麻豆影视

Climate and Environment

    • Rain, tornadoes and tropical storm-force winds lash Florida as Hurricane Milton draws near

    Share
    TAMPA, Fla. -

    Hurricane Milton crashed into Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday, pounding the coast with ferocious winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) and producing a series of tornadoes around the state. Tampa avoided a direct hit.

    The cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (205 kph) as it roared ashore 8:30 p.m. near Siesta Key, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. Siesta Key is a prosperous strip of white-sand beaches that's home to 5,500 people about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa. The Tampa Bay area has not taken a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century, but the storm was still bringing a potentially deadly storm surge to much of Florida鈥檚 Gulf Coast, including densely populated areas such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Fort Myers.

    Heavy rains were also likely to cause flooding inland along rivers and lakes as Milton traverses the Florida peninsula as a hurricane, eventually to emerge in the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.

    More than 1 million homes and businesses were without power Wednesday night in Florida, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports. The highest number of outages were in Sarasota County and neighboring Manatee County.

    Milton slammed into a Florida region still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which caused heavy damage to beach communities with storm surge and killed a dozen people in seaside Pinellas County alone.

    Earlier, officials issued dire warnings to flee or face grim odds of survival.

    鈥淭his is it, folks,鈥 said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. 鈥淭hose of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.鈥

    By late afternoon, some officials said the time had passed for such efforts. By the evening, some counties announced they has suspended emergency services.

    鈥淯nless you really have a good reason to leave at this point, we suggest you just hunker down,鈥 Polk County Emergency Management Director Paul Womble said in a public update.

    Multiple tornadoes spawned by the hurricane tore across Florida, the twisters acting as a dangerous harbingers of Milton鈥檚 approach. Videos posted to social media sites showed large funnel clouds over neighborhoods in Palm Beach County and elsewhere in the state.

    Highway signage announces the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton and the evacuations zones on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

    Milton was expected to remain a hurricane after hitting land and plowing across the state, including the heavily populated Orlando area, through Thursday.

    The storm threatened communities still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris before Milton鈥檚 winds and storm surge could toss it around and compound any damage.

    With the storm weaker but growing in size, the surge was projected to reach as high as 9 feet (2.7 meters) in Tampa Bay.

    Jackie Curnick said she wrestled with her decision to stay and hunker down at home in Sarasota, just north of where the storm made landfall. But with a 2-year-old son and a baby girl due Oct. 29, Curnick and her husband thought it was for the best.

    Curnick said they started packing Monday to evacuate, but they couldn鈥檛 find any available hotel rooms, and the few they came by were too expensive.

    She said there were too many unanswered questions if they got in the car and left: Where to sleep, if they鈥檇 be able to fill up their gas tank, and if they could even find a safe route out of the state.

    鈥淭he thing is it鈥檚 so difficult to evacuate in a peninsula,鈥 she said. 鈥淚n most other states, you can go in any direction to get out. In Florida there are only so many roads that take you north or south."

    The famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which spans the mouth of Tampa Bay, closed around midday. Other major bridges also closed.

    鈥淵esterday I said the clock was ticking. Today I鈥檓 saying the alarm bell is really going off. People need to get to their safe place," said Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service.

    At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.

    A message board at the Tampa International Airport shows all American Airlines departing flight cancelled Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla., due to the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

    鈥淯nfortunately, there will be fatalities. I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any way around that,鈥 DeSantis said.

    As of Wednesday night, Milton was centered about 5 miles (10 kilometers) north of Sarasota and had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph), the hurricane center reported. It was moving east-northeast at 15 mph (28 kph), slowing slightly from earlier in the afternoon.

    Heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida starting Wednesday morning, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day. Six to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) of rain, with up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in some places, was expected well inland, bringing the risk of catastrophic flooding.

    One twister touched down Wednesday morning in the lightly populated Everglades and crossed Interstate 75. Another apparent tornado touched down in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station's canopy to shreds.

    Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.

    St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch told residents to expect long power outages and the possible shutdown of the sewer system.

    In Charlotte Harbor, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, clouds swirled and winds gusted as Josh Parks packed his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings. Two weeks ago, Helene鈥檚 surge brought about 5 feet of water to the neighborhood, and its streets remain filled with waterlogged furniture, torn-out drywall and other debris.

    Parks, an auto technician, planned to flee to his daughter鈥檚 home inland and said his roommate already left.

    鈥淚 told her to pack like you aren鈥檛 coming back,鈥 he said.

    By early afternoon, airlines had canceled about 1,900 flights. SeaWorld was closed all day Wednesday, and Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando shut down in the afternoon.

    More than 60% of gas stations in Tampa and St. Petersburg were out of gas Wednesday afternoon, according to GasBuddy. DeSantis said the state's overall supply was fine, and highway patrol officers were escorting tanker trucks to replenish the supply.

    In the Tampa Bay area's Gulfport, Christian Burke and his mother stayed put in their three-story concrete home overlooking the bay. Burke said his father designed this home with a Category 5 in mind 鈥 and now they鈥檙e going to test it.

    As a passing police vehicle blared encouragement to evacuate, Burke acknowledged staying isn鈥檛 a good idea and said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot laughing at this storm one bit."

    Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Holly Ramer in New Hampshire; Joseph Frederick in West Bradenton, Florida; Curt Anderson in Tampa; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Brenden Farrington in Tallahassee; Michael Goldberg in Minneapolis; Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Canada

    • British Columbia's highest court has weighed in on a dispute over an inflatable hot tub a couple set up on their condo's patio 鈥 potentially bringing a close to the years-long conflict.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

    A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

    A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

    Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

    Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.

    The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.

    A Moncton, N.B., home has been donated to the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation and will be transformed into a resource hub for people living with cancer.

    A Nova Scotia man crossing Canada on foot is passing through southwestern Ontario. Trevor Redmond is perhaps better known as the 鈥楩ellow in Yellow.鈥

    • Two Vancouver city councillors are questioning why they鈥檝e been ousted from city appointed roles.

    • The rain has only just stopped pummelling parts of Metro Vancouver, but for the hundreds of residents left with flood-damaged homes, the nightmare is far from over.

    • Cole Mcleod was home with his roommate in their 21st floor apartment on Monday afternoon when the fire alarm went off in the downtown Vancouver building. Then, he smelled smoke.

    • A motorcyclist has been critically injured in a collision on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Oakville, police say.

    • Police have released video footage of a recent home invasion in Richmond Hill as they search for three outstanding suspects who they say may have returned to the residence the following day to take another vehicle.

    • TTC staff are recommending that the transit service ban lithium-ion-powered mobility devices like e-scooters and e-bikes through the winter months due to the risk of fire in adverse conditions such as salty roads.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • Bricks along the pathway at Calgary鈥檚 Olympic Plaza have been removed and it wasn鈥檛 by the city. It appears people are coming to grab bricks with their names, family members鈥 name or a saying ahead of the plaza closing.

    • More than a decade after Colton Crowshoe's death, the case against his killer continues.

    • Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

    • Passengers on a Via Rail train from Toronto found themselves stuck south of Ottawa for several hours Tuesday because of mechanical issues on the train.

    • Former volunteers with Eastern Ontario Cats (EOC) are working to track cats they say are either dead or missing after allegations of abuse, neglect and falsified medical records surfaced in recent months.

    • Quebec Premier Francois Legault promised on Tuesday to toughen secularism measures in schools, saying he was 'shocked' by revelations about a Montreal public school where a group of teachers had tried to introduce what the premier described as 'Islamist' beliefs.

    • The Quebec government wants to hear Quebecers' thoughts about scrapping the twice-yearly time change, but it isn't promising to act on them.

    • A Montreal borough and Muslim leader are pushing back against the head of the Parti Qu茅b茅cois after he accused a local library of promoting a "religious invasion" by posting a photo of a young girl wearing a hijab for a storytime event.

    • Police are looking for a man and a woman who robbed an Edmonton jewelry store earlier this month.

    • Edmonton Public Schools (EPS) custodians have voted 97 per cent in favour of going on strike.

    • A new commentary suggests the Government of Alberta purposely pushed false narratives around public safety to scale down safe supply in the province.

    • Police have confirmed the body of an employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax over the weekend was found in a walk-in oven.

    • A member of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party is crossing the floor and joining the Progressive Conservatives.

    • Crews responded to a propane leak in Upper Tantallon, N.S., on Tuesday night.

    • Folks making the trek to and from Thompson along Highway 6 are once again without a bathroom break鈥 at least for now.

    • The Manitoba government is restoring the 1:1 apprentice-to-journeyperson ratio.

    • A number of Manitoba communities kicked off the week by breaking decades-old heat records.

    • Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) has found that former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal violated legislative rules by profiting from hotels while they were party to government contracts.

    • A determined group within Moose Jaw has stepped up to provide assistance to those in need 鈥 following the closure of one of the city's shelters.

    • Saturday's matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders could determine if they clinch the West Division title, however the results from Winnipeg's game earlier in the day could make their matchup meaningless.

    • No one was hurt after playground equipment went up in flames at a Kitchener, Ont. park.

    • A bloodstain pattern analyst expert testified Tuesday at Erick Buhr鈥檚 second-degree murder trial.

    • At least seven large-scale butter thefts have been reported in Guelph, Ont. over a 10-month period, including two hauls in just the last month.

    • A Saskatoon family is voicing concerns after paying twice as much PST as expected on a recently purchased truck.

    • Hundreds of voter information cards have landed in the wrong hands.

    • A city planning document for the Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT) sparked controversy over the weekend, with three civic election candidates alleging Confederation Mall was at risk of being demolished and replaced with dense housing.

    • Now that the jury has begun deliberating in the Sudbury murder trial of Felicity Altiman, here are some of the interesting courtroom moments they didn't get to hear.

    • Greater Sudbury has ended the employment of CAO Ed Archer, Mayor Paul Lefebvre announced suddenly Tuesday evening

    • After operating for 51 years, General Motors has announced it is closing the Kapuskasing Proving Ground, a facility the automaker used to test the durability of its vehicles in cold weather.

    • A father and his two children who suffered severe burns in a Springfield, Ont. house fire have undergone surgery.

    • A collision between a pickup truck and SUV shuttered the intersection of Base Line and New Road for several hours.

    • A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

    • Emergency crews rushed to the scene of a serious collision in Barrie鈥檚 south end involving a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.

    • A 35-year-old man from Etobicoke is facing impaired driving charges after a crash involving a Ministry of Transportation vehicle parked along Highway 11 south.

    • A fire that caused $2.5 million damage at a newly constructed house in Adjala-Tosorontio early Tuesday morning is being investigated as suspicious.

    • If you live in Windsor, Ont. and get a knock at the door from a political canvasser, it might be surprising since there鈥檚 no election on the horizon at the municipal, provincial or federal level. But across the border, that's not the case.

    • 鈥榁ampire Zombies鈥rom Space!鈥 and 鈥楾hundersnake鈥, two films that are showing at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), were both shot across the city and in the County of Essex.

    • Before the Town of Essex adopts it's new Master Plan for Land Use, staff will work to identify best proper use for future developments across the municipality.

    • Mounties in British Columbia say a second person has been found dead after two vehicles ended up in a river on Vancouver Island when a road washed out amid torrential rains over the weekend.

    • With the B.C. election too close to call, Dr. Bonnie Henry was asked Tuesday how she feels about the possibility of a party that has repeatedly called for her firing forming government.

    • Premier and NDP Leader David Eby says he's been told by the B.C. Green Party that it's too early to begin talks about a minority government agreement after the weekend's still-undecided provincial election.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's waiting for NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi to declare where he intends to run for office before she calls a byelection in Lethbridge.

    • The health of honeybees will be the focus of a presentation at the University of Lethbridge on Wednesday evening.

    • Alberta is offering infrastructure funding to help municipalities accommodate recent population growth. The province has added a little over 500,000 people over five years, putting pressure on public services.

    • The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won鈥檛 fix the systemic problems in the workplace.

    • Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.

    • An Indigenous group in northwestern Ontario shut down the highway for a couple of hours Monday morning in protest after ancestral remains were found at a construction site.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视