LOCAL UPDATES:
Nearly 3.3 million people across Florida were without power by 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, the morning
Authorities Urge people to stay off the roads. Roads are dangerous.
City Of Venice Florida: The City’s Tactical First-In Teams have been out since 3 a.m. assessing our community. The following streets are flooded: N. Indies Circle Tarpon Center Dr. The Esplanade N. Flamingo Dr. Villas Dr. & Gardenia Dr. Harbor Dr. at Sorrento St. Alhambra Rd. Castile St.
Category 3 Hurricane Milton Slams Siesta Key, Spawns Tornadoes Across Florida
Hurricane Milton, with powerful 120 mph winds, made landfall Wednesday evening at Siesta Keys. The storm had spent much of the day triggering tornadoes across Florida, from Alligator Alley to the East Coast, leading to several fatalities.
Local Impact
As of late Wednesday, no injuries were reported across Charlotte, DeSoto, and Sarasota counties, though the storm was still ongoing. Power outages were widespread. In Sarasota County, 202,000 out of 300,000 Florida Power & Light customers were without power. In Charlotte County, 50,000 of 139,000 customers were affected, and in DeSoto County, 3,400 of 18,250 were in the dark.
Flooding Concerns
Television footage captured heavy wind and rain in Bradenton and Venice, with downtown Punta Gorda experiencing significant flooding. Charlotte County Public Information Officer Brian Gleason noted that while Punta Gorda often floods easily, his greater concern was rising waters in Harbour Heights and El Jobean. Despite this, Gleason saw a silver lining: rainfall totals were lower than expected, and high winds remained below hurricane force in the area. However, storm surge was still a major threat.