As Hurricane Milton gathers strength and approaches Florida, a tornado watch has been issued in anticipation of the storm’s expected landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. According to Maya Yang’s report, the National Weather Service in Miami has confirmed that on Wednesday, the state has already experienced the impact of seven tornadoes.
Given the tendency for hurricanes and tropical storms to spawn tornadoes, by 3 PM ET, the National Weather Service had already issued 53 tornado warnings, with 41 originating from their Miami office. They took to social media to share reports of structural damage in Lakeport, where the latest tornado-warned storm had swept through. Notably, this was the second tornado to hit Lakeport—a community located roughly two hours from Miami—on the same day.
Dramatic footage has emerged, showing a tornado tearing through Fort Myers, crossing the busy I-75 highway while vehicles continued to navigate the roadway.
Despite Hurricane Milton’s downgrade to a category 3 storm, officials caution that it still poses a serious threat to Florida. A recent tweet from the National Weather Service highlighted the ongoing tornado warnings issued by their offices in Tampa Bay, Miami, and Melbourne, emphasizing the need for residents to stay updated on the latest warnings.
The tornado watch is in effect until 9 PM ET on Wednesday, covering a broad swath of South Florida, including Miami, Key Largo, and Tampa. Online images and videos depict multiple tornadoes gaining strength as they move across the region.
In addition to the tornado threat, the agency has warned of the potential for isolated hail up to half an inch and wind gusts reaching 70 mph. Approximately 12.6 million residents, along with 2,424 schools and 170 hospitals, may be at risk from the storms.
As the situation evolves, President Biden has described Hurricane Milton as potentially the “storm of the century,” with predictions indicating it could bring up to 15 feet of storm surge to Florida’s coastline, following the substantial damage caused by Hurricane Helene just weeks ago.
