Hurricane Milton Strikes Florida’s West Coast, Causes Widespread Power Outages and Damage

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida's west coast late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, striking near Siesta Key in Sarasota County. The storm brought heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous conditions to an area still recovering from Hurricane Helene. Although Tampa Bay avoided a direct hit, analysts had warned that damages could reach $175 billion if the storm impacted the region.

Millions were urged to evacuate ahead of Milton’s arrival, and nearly 3 million people were without power by early Thursday. Multiple fatalities were reported in St. Lucie County due to tornadoes. The storm weakened to a Category 1 by Thursday morning.

Despite earlier concerns, insurance companies like Allstate, Progressive, and Everest Group saw some recovery in their stocks. Airlines canceled flights, and theme parks like Disney and Universal shut down due to the storm.