ORLANDO, Fla. — Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Milton, a major hurricane that produced significant damage across much of Florida.
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 major hurricane at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2024, near Siesta Key in Sarasota County.
The hurricane resulted in one of the largest tornado outbreaks in Florida’s history.
45 tornadoes were recorded across the state, including four in Osceola County and one in Brevard County that did damage to homes and businesses in Cocoa Beach.
Milton produced widespread hurricane-force winds across much of Central Florida, with the most iconic picture from the storm being the shredding of the Tropicana Field roof in St. Petersburg
The system also produced flooding rains, with much of the region receiving 4-12” of rainfall.
Along the west coast, Milton created 4 to 7 feet of storm surge, with the highest surge along Sarasota County.
Milton developed into a tropical depression on Oct. 4 in the Bay of Campeche, then rapidly intensified to a Category 5 major hurricane in the central Gulf with winds of 180 mph.
The hurricane was one of three hurricanes to hit Florida in 2024.
Hurricane Debby struck the Big Bend area in early August, with Hurricane Helene also hitting the area in late September.
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