Storm chaser Connor McCrorey reports from Siesta Key, Florida, where Hurricane Milton made landfall on the night of Oct. 9. The region has a long and difficult road to recovery after the storm.

Siesta Key

Hurricane Milton has made landfall as a Category Three system, causing tornadoes and widespread damage across parts of Florida.

Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida, bringing significant challenges to the region's recovery efforts. The storm struck as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds reaching 110 miles per hour and causing significant storm surge and flooding in Sarasota and surrounding areas. The impact of the hurricane led to downed trees, power lines, and serious structural damage.

In addition to these direct impacts, Hurricane Milton also resulted in deadly tornadoes and flash flooding across much of Florida. These events not only caused extensive damage but also sparked fires, with instances of condominiums being burned to the ground. Residents faced widespread power and communication outages, and access to gas was severely limited. 

This marks the third hurricane to hit western Florida within a little over two months, compounding the recovery efforts for many residents who were still dealing with debris from previous storms. The hurricane season continues, and Florida residents are hopeful for a break from these natural disasters soon.



Difficult road to recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton

I'm storm chaser Connor McCrory reporting from Siesta Key, Florida, where Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night. After a slow build-up over a few days, Milton roared ashore as a Category 3 storm, bringing several feet of storm surge and wind gusts around 110 miles per hour to nearby Sarasota, where I rode out the storm. The front half of the eyewall gave me a false sense of security as it seemed the hurricane was a bit weaker than predicted. When the backside of the eyewall came through, though, it brought with it storm surge and flooding that inundated parts of the city, along with the high winds that brought down trees, power lines, awnings, and other structures. Elsewhere in Florida, storms associated with Hurricane Milton produced deadly tornadoes and torrential rains, causing flash flooding across much of the state. Floodwaters sparked fires, like this one, that burned these condominiums to the ground. The day after Milton hit, life in this area was difficult, to say the least. Even for those who didn't receive any damage themselves, power and communication outages were widespread, and gas remained hard to find. Milton was the third hurricane to affect western Florida in a span of just over two months. With many in Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas still clearing piles of debris from around their homes, Milton only added to their recent ordeals. Hurricane season is not over yet, but most of the residents that I've spoken to in Florida while covering this storm have said they hope this will be the last one that they have to deal with for a long time. Reporting from Siesta Key, Florida, I'm Storm Chaser Connor McCrory.

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Hurricane Milton