Monster Storm Carves Deadly Path Through Florida at This Hour After Striking in the Dead of Night

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds on Wednesday near Siesta Key, Florida, slamming into the state’s west coast before churning its way eastward.

The hurricane was later downgraded to a Category 2 storm and has since been downgraded to a Category 1 storm.

During an appearance on Fox Weather, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed there have been 17 tornadoes along with several fatalities.

“We can confirm 17 tornadoes hit St. Lucie County, Florida, with multiple fatalities, a rescue mission ongoing, and hundreds of homes destroyed,” he said.

The catastrophic landfall comes barely two weeks after Hurricane Helene, which battered Florida before causing devastation in North Carolina. Florida residents have spent the interim boarding up windows and evacuating their homes in preparation for Milton. (Read more from “Monster Storm Carves Deadly Path Through Florida at This Hour After Striking in the Dead of Night” HERE)