Hurricane Milton Live Updates: Hurricane Milton leaves Florida with less damage than feared

Hurricane Milton Live: Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm, made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday evening, unleashing powerful winds exceeding 100 mph (160 kph), torrential rain, and spawning numerous tornadoes across the state. According to the National Hurricane Center, Milton's maximum sustained winds reached 120 mph (205 kph) as it struck the coast at 8:30 p.m. near Siesta Key, a prosperous beach community with a population of 5,500, situated approximately 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of Tampa.As reported by poweroutage.us, which monitors utility reports, over 1.5 million homes and businesses in Florida were left without electricity on Wednesday night. The counties most severely affected by power outages were Hardee, Sarasota, and Manatee.Even before Milton's landfall, tornadoes were already touching down throughout the state. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, located on Florida's Atlantic Coast, suffered significant damage, with homes destroyed and some residents losing their lives. "We have lost some life," St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News, although he refrained from specifying the number of fatalities.Stay with TOI for latest updates: