A number of tornadoes have been reported across Florida as Hurricane Milton barrels towards on the Sunshine State.
“Multiple tornado warnings in effect across Florida peninsula,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a Wednesday afternoon update. “Tropical-storm-force winds are moving onshore the west coast of Florida.”
The NHC warned that individuals should be ready to shelter quickly if a tornado warning is given in their area, “away from windows and in an interior room not prone to flooding.”
“Lots and lots of tornadoes as part of the pregame,” famed broadcast meteorologist Jim Cantore said.
Several videos are circulating on social media, showcasing some of these tornadoes across the state.
The hurricane is expected to make landfall late Wednesday into early Thursday. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state has deployed countless assets and will have 50,000 linemen ready to respond to the storm.
“We have also worked with the utilities to have the largest staging of utility workers and linemen in advance of the storm any time in American history,” DeSantis announced on Wednesday morning, adding that they now have the “largest Florida National Guard search and rescue mobilization in the entire history of the state of Florida.”
“Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, I visited a logistics staging area in Lake City, one of many staging sites in strategic locations just outside the storm’s path,” DeSantis said in another update.
“Thousands of state and local emergency personnel and over 50,000 linemen are now at sites like these across Florida. They are prepared to save lives and start restoring power as soon as the hurricane passes. We are grateful for all they are doing to help the people of our state, and we pray for their safety as they do their jobs,” he added.
