At least 13 dead after Hurricane Milton hits Florida as Category 3 storm

13 people killed | At least 150 tornadoes reported across Florida

Last updated: Friday, October 11, 2024 9:05AM GMT

WATCH LIVE: The latest from ABC News Live

Watch breaking news and other live events from ABC.

Hurricane Milton barreled into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after plowing across Florida, pounding cities with ferocious winds and rain, and whipping up a barrage of tornadoes. It caused at least 25 deaths and compounded the misery wrought by Helene while sparing Tampa a direct hit.

The storm tracked to the south in the final hours and made landfall as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night in Siesta Key, about 70 miles south of Tampa. While it caused a lot of damage and water levels may continue to rise for days, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was not "the worst-case scenario."

Key Headlines

Oct 10, 2024, 6:38 PM GMT
'Get a life, man': Biden rebukes Trump for misinformation about federal hurricane response
Oct 10, 2024, 6:02 PM GMT
10 fatalities confirmed
Oct 10, 2024, 5:24 PM GMT
5 killed in tornadoes, DeSantis says
Oct 10, 2024, 1:13 PM GMT
Milton spares Florida 'worst-case scenario,' flood threat ongoing: DeSantis says

Here's how the storm is developing.

Oct 10, 2024, 5:52 PM

PHOTOS | Hurricane Milton

1 of 10

This image provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shows an aerial view of the extensive flooding on Hillsborough Ave. in Tampa, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office via AP

Hurricane Milton brought powerful winds, a dangerous storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm.

Here's a look at the damage from the storm.

Oct 10, 2024, 10:05 PM

More than 3 million without power in Florida

Cars move slowly after Hurricane Milton damaged power lines, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla.

More than 3 million customers are without power in Florida.

More than 50,000 linemen have been pre-staged across Florida to restore power, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Oct 10, 2024, 1:13 PM GMT

Milton spares Florida 'worst-case scenario,' flood threat ongoing: DeSantis says

Hurricane Milton "thankfully" spared Florida "the worst-case scenario," Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday morning.

About 80,000 people evacuated to shelters overnight as the storm battered the state, DeSantis said.

Forty-eight people have been rescued by Florida National Guard search and rescue teams so far, and responders remain "laser-focused" on rescue efforts on Thursday, he said.

Rain totals reached a whopping 18 inches in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, DeSantis said. And the threat isn't over; flooding is expected to continue the next few days, the governor warned.

-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson

Oct 10, 2024, 12:24 PM GMT