Hurricane Milton Hits Florida With Extensive Floods Killed Multiple As Millions Left Without Power

•Multiple fatalities have already been reported as Hurricane Milton continues to wreak havoc as it tracks towards Florida’s east coast

Florida residents are battling extensive flooding as streets turn to rivers after Hurricane Milton slammed into the west coast, leaving “multiple” fatalities.

Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night near Sarasota County’s Siesta Key, bringing multiple tornadoes, 28ft waves, strong winds, heavy rainfall, and devastating storm surge.

More than three-million homes and businesses in Florida have been left powerless, with those in the west-central region the worst impacted.

“Multiple deaths” have already been confirmed after dozens of tornadoes spawned in St Lucie County, seeing a tornado strike Spanish Lakes Country Club retirement village in Fort Pierce, county Sheriff Keith Pearson said.

A large crane was downed in St Petersburg and the roof of Tropicana Field baseball stadium was ripped clean off during Milton’s ferocious winds.

After landfall, Milton has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, but the threat to life continues through Thursday, officials warned

Evacuation alerts were blasted out to millions across Florida, with Bradenton Police Chief Melanie issuing a bleak prognosis for those that neglected advice.

“What we’ll probably be finding in the morning are bodies,” Bradenton Police Chief Melanie Bevan told BBC Radio 4’s The Today Programme on Thursday.