Milton makes Florida landfall south of Tampa

Hurricane Milton has made its landfall in Siesta Key, a beachfront community south of Tampa, Florida, bringing “life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding” – and early reports of fatalities.

The storm hit the US coastline at about 20:30 EST Wednesday (03:30 BST Thursday).

Milton had been classified as a ‘category five’ storm, the highest strength, but weakened as it approached the US coast, striking as a category three storm.

Wind gusts hit 100mph (160kph) as Milton hot the shore, before it is expected to cut through the centre of the state, also affecting Georgia and South Carolina, before it is forecast to head back out into the Atlantic.

Before Milton’s landfall, Moody’s RMS warned that more than 235,000 commercial real estate properties in Florida have a greater than 50% probability of being exposed to wind speeds of at least 50 mph, the speed at which damage becomes likely.

Total estimated value of these properties is $1.1trn, Moody’s RMS noted, giving an indication of the scope of the commercial real estate value in the storm’s path.

Double hit

Milton’s arrival comes just two weeks after another storm, Hurricane Helene, caused substantial damage across the south-eastern US, with a $11bn insured loss “best estimate” placed on Helene by Moody’s RMS.

Denise Rappmund, senior analyst, Moody’s Ratings, commented on the double hit of the two storms.

“The back-to-back landfalls of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in Florida heighten the risk of significant insurance claims for both Citizens and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF), especially with Milton’s trajectory towards densely populated west-central areas.

“The expected extensive wind damage could strain FHCF’s reserves, despite current resources likely covering these imminent claims.

“These events also amplify the risk of flooding, adding to the financial and economic strain from cleanup and disruptions,” Rappmund added.

Fatalities confirmed

The first reports of fatalities came in before Milton had made its landfall.

Two people are believed to have been killed in a tornado that hit St Lucie County as Milton approached, according to local officials, TV news channel NBC reported.

A St Lucie Fire District spokesperson confirmed the deaths to NBC and that multiple other people were taken to hospitals.

The southeastern region, which is in Fort Pierce, was hit by one of a number of tornados that swept across the state yesterday morning, triggered by the hurricane, NBC said.