Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida in the evening with fierce winds, life-threatening rain and storm surge, and people who just two weeks ago survived another hurricane were bracing for a long and stormy night.
The "extremely dangerous" Category 3 storm made landfall near Siesta Key, in a densely populated area on the state's west coast, the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin at 8:30 p.m. (00:30 GMT).
“So the storm is here. It's time for everyone to go home," Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference shortly before the Milton's arrival.
In the central part of the Florida peninsula, life-threatening storm surges, extreme winds and flash floods are observed, the NHK reported.
Tidal waves are expected to inundate the densely populated and low-lying Gulf Coast of western Florida amid fears of widespread chaos and possible casualties.
Later, Milton is expected to cross the interior of the country and reach the Atlantic Ocean, passing the tourist hub of Orlando, home of Disneyland, on its way.
At the time of landfall, Milton was moving with sustained winds of 205 km per hour, with the potential for waves of up to 4 meters, NHK said.
In cities along the west coast of Florida, the wind was raging and rain was pouring down, and frightened people were hiding where they could.
In the city of Sarasota, near Siesta Key, gusts of wind blew glass from buildings on the waterfront. The streets were deserted. The trees were swaying almost horizontally, barely able to withstand the wind. Businesses were closed and covered with sand.
On a wooden board attached to the window of an old red brick building, someone had written: "Be kind, Milton."
Just before landfall, DeSantis said it was too late and too dangerous to evacuate, so people should stay put and ride out the storm wherever they are.
“Stay inside and don't go out on the road. The floodwaters and storm surge are very dangerous,” the governor said.
Airports in Tampa and Sarasota were closed until further notice. I BGNES
