NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA (352today.com) – Here is the final breakdown for Hurricane Milton, now declared a post-tropical system by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Hurricane Milton Ravages Florida

Hurricane Milton struck Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday night. By Thursday morning, it had moved into the Atlantic Ocean, causing widespread damage throughout the state. Tornadoes, severe flooding, and wind gusts of up to 107 mph in Venice Beach severely impacted Florida. The storm endangered over 11 million people with flooding, left 3.3 million without power, and resulted in major structural damage.

Confirmed Deaths and Injuries

At least 12 people have died due to the storm. St. Lucie County reported six deaths, while two people died in St. Petersburg and three in Volusia County. In Citrus County, a tree fell on a car, resulting in one death. Rescue teams are still working to evaluate the damage.

1-in-1,000-Year Rainfall Event in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg faced heavy rain, with an incredible 18.31 inches falling—making it a rare 1-in-1,000-year event. The storm caused significant flooding and damage, knocking over a crane in downtown Tampa and ripping the roof off Tropicana Field, but thankfully, there were no serious injuries reported.

Governor DeSantis: “Not the Worst-Case Scenario”

Governor Ron DeSantis told residents that the storm was serious, but it could have been more damaging. He noted that the storm surge was not as huge as anticipated, during a briefing on Thursday morning.

Federal Response: Thousands of Personnel Deployed

The White House acted quickly, sending thousands of federal workers, including Coast Guard members, to the most affected regions.

Airports Shuttered, Thousands of Flights Canceled

The storm caused major disruptions in air travel, leading to more than 3,000 flights being canceled or delayed as airports shut down because of the unsafe conditions. Milton, which has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, is predicted to lose strength rapidly as it moves away from the United States.

Original story published 10.10.24 at 5:11 a.m.:Hurricane Milton swept across central Florida overnight, causing severe flooding and strong winds in its path.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says that the storm’s center is now exiting the state near Cape Canaveral, and the most intense conditions have shifted to east-central and northeastern Florida. With sustained winds estimated at around 85 mp, the storm brought life-threatening conditions, especially in coastal areas.

The NHC says that Milton is expected to maintain hurricane strength for a little longer before becoming an extratropical system within the next 24 hours.

According to the NHC, an extratropical system is a type of weather system that primarily forms outside the tropics, typically occurring in the mid-latitudes between 30° and 60° latitude in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Unlike tropical systems like such as hurricanes and tropical storms, extratropical systems get their energy from temperature contrasts between different air masses rather than from the warm ocean waters.

Milton is forecast to weaken and dissipate in about four days, according to the NHC. Current models suggest the storm will track north of the Bahamas and south of Bermuda over the next two days.

The NHC has issued warnings for life-threatening storm surges along the coasts of east-central Florida to southern Georgia, as well as continued risks of flash flooding due to heavy rainfall in central and northern Florida.