Hurricane Milton’s Fury: Devastation in Florida and Unsettled Correctional Facilities

Hurricane Milton has blasted its way across Florida, leaving significant damage in its wake and resulting in several fatalities, particularly in St. Lucie County. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that the hurricane moved off Florida’s east coast, still posing dangers with life-threatening storm surges. It began crossing the Florida coastline early Thursday morning, prompting advisories of hurricane-force winds stretching towards southern Georgia.

The NHC continues to warn residents to secure themselves in interior rooms away from windows due to the risk of severe winds. Heavy rainfall is causing concerns of flash, urban, and river flooding, especially in central and northern Florida. Despite moving northeast at approximately 30 km/h towards the Bahamas, Hurricane Milton’s maximum winds reached about 140 km/h, with expectations it might become an extratropical low by Thursday night.

Amidst the chaos, extensive power outages have been reported, with over 3 million Florida residents left without electricity. The brunt of the outages has impacted Florida’s west coast, exacerbated by the path of the storm through central regions, including Orlando.

Palm Beach County experienced multiple tornadoes, leaving several residents trapped under rubble or overturned vehicles. The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue dispatched emergency teams to affected areas like Wellington and Acreage after receiving calls of severe storm impacts, including overturned RVs.

The devastation extends to correctional facilities across the state. Despite being in evacuation zones, numerous jails and prisons announced they would not evacuate inmates. Facilities in Manatee County, along with other counties like Sarasota and Hernando, are among those opting to secure prisoners within their walls during Hurricane Milton’s onslaught.

St. Lucie County was hit particularly hard, especially at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village retirement community. The local Sheriff, Keith Pearson, informed CNN of recovery efforts following a tornado sweep through the area.

The situation has drawn significant attention, with US President Joe Biden labeling Hurricane Milton the “storm of the century.” In the aftermath, the focus remains on cleanup efforts and assessing the broader impact across affected communities in Florida.