Hurricane Milton: First confirmed dead - Millions of homes without power and water

All of Florida is at the mercy of Hurricane Milton. It may have been downgraded in size just before it hit the coast to number two in the relative tier, but it is hitting the areas it passes through very hard.

According to the latest information, at least two people died in the area St. Lucie. This is an elderly couple. At the same time, there are fears that the number will grow.

Follow LIVE the course of the phenomenon and all developments related to Hurricane Milton.

Shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday, it began to hit the first areas in Florida with gale-force winds and thunderstorms. Notably, three National Weather Service offices in Florida had issued a total of 133 tornado warnings related to Hurricane Milton.

Millions of homes have been left without power, while more than 100 homes were reported damaged by the winds before the hurricane made landfall in Florida.

At least two dead in St. Lucie – Final toll unknown

Two people died in the St. Lucie area. It is about an elderly couple whose house was destroyed by a tornado. Earlier, the county sheriff confirmed there were “multiple deaths” after a tornado struck

“We have dozens of homes in St. Lucie County that have been damaged, some catastrophic damage,” said St. Lucie County spokesman Eric Gill. “We are working with the St. Lucie County Fire Department, the National Guard, as well as units from the sheriff’s office and even first responders from surrounding counties to assist in the search and rescue.”

Many injured in Palm Beach

People were trapped under debris and in overturned vehicles in the Wellington, Acreage and Loxahatchee areas of Palm Beach, the fire department said. Five people were taken to hospitals in serious condition and many others with minor injuries. At the same time there are reports of people trapped in other states.

Tons of water all over Florida

The rain is relentless where the hurricane passes with experts warning of flooding. Already, many areas have been covered by tons of water as seen in the video below from the Venice area.

Storm surge from Hurricane Milton inundated a neighborhood in Venice, Florida, soon after Milton made landfall. pic.twitter.com/HuizOMAK0N

— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 10, 2024

At the same time in Martin County, local authorities report that there were injuries to people and a lot of damage. “It is estimated that dozens of houses have been damaged, some seriously. There have been minor/serious injuries, however, no fatalities have been reported at this time.”the county fire department said in a post on X

“He poured in a few hours as much water as Attica in a year”

Speaking to MEGA, Yannis Kallianos analyzed the course and extent of the phenomenon. “As it approached the coast of Florida it kept gaining energy. Such a system when it is above the sea is fed back. Thus, as soon as it reaches the coasts it has a greater intensity and as it moves towards the land it weakens” he initially reported.

He then pointed out: “The difficult times for most regions have passed. However, for the next 24 hours we will have strong effects. The tail of the phenomenon is enough to give us such evidence”.

Finally, he wanted to give an example of the intensity of the hurricane, stressing: “400 millimeters of water was recorded in many areas in Florida. In the prefecture of Attica, 400 millimeters fall in a year. One understands that in a few hours there fell as much water falls in Attica in a year. I should point out that this translates to 400 tons of water per acre. If we add to this the winds that were over 200 kilometers, we understand what happened”.

Greek resident of Florida: “The situation is very difficult”

Giorgos Stefanakis, former sheriff and member of the Greek diaspora in Florida, spoke to ERT about the situation in the area. “Tampa and other areas have been hit the hardest. I have colleagues who tell me that the situation is very difficult and we expect to see what the morning will bring,” he initially said and continued: “It will pass us by. We are waiting.”

He moved to Orlando: “We’ve been moving from our house since yesterday, and right now we’re in Orlando, waiting for the cyclone to pass,” said George Stefanakis, a former sheriff and member of the Greek diaspora in Florida.

Speaking about the weather conditions prevailing in Florida he stated that “rain has already started and very strong wind, and as the night goes on the wind gets stronger”.

He stated that he has moved to a hotel, but the situation outside is difficult, with strong winds and rain,” he said. As he explained, the move was done as a precaution because of the dangerousness of the phenomenon: “We all left our area, together with my family, and my 92-year-old mother. The movement was unprecedented. About 6 million people fled their homes in Florida. It’s a terrible phenomenon.”

Mr. Stefanakis in the telephone communication emphasized that, although the cyclone Milton did not directly hit their area, the situation remains serious in other parts of the state. And as he added, only from the district where he lives, at least one million residents have left.