Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall Near Florida's Siesta Key As Category 3 Storm

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key Florida on Wednesday as Category 3 storm, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Milton was located about 115 miles (185 km) southwest of Orlando Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (205 kph), the Miami-based forecaster said.

As the hurricane approached, several tornadoes touched down across Florida, serving as a dangerous indication of Milton's intensity. By Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service offices in Miami, Tampa, and Melbourne had issued over 130 tornado warnings related to the storm.

Luke Culver, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami, said he wasn't sure whether Milton had spawned a record number of tornados, but he pointed out that only 64 Florida tornado warnings were associated with Hurricane Ian, which hit the Tampa Bay area as a massive storm in 2022.

Tornadoes produced by hurricanes and tropical storms most often occur in the right-front quadrant of the storm, but sometimes they can also take place near the storm's eyewall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Earlier, Vice President Kamala Harris took to X and wrote,“Americans evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not face illegal price gouging or fraud when they buy a plane ticket, book a hotel, or fill up at the gas pump. Anyone who tries to exploit Americans in an emergency will be held accountable.”

(With inputs from Reuters)

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