Hurricane "Milton": Worst case-scenario avoided

On October 9th, around8 p.m. local time, Hurricane "Milton" made landfall on the west coast of Florida, according to Reuters.

At this point, four fatalities have been confirmed. In addition, over 3.3 million people have lost power, as reported by Power Outrage.

The hurricane was initially considered a Category 5 – the highest rating on the scale – but was downgraded to Category 3 upon landfall. Its immense power has caused significant damage to infrastructure.

Before its landfall, it was feared that the hurricane would cause a catastrophic storm surge of seawater.

Since this did not happen, Governor Ron DeSantis expressed that the worst-case scenario was averted for the state, according to Reuters.

However, DeSantis did emphasize that the damage is still extensive.

According to the Norwegian news outlet VG, 27 tornadoes have been recorded since the hurricane first struck near Siesta Key – south of Tampa Bay.

They also report that approximately 125 homes have been destroyed.

Tropicana Field – the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team – is among the buildings that have been damaged by the hurricane.

The state is prepared for search and rescue missions, according to Reuters.

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October 9th: Hurricane Milton Approaching Florida's West Coast