Hurricane Milton: 100 mph Winds, Torrential Rains, Tornadoes Batter Florida’s Tampa Bay | US

Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida as a Category 3 storm on Oct 9 bringing powerful winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes. The hurricane made landfall near Siesta Key, a barrier island south of the Tampa Bay area just after 8:30 pm ET on Oct 9. Milton had churned in the Gulf of Mexico over the last two days as a Category 5 storm.However, it slammed into Florida as a Category 3 storm which is still one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the US mainland in recent memory. Milton packed winds of over 100 mph (160 kph) after producing a barrage of tornadoesIt was also the second direct hit on Florida in 12 days, after Hurricane Helene’s deadly rampage through the state’s panhandle. The areas devastated by Helene received another pounding as Milton swept ashore with winds above 120mph.