Hurricane Milton Causes Widespread Damage in Florida

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on October 9 as a powerful Category 3 storm, causing widespread devastation, power outages affecting over 2.5 million homes, and multiple reported fatalities. Initially classified as a Category 3, the storm was downgraded to a Category 1 as it moved eastward across the state, yet it still produced damaging winds, heavy rains, and significant flooding. The storm's impact has been particularly severe in Sarasota County, where tornadoes were reported, leading to destruction in a senior living community. Florida Power & Light and Duke Energy reported the highest outages, with nearly a million customers affected. Local authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and avoid travel as emergency services work to assess and respond to the damage. The storm follows closely on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which had already caused considerable destruction in the region.