Milton forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction.
At least 16 people have died from Hurricane Milton, which roared onshore on Florida's west coast as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing tornadoes, powerful winds and flooding rains. The monster storm forced millions to evacuate and left widespread destruction across Florida.
Florida is facing its largest-ever evacuation of emergency health care facilities due to Hurricane Milton, a Florida Department of Health spokesperson told ABC News.
-ABC News' Mary Kekatos
The White House is launching a Reddit account to try to combat misinformation about hurricanes Helene and Milton, a White House official said.
The White House will use the account to post about how people can access FEMA support. The account will also engage with posts that are sharing false information and correct the record, the official said.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett
United Airlines added extra flights and bigger planes to airports in the storm zone, and now the airline says all of its flights are full.
United currently has 25,000 people booked from affected airports.
The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Orlando Sanford International Airport and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport are all set to close for the storm.
-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney
"We’ve never seen anything like this before," Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw warned Tuesday as Milton approaches. "This is the storm of the century."
Tampa Bay is forecast to face a record-breaking storm surge of 10 to 15 feet. That surge will rise above a single-story home, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor stressed.
"That’s the coffin that you’re in," she said at a news conference.
Castor said she spoke to President Joe Biden Monday night and relayed that the city’s most important need was getting household debris from Hurricane Helene "off of the street so that doesn’t become additional fuel for Hurricane Milton."
In Hillsborough County, which encompasses Tampa, more than 1,700 people were already in nine shelters as of Tuesday morning, county emergency management director Timothy Dudley Jr. said, adding that the facilities are prepared to take a lot more people.
"Don’t panic. You have time. Get somewhere safe," he said.
