Death toll rises after Milton strikes Florida with powerful 100-mph winds, destructive tornadoes

TAMPA, Fla. – Hurricane Milton moved off Florida's east coast Thursday morning after making landfall Wednesday evening near Sarasota in Siesta Key. The powerful storm brought destructive winds, widespread power outages affecting over 4 million customers and a significant outbreak of tornadoes across the Sunshine State.

Milton is being blamed for at least 17 deaths across eight counties in Florida.

According to first responders, at least six people were killed in northern Fort Pierce during Wednesday's tornado outbreak spawned by Milton. Sheriff Keith Pearson said the victims were in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, where a significant tornado moved through on Wednesday.

MULTIPLE DEATHS REPORTED IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY AS TORNADOES DESTROY FLORIDA'S TREASURE COAST

As Milton moved across Florida and eventually exited the state on Thursday morning, multiple water rescues were reported in the Orlando area.

According to FOX 35 Orlando, a family of four was rescued from a home and transported to a shelter by Orange County Fire Rescue. The rescue was captured in the video below.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office was also checking on homes in a flooded Orlando neighborhood, where they said the water was chest-deep in some places on Thursday morning.

Earlier Thursday morning, a dramatic scene unfolded in Madeira Beach, a Pinellas County city near St. Petersburg. Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused significant flooding, FOX Weather Storm Specialist and Meteorologist Mike Seidel captured a home on fire.

The blaze was likely ignited by a power line brought down by Milton's strong winds.

More than 3 million power outages reported in Florida

After racing through Central Florida overnight, Hurricane Milton emerged out over the Atlantic Ocean before sunrise Thursday, but the damage had already been done.

Due to the combination of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes, more than 3 million power outages were reported across Florida on Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us. More than 5,000 traffic signals are not operational because of outages and damage.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said about 50,000 linemen are working to restore power across Florida.

Wind gusts reached 102 mph in St. Petersburg, Sarastota and Siesta Key, while the strongest gust in the state was 107 mph south of Sarasota around Venice.

A gust of 92 mph was also recorded in West Palm Beach, likely due to proximity to a tornado. As Milton raced across the Florida Peninsula overnight, an 84-mph wind gust was reported in Daytona Beach around 3:30 a.m. ET Thursday morning. Orlando also clocked a hurricane-force wind gust of 87 mph.

Following Wednesday evening's landfall, a Flash Flood Emergency was issued around the Tampa metro after more than 10 inches of rain was reported in less than three hours.

FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL TROOPERS RESCUE DOG TIED TO POLE DURING AMID HURRICANE MILTON FLOODWATERS

More than 720 water rescues were completed after Milton's landfall in Hillsborough County by fire rescue teams.

Tropicana Field's roof damaged in St. Petersburg

Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays, was damaged during Milton's landfall. The stadium was initially going to be used as a temporary staging location for hundreds of first responders prior to Milton's landfall, but it was moved to another location away from Tropicana Field.

Videos and photos posted to social media showed pieces of the roof flapping in the gusty winds southwest of Tampa.

According to local authorities, there were no reports of any injuries associated with the damage to the stadium.

The area experienced wind gusts clocked at more than 100 mph at surface level, with likely higher speeds in multistory structures.

TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG SLAMMED WITH 100-MPH WINDS FROM HURRICANE MILTON, DAMAGING TROPICANA FIELD

Nearby, a tower crane at a construction site fell onto the buildings below.

Locals said the building had been under construction for years, but the equipment was no match for Mother Nature.

There were no injuries reported in connection with the collapse, but witnesses reported the smell of gas in the air.

Hurricane Milton spawns deadly tornado outbreak in Florida

In addition to the hurricane-force winds and storm surge, Milton has triggered a historic and record-breaking tornado outbreak.

More than 120 Tornado Warnings were issued across Central and South Florida on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton's powerful outer bands found an atmosphere ripe for tornadic development.

WATCH: TORNADO OUTBREAK SPAWNS FROM HURRICANE MILTON AS FUNNEL CLOUDS SWIRL IN SOUTH FLORIDA

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office, located along the state's east coast, reported at least five fatalities associated with a tornado that struck a community in northern Fort Pierce.

First responders were seen going from home to home north of Fort Pierce in search for victims.

Stunning videos from Florida Department of Transportation cameras along Interstate 75 in Alligator Alley between Broward and Palm Beach counties captured the destructive force of Milton's extreme weather in the state.

FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell happened upon tornado damage in Fort Myers.

Sarasota Mayor Liz Alper received a phone call from President Joe Biden directly after his news conference on Milton.

Biden assured Florida residents that the federal government would provide significant assistance for rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts in affected communities.

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"The President wanted to see if there is anything we need in Sarasota to let him know," Alpert said. "He understands this is going to be an unprecedented type of hurricane and also understands it will take a lot from the federal government to help us recover in Sarasota."

Alpert said she also received a call of support from Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg earlier in the week as they prepared for the historic storm.

At least 340 people were rescued by first responders in Sarasota after landfall, DeSantis said. 

The hurricane’s power caused the National Hurricane Center and local National Weather Service offices to warn of a life-threatening storm surge that, in some communities, was forecast to eclipse records set during the 1920s.

Due to the overall weather pattern, which was a bit unusual for October, upper-level winds helped to broaden the hurricane’s width in the moments before landfall but also led to substantial weakening.

The once-Category 5 hurricane formed in the Bay of Campeche on Oct. 5 and rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane within the system’s first 72 hours as a tropical cyclone.

Milton’s intensity made it the fifth-strongest cyclone on record in the Atlantic Basin, only falling short of records held by Wilma (2005), Gilbert (1988) Labor Day (1935) and Rita (2005).

Shelters were opened from Jacksonville along the Treasure Coast for both local residents and evacuees from the opposite coast. 

Conditions were extreme enough around Central Florida and Orlando that police and fire crews stopped responding to some calls and encouraged residents to shelter in place.