Oct. 9 (UPI) — Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota along Florida’s west coast Wednesday night, knocking out power to some 1.6 million people. Fatalities and injuries were reported.
As of 11 p.m., more than 1.6 million in the Sunshine State were without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
“As Hurricane Milton makes landfall Sarasota county, now is the time to shelter in place,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on X just prior to Milton coming ashore. “First responders are staged and ready to go, as soon as weather conditions allow. Search and rescue efforts will be well underway to save lives before dawn, and they will continue for as long as it takes.”
Officials in Martin County, located on the eastern coast of Florida between Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie, said dozens of homes have been damaged, some severely, and a number of both minor and serious injuries have been reported.
The storm had devastating effects even prior to landfall, with St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirming to local media “multiple fatalities” after a tornado tore through the Spanish Lakes Country Club senior community.
Deputies are going door to door, he said, checking on residents.
“They are listening for life,” he said. “This is a weather event like none other.”
On Facebook, he said in a recorded statement that a tornado had destroyed a 10,000-square-foot red iron building at the sheriff’s office that shelters their patrol cars.
