Hurricane Milton Hits Florida

Hurricane Milton hit the Gulf Coast of Florida Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane, with winds around 120 miles per hour. As of Thursday afternoon, nine have been confirmed dead.

Key Details: Millions of Floridians were ordered to evacuate, and over three million were left without power. The storm weakened to a Category 1 and left the state eastward on Thursday morning. The storm spurred several tornadoes as well, with over 100 tornado warnings being issued in its wake.

Key Quotes: "It is exceedingly rare for a hurricane to form in the western Gulf, track eastward, and make landfall on the western coast of Florida," said Jonathan Lin, an atmospheric scientist at Cornell University. The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday that Milton "has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida." Gov. Ron DeSantis said that 50,000 lineworkers from multiple states were prepared to restore power in “the largest storm mobilization in the history of the state of Florida.”

For Context: Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, which traveled less than two weeks ago through Florida, causing billions of dollars in damage, killing hundreds of people, and sparking misleading claims online.

How the Media Covered it: Axios (Lean Left bias) noted that FEMA prepared by placing debris experts, swift-water rescue teams, and temporary power experts in Milton's path. Washington Examiner (Lean Right) noted that Milton hit one of the most populated and vulnerable stretches of the U.S. coastline. NBC News (Lean Left) highlighted researchers who suggested Milton will "be worse because of climate change."