Hurricane Milton: Downgraded but still devastating, considerable damage in Florida

Hurricane Milton, initially classified as Category 5 – the most powerful on the Saffir-Simpson scale – made landfall on Wednesday October 9 near Siesta Key, in Sarasota County, Florida. After being downgraded to Category 3 just before it made landfall, it is now classified as Category 1. Despite this reduction in intensity, the U.S. Hurricane Center (NHC) still describes it as “major” because of its destructive potential.

Alarming initial human and material toll

Initial estimates by local authorities, made public on Thursday, put the death toll at four. Milton also knocked out power to more than three million homes across the state, plunging vast areas into darkness, including the city of Punta Gorda. Scenes of flooded streets multiplied: water invaded many neighborhoods, as in Fort Myers Beach, making travel impossible and isolating homes.

Record rainfall and devastated infrastructure

Rainfall reached impressive levels, with 46.5 cm recorded in St Petersburg, 37 cm in McKay Creek and more than 25 cm in Clearwater Beach, according to CNN reports. The torrential downpours turned roads into rivers and trapped several vehicles, as seen in images taken by a storm chaser near Brandon.

In St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field, an iconic arena seating up to 42,000 people, suffered major damage. The roof canvas was torn off by the force of the gusts, recorded at nearly 165 km/h. The stadium, nicknamed “The Trop”, now bears the scars of Milton’s passage, which devastated part of its structure.

A storm described as “deadly and catastrophic”.

Deanne Criswell, Director of FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), warned on Wednesday that Milton would continue to be “a deadly and catastrophic storm”. The situation therefore remains extremely worrying, and the final toll, in terms of both casualties and property damage, has yet to be determined. Local and federal authorities are continuing to assess losses, and are doing their utmost to secure the affected areas.