Hurricane Milton Causes Severe Rainfall and Devastation in Florida

Hurricane Milton has caused unprecedented rainfall and extensive damage in Florida’s Tampa Bay area, prompting urgent recovery efforts. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, bringing with it a deluge of rain. St. Petersburg recorded an astonishing 18.31 inches of rain within a 24-hour period, with 5.09 inches falling within just one hour. Meteorologist Matthew Cappucci described this as “more rare than a thousand-year rain event.”

Other rainfall totals across the region were similarly daunting, with Clearwater Beach receiving 14.01 inches and Tampa 11.43 inches. As Hurricane Milton moved through, it prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood emergency for areas such as St. Petersburg and Tampa, lasting until 2:30 a.m. ET Thursday.

The broader impact of Milton included significant infrastructure damage and power outages, affecting more than 3.3 million residents. Fatalities have reached at least 16, and authorities are continuing recovery operations, with numbers potentially rising. Despite the devastation, Milton did not deliver the anticipated “worst-case scenario.” The expected 15-foot storm surge did not materialize, sparing parts of Tampa from further damage.

Meanwhile, political tensions have intensified in the wake of the hurricane. Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump‘s comments about the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Trump had accused the Biden administration of neglecting Republican voters in their disaster response, a claim that has faced bipartisan criticism. “I have to stress that this is not a time for people to play politics,” Harris remarked at a town hall meeting in Las Vegas.

Despite the ongoing controversy, efforts to understand the hurricane’s link to climate change are underway. Although immediate analyses have not been completed, experts acknowledge that global warming contributes to more intense and wetter storms. As recovery efforts continue, Florida’s governor has expressed confidence in the state’s ability to recover swiftly, though the political debate is likely to persist as communities rebuild.