The imagery captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES East satellite shows wild sparks spreading across the southern part of the state as the Category 3 storm made landfall.
The classification marks only the speed of Milton’s wind gusts, as forecasters warned that the storm is set to be one of the worst in recent memory.
It has already brought maximum wind speeds of 120mph, and its rain bands have caused at least five confirmed tornadoes to touch down in southwest Florida – which one sheriff has claimed caused ‘multiple fatalities.’
More than a million were also left without power as of 10pm, while the National Weather Service declared a Flash Flood Emergency in the Tampa Bay area.
But authorities say the greatest danger Milton will bring is the wall of water, known as storm surge. It was initially feared to be 15-feet tall, though forecasters now believe the storm surge will be a still record-breaking 12-feet in height.
Terrifying drone camera footage even caught massive, 28-foot waves caused by the hurricane.
The waves are approximately 28.12 feet – longer than a London bus and four times as tall as Andre the Giant – and feature wind gusts just over 75 miles per hour.
The video is part of a program with the drone-makers, Saildrone, in an ‘effort to better understand and predict devastating events like Hurricane Milton.’
Almost six million Floridians were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm, with officials advising anyone who doesn’t leave to write their names on their legs so authorities could identify their bodies.
But some were seen Wednesday visiting Universal Studios resort in Orlando – trying to make the most of the hours before Milton made landfall.
Footage of residents enjoying themselves while ignoring evacuation warnings drew contempt across social media, with one person sharing a selfie at the Key West landmark and questioning: ‘What are you doing man?’
In another video that left social media users furious, an influencer said she was ‘going to die’ because she was too stubborn to evacuate her home during the storm.
The Florida Department of Health has now deployed over 200 emergency response vehicles, according to the governor’s website.
Source: Dailymail
