Because of its location, the hospital is often evacuated when hurricanes are a threat.

At least 16 other Florida hospitals are also evacuating.

(​5:30 a.m. ET) Resetting The Scene From Overnight

M​ilton remains a "catastrophic" Category 5 hurricane as of the 5 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph, and despite some slight wobbles in the storm's track, it remains on a path of destruction for Florida's west coast, including the Tampa area.

T​he storm surge forecast remains 10-15 feet from Tampa Bay into areas just south of there.

"Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida," said the NHC in its forecast discussion this morning.

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.