Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, leaving over 2 million customers without power.

On the morning of October 10th (Vietnam time, evening of October 9th local time), Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm on the US 5-category scale, made landfall on the west coast of Florida, bringing with it large waves and the risk of flooding in many areas of the state. Compared to forecasts, Hurricane Milton made landfall earlier and further south, weakening to Category 2 upon landfall, offering hope that the damage caused by the storm may be less severe.

Before making landfall in Florida, Hurricane Milton had twice reached Category 5 intensity. According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami, when it made landfall on the Siesta Key coast in Florida at 8:30 PM on October 9th, Hurricane Milton had maximum sustained winds of up to 195 km/h. The NHC warned that Hurricane Milton could cause storm surges, flash floods, and strong winds, threatening people's lives.

Because the storm made landfall before high tide, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hoped the west coast of Florida could avoid devastating consequences. Meteorologists predicted storm surges could reach up to 4 meters.



The path of Hurricane Milton as of local time. Photo: BBC

However, just before the storm made landfall, approximately 125 homes were destroyed, and more than 1 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power. Sarasota County, where the storm made landfall, and neighboring Manatee County were the two areas experiencing the most severe power outages. Hurricane Milton also caused at least 19 tornadoes across Florida. As of the evening of October 9th, authorities had issued more than 130 tornado warnings related to Hurricane Milton. No fatalities have been reported. Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors.

Homes were destroyed in Florida after Hurricane Milton made landfall. Photo: WASHINGTON POST

Forecasts indicate that Hurricane Milton will cross the Florida Peninsula on the night of October 9-10 local time, entering the Atlantic Ocean and weakening in the western Atlantic, but will still generate dangerous high waves. At sea, the storm has already generated waves as high as 8.5 meters. Currently, approximately 9,000 National Guard troops and 50,000 power workers have been deployed in Florida, ready to assist in storm recovery efforts.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in St. Petersburg, Florida. Photo: CNN

Milton, the third hurricane to hit Florida this year, has left more than 2 million homes and businesses without power for about three hours. The power outages are expected to increase as the storm moves inland.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bao-milton-do-bo-vao-florida-hon-2-trieu-khach-hang-mat-dien-post762992.html