By Natalia Rueda 
A Category 3 Storm Slamming the Sunshine State
When Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, Wednesday night, millions of people found themselves at the mercy of nature’s wrath. Intensifying its fury as a Category 3 hurricane, it made landfall on Siesta Key with sustained winds of 120 mph, about 70 miles south of Tampa, causing widespread damage in its path.
Flash flood emergencies were declared in several regions, including St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater, as the hurricane brought potentially deadly storm surge and winds reaching 155 mph. Some areas, such as Tampa, narrowly avoided a direct hit, but still had to prepare for storm surges up to 9 feet high.
830pm EDT Oct 9th: Doppler radar data indicates that the eye of #Hurricane #Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on the west coast of Florida.
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 10, 2024
Max sustained winds at landfall are estimated at 120 mph.
Landfall TCU: https://t.co/YUc7mT6LuJ pic.twitter.com/fEODy4AvHJ
Power Outages
Over a million homes and businesses were left without power as the hurricane roared ashore. A significant power outage by Tampa Electric further plunged residents into darkness, exacerbating the crisis at hand.
🇺🇸🌀 | Esto es impresionante: Así quedó el vecindario de Avenir, en Palm Beach Gardens, tras el paso de uno de los tornados asociados al Huracán Milton. ¡Desastroso! pic.twitter.com/NLznrl9OZ5
— UHN PLUS (@UHN_Plus) October 9, 2024
Flight Disruptions, Closures, and Resilience Amid the Crisis
The hurricane’s impact extended beyond just residential areas, affecting flights, cruises, hotels, and theme parks across the state. Several airports in Florida closed their operations and airlines offered travel waivers to affected passengers. Major attractions like Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld Orlando, and LEGOLAND Florida also closed their doors.