Milton’s path of destruction in pictures and video

David Mills

3 min read·October 11, 2024 - 9:32AM

National News Network

Hurricane Milton has left death, destruction and misery in its wake, even if some of the worst fears of meteorologists were not realised.

The system has now officially left Florida, and is out in the Atlantic, north of Cape Canaveral.

With a death toll at 13, but certain to rise, authorities believe some 3.3 million Floridians are without power, the lights going out soon after Milton made landfall near Sarasota, south of Tampa.

Another quarter of a million people in the city of St Petersburg are without drinking water, after damage to infrastructure there.

High winds, a huge deluge of rain (18 inches, or 45 cms, fell in St Petersburg), storm surges of up to 6 feet (1.8m) and a record number of tornadoes were all part of the miseries Milton meted out to the people of Florida.

Early reports suggest Milton was not quite as damaging as Hurricane Helene, which smashed six southern US states on September 26 – but the assessment has just begun.

Here’s how it looks.

Milton made landfall with sustained, powerful winds smashing inland through communities still reeling from Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier.

WHEN MILTON HIT

Milton made landfall about an hour south of Tampa Bay at 8.30pm local time on October 9. It was a Category 3 hurricane by then, unlike its earlier predecessor Hurricane Helene, which was a Category 4 when it hit land.

The International Space Station captured Hurricane Milton as it passed the Gulf of Mexico, where marine drones filmed 28ft waves inside. It reach the Florida coast as a category three storm, with sustained winds of 125km/h.

HOW QUICKLY MILTON DEVELOPED

What astonished meteorologists about Milton, however, was the speed with which it formed. On October 7, as it was developing in the Gulf of Mexico, its wind speeds went from 90 mph (144 km/h) to 180 mph (290 km/hr) within 15 hours.

Hours before Milton made landfall, it whipped up a spate of deadly tornadoes. More than 130 tornado warnings were issued across Florida as the storm barrelled down – the most in a single day.

RECORD NUMBER OF TORNADOS

Wild atmospheric conditions before and after Milton made landfall set loose a record number of tornadoes. In all there were 126 warnings issued – a Florida record, but not quite a US record. On one wild “Super Outbreak” day in 2011, Alabama issued 134 tornado warnings.

Over three million Florida homes and businesses were without power after the storm hit, bringing tidal surges in many heavily populated and low-lying areas.

MILTON’S DEADLY STORM SURGE

Wind speeds are just a hurricane’s opening salvo, and determine the system’s category number. But the storm surge that comes afterwards can be much more deadly. In Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers, a 10-foot (3 metre) surge from the Peace River was recorded, pushing luxury boats onto dry land.

Footage filmed by Jeremy Skidmore showed the roof of the local landmark torn off by intense winds. The home of the Tampa Bay Rays suffered major damage.

BLOWING OFF THE ROOF

The roof of the Tropicana Stadium in Tampa was reportedly constructed in order to withstand winds of up to 115 mph (185 km/h). Milton’s highest wind velocity as it made landfall was 105 mph (168 km/h) near the opening of Tampa Bay – but that wasn’t enough to save the roof of the stadium, which got shredded. The 34-year-old facility was due to be replaced for the 2028 season.

Joe Malinowski nicknamed “Lieutenant Dan” created a social media frenzy when he refused to evacuate his sailboat home. TikToker Terrance Concannon provided regular updates, finally relieving millions of viewers when he revealed Malinowski survived the storm.

AN UNLIKELY SOCIAL MEDIA STAR

A 54 year old man who refused orders to evacuate his sailboat in Tampa Bay became a social media sensation, dubbed “Lieutenant Dan”. Joseph Malinowski, who had earlier ridden out Hurricane Helene on his boat, posted on social media throughout the night, eventually telling his TikTok followers “I’m alive, woowoo … God is good.” A Go Fund Me page to buy a new boat for “Lietuentant Dan” (nicknamed after a character in Forrest Gump) had raised in excess of US$39,000 (A$57,000) – but authorities warned of the dangers of people putting themselves in harm’s way during extreme weather events for social media likes.

A NEW HEADACHE FOR AUTHORITIES

“The biggest issue emergency services agencies face … is managing the conflicting information and misinformation being spread on news media and social media that is preventing or delaying evacuation in at-risk communities,” Associate Professor Paula Dootson, Research Lead with Natural Hazards Research Australia, said. “The thousands of videos being shared showing people in the storm, in flood waters, and in the extreme wind conditions, is in direct conflict with emergency agencies instructing people to get out or to take shelter.”

Amid the destruction there was hope. A 14-year-boy was plucked from floodwaters after surviving on a piece of floating driftwood. Others trapped in homes were rescued as the sun rose.

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Hurricane Milton was “not the worst-case scenario” but it will take some weeks before the full cost of the damage is known. De Santis reacted testily when asked by reporters for a response to estimates of the damage.

“How the hell would a Wall Street analyst be able to know?” USA Today reported DeSantis as saying. “Give me a break on some of this stuff. They are doing damage assessments now.”

Hurricane Helene, which smashed the southern US on September 26, is estimated to have had a damage bill of $11 billion.