Deaths reported, emergency services suspended and roof ripped off stadium as Milton smashes into Florida

'It's been a windy night': British man caught in hurricane describes flooding fears

Mark Cottrill is staying in Kissimmee, near Florida's Walt Disney World.

"It's been a windy night, it's been a loud night, but it doesn't appear to be too much damage from where I am," he said.

"I didn't feel too bad. We went to bed last night about 11, 12 o'clock.

"Woke up a couple of times with the noise and with the trees hitting the windows, etc. Just the leaves. And I was more worried about the water, to be honest, with the rain.

"We have an enclosed patio here at our property and the water was rising up... it was already up maybe two inches, three inches. 

"I thought 'two more inches, and it's going to be inside the building'. 

"But it appears to have backed off now and seems to be okay."

It was a wind you wouldn't mess with. Hurricane Milton roared through with a power that had Florida pinned down - it felt overwhelming and it was.  

Floridians were well warned of the "monster" that was coming their way. The population was word-perfect on the 'life or death' nature of it all - the wind speeds, the storm surge and the danger of historic proportions. 

In the path of the hurricane, it was a night to survive - one of fear and fate. Many people remained in situ, contrary to official advice.  

In particular parts of Florida, the guidance was that they would die, nothing less.  Why stay put in these circumstances?

Hurricane fatigue will be one factor.  This is a part of the world that knows a hurricane, has heard all the warnings and has ridden it out time after time. Why worry this time?  

Scenes of flooding, damage and early reports of fatalities will go some distance towards answering that question. Daylight and the days ahead will enable a full assessment of destruction and death. 

Of course, a large part of the population did heed the advice to evacuate and seek shelter. I was in the company of a group who sat out the storm in a building near the centre of Tampa. 

To walk a few yards into the hurricane was to feel its strength through your chest. 

Everyone took a step into the wind and, quickly, took a step back.

This was history, after all, and - without a selfie - it didn’t happen.

One reason to smile in Florida last night - one of the very few. 

More than 70,000 in shelters

Deanne Criswell, an administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said it came after 31 counties in the state issued evacuation orders.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The wind, even though it’s decreasing, the threats are not decreasing.

"With the increased amount of rain, with the threat of flash flooding happening, you need to stay put. Don’t go out, try to make sure you’re as safe as possible."

Where is the hurricane now?

The eye of Milton is now nearing Cape Canaveral on the east coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has said in its latest update.

The agency says the storm currently has sustained winds of 83mph. A gust of 92mph has also been recorded at a weather station in the coastal town of Marineland.

The NHC says this will be its final hourly position update for Milton, because it will soon be moving offshore.

Small planes flipped over and streets engulfed by water

Footage from the Florida city of Venice offers some further insight into the impact of Hurricane Milton in parts of the state.

It shows a small plane that has seemingly been flipped over by high winds - while shopfronts and streets are seen engulfed by water brought in by the storm surge.

Dozens of tornadoes reported

At least 27 tornadoes have ripped through Florida so far, officials have said.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said it was still working to confirm all the reports due to the treacherous conditions in the state. 

Meteorology professor Victor Gensini said the ferocity of the tornadoes seen during Hurricane Milton's approach was "definitely out of the ordinary".

He told news agency AP:  "Hurricanes do produce tornadoes, but they’re usually weak... There’s an incredible amount of swirling going on."

Tornadoes form when warm, humid air collides with cold, dry air.

Strong winds, combined with the heat present in the atmosphere during storms, makes them more likely to appear, experts say.

So far, two people are thought to have been killed by a tornado during Hurricane Milton in St Lucie County (see post at 3.36am).

Florida governor Ron DeSantis previously said 19 tornadoes had been confirmed in the state. 

More than 125 tornado warnings have already been issued by NWS officials – reportedly the most ever for a single day in Florida.

More than three million households now without power due to hurricane

More than three million energy customers are now without power in the hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall. 

Figures from the PowerOutage.us website indicate more than a quarter of the energy connections it tracks are currently down.

Among the worst hit areas are coastal counties including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota, along with inland Hardee county - where almost all the 9,600 tracked energy connections are down.

Authorities have warned that connections could be down for weeks to come and both state and federal resources have already been deployed to assist in the recovery.

While the US has been the worst-hit, other countries in the region have also been affected – as this shot of flooded streets yesterday in Havana, Cuba, shows...

Florida family bring donkey into bedroom to escape hurricane

Pet owners across Florida have been taking action to protect their beloved animals.

One couple, who run a hobby farm in the state, have posted video online of them taking refuge inside their bedroom - along with their pet dogs and, more unusually, donkey called Cash.

Rick Bass and Sara Weldon, from Clermont, between Tampa and Orlando, said the storm had left them without power.

Speaking before the hurricane hit, Ms Weldon said: "I alternate between feeling calm and then crying over my animals. We are in the direct path of where this hurricane is supposed to hit.

"We're not evacuating. And please, don't ask me to."

Viral star Lieutenant Dan 'survives hurricane'

As noted in our 6.30 post, the early indications are that TikTok star Joe Malinowski, better known as Lieutenant Dan, appears to have survived the worst of the storm.

He has attracted viral fame for his continued defiance of orders from officials to evacuate, insisting he would be staying on his 20ft boat in Tampa Bay despite the devastating incoming hurricane.

Video posted online shows him peering out of his vessel, and being told the storm surge that hit the area where he is docked is now receding.

We'll let you know more as soon as we have confirmed these reports.

-SKY NEWS