Hurricane Milton smashed into Florida around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday as a Category 3 near Siesta Key and was making its way across the state on Thursday.
Milton left a trail of destruction in its wake, leaving millions without power, shredding the roof of Tropicana Field, and killing at least 10 people in its path. The storm was moving at 20 mph and was expected to move toward the Bahamas Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said. Additional rainfall of 2 to 4 inches is expected, along with flash floods.
The fast-moving storm dumped up to 18 inches of rain onto communities in its path, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. A life-threatening storm surge is possible Thursday along the coast from east-central Florida to southern Georgia, the hurricane center said.
More than 3.4 million homes and businesses were without power, according to poweroutage.us. Milton spawned tornadoes across Florida.
The cloth roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, was ripped to shreds by the powerful winds. The stadium was serving as a base camp for thousands of emergency responders.
Colonel’s Island in the Port of Brunswick in Georgia halted vessel operations Thursday with plans to resume Friday.
Port Panama City resumed normal cargo operations on Thursday.
The Canaveral, Fernandina, Jacksonville, Key West, Fort Myers, Manatee, Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Tampa ports were closed Thursday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Port Tampa Bay and SeaPort Manatee were conducting damage assessments Thursday. A Tampa Bay port spokeswoman said the port had lost power and numerous buildings sustained damage, though none of the damage was significant. SeaPort Manatee was also without power.
President Joe Biden called Milton “the storm of the century.” He approved an emergency disaster declaration earlier in the week.
Milton hit on the heels of Helene, which slammed into Florida before crawling up the coast and devastating North Carolina.
Warehouses and distribution centers in Milton’s path, including for Amazon, Publix and Walmart, were recalibrating ahead of landfall. David Spencer, market intelligence vice president at Arrive Logistics, said cost volatility and regional demand fluctuations will likely be felt throughout the next week due to the storm’s impact on freight markets.
The American Logistics Aid Network, a nonprofit that connects other nonprofits to logistics providers, was juggling requests for both hurricanes Milton and Helene.
