Hurricane Milton updates: 16 dead across Florida in storm's aftermath

Milton forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction.

ByKevin Shalvey, Emily Shapiro, David Brennan, Julia Reinstein, Leah Sarnoff, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: October 11, 2024, 11:28 PM EDT

At least 16 people have died from Hurricane Milton, which roared onshore on Florida's west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing tornadoes, powerful winds and flooding rains. The monster storm forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction across Florida.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing.
Oct 08, 2024, 11:00 AM EDT

Florida Aquarium moving animals to higher ground

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is moving animals to the facility’s highest level ahead of Hurricane Milton.

During Hurricane Helene, the aquarium took on 3 feet of water along the wharf, marking the first time in the aquarium’s 30 years that water breached the wharf. With a bigger storm surge forecast for Milton, aquarium officials are expecting the first floor to take on water.

Usually aquarium staff members will stay with the animals to ride out a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. But because of the severity of Milton, all staff members will evacuate mid-day Wednesday and plan to return on

Oct 08, 2024, 9:55 AM EDT

Hurricane warnings extend to Florida’s east coast

Hurricane warnings are in effect in Tampa, Fort Myers and Orlando as Hurricane Milton closes in.

Hurricane and storm surge warnings have now also been issued for parts of Florida’s east coast, including Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral and Melbourne.

Residents board up a seashell store ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in the middle of this week in Treasure Island, Fla., Oct. 7, 2024.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

Oct 08, 2024, 9:10 AM EDT

DeSantis: Use today to finalize and execute your safety plan

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday urged Floridians to "use today as your day to finalize and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family" from Hurricane Milton.

Landfall is expected around 11 p.m. Wednesday and the Tampa Bay area is forecast to face a record-breaking storm surge of 10 to 15 feet.

Local residents form a long line in the rain before the opening of a shopping warehouse ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected mid-week landfall in Kissimmee, Fla., Oct. 7, 2024.
Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images

About 1,200 truckloads of debris left by Hurricane Helene have been removed over the last 24 hours, and that removal will continue until it’s no longer safe to do so, DeSantis said.

The governor said 37,000 linemen are either in Florida or on the way to help with power outages.

Twenty-seven fuel trucks were escorted by Florida Highway Patrol overnight to help gas stations running out of fuel, he said.

A view of a gas station that ran out of fuel as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 6, 2024.
Octavio Jones/Reuters

-ABC News’ Darren Reynolds

Oct 08, 2024, 11:30 AM EDT

Tracking Milton: Latest forecast

Milton is now a Category 4 hurricane and its outer bands will start lashing Florida's west coast by Wednesday morning.

This weather map shows the forecast path of Hurricane Milton through Friday morning.
ABC News

Landfall is expected around 11 p.m. Wednesday between St. Petersburg and Sarasota, possibly as a Category 3 hurricane.

Tampa Bay is forecast to face a record-breaking storm surge of 10 to 15 feet.

This weather map shows the storm surge for Hurricane Milton.
ABC News

Storm surge in Fort Myers could reach 6 to 10 feet.

As Milton moves over Florida, winds ahead of the system could push storm surge up to 5 feet in Jacksonville and up to 4 feet in Savannah.

Wind gusts could climb over 130 mph in the St. Petersburg area.

Up to 18 inches of rain is possible by the end of the storm.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

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