On Wednesday afternoon, more than 10 tornadoes touched down in Central Florida as Hurricane Milton, a massive and dangerous storm, churned toward the state’s west coast. With 15 counties under mandatory evacuation orders, residents are bracing for what could be a catastrophic event.
NBC’s Al Roker, during a Special Report on Wednesday, described the situation as a “really dynamic, volatile system.” He warned that more tornadoes were expected throughout the day as the hurricane moved closer to landfall.
Milton is predicted to hit the Sarasota area between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Although the National Hurricane Center downgraded the storm to a Category 4 earlier in the day, it still poses a grave threat, with winds between 130 and 156 miles per hour. Experts are warning of “catastrophic damage” in its path.
The storm could deliver a rare, once-in-a-century direct hit to cities such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota. These areas are at risk of life-threatening storm surges, with debris from Hurricane Helene—just 12 days earlier—becoming deadly projectiles in the powerful winds.
