Around the World JM: Hurricane Milton leaves death and destruction in its wake in Florida

good evening tonight from Florida where hurricane Milton has left a devastating path of destruction and it wasn't just the hurricane it was the deadly tornado spawned by this system well more than three dozen reported tornadoes we are here in Fort Pierce in St Lucy County where authorities late today revealed at least six people have now died from these tornadoes in fact the family in this home right behind me a mother and father and her four young children they all survived this the parents were huddled over their children as the windows came crashing in the interior walls began to buckle when one of those tornadoes soon moved in meantime on Florida's Gulf Coast tonight where the hurricane made landfall last night the stunning damage is just now coming to light tonight landfall around 8:30 eastern time last night near Sarasota hurricane milted was a category 3 with 120 mph winds in St Petersburg the winds ripping the roof off of the Tropicana Stadium home of the Tampa Bay Rays First Responders have been gathering in that stadium and were moved just before the hurricane blew in a giant Construction crane crashing onto an office building in Downtown Peter St Petersburg coming straight down tonight there had been hundreds of rescues from the storm surge and flooding this 14-year-old boy actually rescued from the rising Waters clinging to debris in pagora boats carried by the storm surge left on lawns hurricane Milton also spawning 126 tornado warnings across a wide swath at the state shattering Florida's record for tornado warnings issued in a single day in the end more than three dozen tornadoes reported on the ground this giant twister right near Palm Beach and here in Fort Pierce violent tornadoes turn homes to splinters I spoke with one couple trapped in their car they had just pulled into their driveway when the tornado was suddenly right over them tonight here the devastation across this state the rescue efforts still underway at this hour and the families who told me here they are grateful they surviv this tonight here Millions across Florida are getting their first look at the deadly catastrophic damage and widespread flooding caused by hurricane Milton roaring ashore as a category 3 hurricane bringing powerful 120 mph winds heavy rain and torrential flooding making landfall in Sarasota County at 8:30 p.m. Eastern last night as we were on the air hurricane Milton has just made landfall the winds howling I can tell you the winds have been extraordinary here the rain coming in sideways you can see it up blowing here behind us tonight at least 10 dead from this storm and that number is expected to grow oh my God this evening more than 3 million people in Florida are without power oh there it was Transformers exploding street lights crashing a tree coming down through the roof of this home in downtown St Petersburg trees toppled by the hurricane the roof of Tropicana Field home of the Tampa Bay Rays shredded parts of the roof ripped off it was supposed to be used as a sh shelter for 10,000 emergency workers they were sent elsewhere just before the hurricane hit tonight the view inside debris scattered across the stadium no and not far from the stadium a crane smashing into this building where the Tampa Bay Times is located we felt a huge Bank shook our building you can see it right from across our window and the crane was gone in North Fort Meers a horrific sight in the rising Waters that was a big alligator just bit our tire an alligator emerging from the floodwaters biting at this car's tires tonight the massive search and rescue operation now underway Orange County fire rescue waiting in waste deep Waters to rescue stranded residents the Hillsboro County Sheriff's Office going door too on boats and in high water Vehicles rescuing trapped families tonight they say they've rescued more than 725 people and Counting among them 135 residents from a senior living facility and this 14-year-old boy floating on a piece of fence and even before hurricane Milton made landfall the system spawning deadly tornadoes across Florida all the way to the east coast and across South Florida these Noah time-lapse satellite images as Milton barrels closer showing intense lightning strikes across South Florida there were at least 38 reported tornadoes the most tornado warnings in a single day ever for Florida look at that in Wellington Florida power lines flaring as a tornado rips across the road need to go in Broward County near Alligator Alley watch out watch out holy moly it looks like it's turning back around these residents evacuating when all of the sudden their phone began receiving emergency tornado alerts and then they see it it's like right there babe and tonight from above you can see the devastation across Martin and Palm Beach counties homes destroyed in Fort Pierce large violent tornadoes hitting multiple communities we met a mother and father grateful to have survived this with their four children all the windows blew in doors were coming off their hinges and did you guys just huddle with the kids we did we did Karen and Roger Desir show us the x that authorities sprayed on their garage door this X on your garage door means they check the house to make sure to check that we were alive and the kids are okay yeah they're okay they take us inside their home sh from here many of the windows now shattered and covering the floors you're huddled upstairs over two the kids you're down here over two of the kids yep what do you say to the children is the house is shaking it's okay it's okay it's okay don't worry we're going to be okay we're going to be fine they take us upstairs to show us their children's rooms the wall completely gave way yeah just gave away and both of the windows blew in in yep but thank goodness they weren't playing in their rooms they weren't in their rooms thank God yeah tonight the children are now with family a teddy bear and a small plastic guitar on their bedroom floor across the street Nelson and Maria were coming home from their friend's house about 12 houses up the street the weather was still calm but their friend decided to drive them as they pulled into their driveway suddenly the tornado was on top of them you're just 12 houses down the road yes down the street and your friends say we'll drive you home just to be sure yes and they pull you in the driveway and you had no time to even get out of the car they had no time to get out they huddled in the car sitting right in the driveway until it was over inside the garage they now show me the damage to the car the windows blown in we thought they going to die TR when you look at the car it's a miracle that you're standing here talking to me yeah yeah I thought you know I didn't even know what it was it's just a lot of noise and all of a sudden bang bang and it's clutch down and know going back it's terrible never seen anything like that tonight Florida's governor Ronda santis authorizing thousands of Florida National Guard troops to respond saying he knows that hurricane Milton could have been even worse the storm was significant but thankfully this was not the worst case scenario the storm did weaken before landfall and the storm surge as initially reported has not been as significant overall as what was observed for Hurricane Helen and along the Gulf Coast tonight where the hurricane made landfall in Venice debris in the streets this roof torn off this home in brington Beach police chief John Cosby I'm going to say very close to 100% of our population evacuated we've never had an event like this in Sarasota families just now returning we've been through a bunch of them and uh they've never been this bad tonight President Biden now calling on Congress to return to Washington immediately to pass additional funding for disaster Aid and making this vow to the people of Florida I promise you you have to pick up the pieces still I want you to know we'll do everything on our power to help you put pieces back together and get all that you need while back in their garage Nelson and Maria in front of that car telling me they are grateful they are here we we survived and we're so glad so glad yeah thank you thank you you heard that couple just telling me they're grateful to be alive tonight you know these tornadoes moved in very quickly they told me they had no time to get out of that car they were sitting in their driveway with that tornado right over them

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Hurricane Milton leaves death and destruction in its wake in Florida

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