News night begins right now Abby Philip alongside my colleague, Anderson Cooper, who is in the middle of Hurricane Milton, right now in florida, this Monster Storm making Landfall Tonight and it is right now rocking cities on floridas West Coast. Weve got our reporters fanned out at areas all across the state that are being hit the hardest tonight. But first, were going to go to anderson in braden town. Anderson anderson take it away. You are now seeing so much wind, so much rain. Tell us what youre experiencing bradenton this is a community that than was expecting a bad head and its certainly that is what we have been seeing over the last hour. Were right by The River and the water has really dropped i it started about an hour ago, right when Kaitlans Program started really, the water just started pouring over over the banks onto The Riverwalk. We moved off from that location this basically our crew is inside ive basically using this tree to block any of the branches and stuff that ha
That Storm Surge could be the worst part of this storm. So we will be on that during this hour. Ill be watching. Thanks alex. Thank you. We are going straight to bill karins. Msnbcs meteorologist. Nbc News Meteorologist for the latest on the situation there. Bill, what can we expect now in florida . This is when all the damage is happening. We cant show you where the worst Storm Surge is. But we know it is moving in. We have had reports of a ten foot Storm Surge in sarasota. As we go down the coast, all the way to naples, its been at least five to six foot Storm Surge. That is higher than helene in most cases so we have new significant damage that is being done tonight. As the storm is moving inland. The winds are still pushing that water against the coast. It is still rushing in. The other thing you will notice, the black line is the center. Just north of the center which has been the past five hours over tampa, torrential rain. We are talking two to three inches per hour. Now that is
Out of florida, millions of people under threat from Monster Size Hurricane milton. That powerful Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 miles an hour has come ashore. The eyewall made landfall half an hour ago in siesta key, which is a Barrier Island off of the coast of sarasota. Right now, the storm with a diameter of 450 miles, is bringing lifethreatening winds and potentially devastating Storm Surge up to 13 feet. Earlier today, the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, noaa, took steal drones on the gulf of mexico. They showed 40 nautical miles away from meltons eye, the winds were gusting 76 miles an hour and waves were cresting up at 28 feet high. That powerful storm is hitting land. For those not in the eyewalls direct path, there is reason to be vigilant as much of florida is under a tropical Storm Watch or warning. The national Weather Service also issued warnings in parts of south and central florida, where milton has spawned 10 tornadoes. Airports,
Hour. Lets Ta Ke lets take your lIfe to tampa, florIda. ~. , ,. , florIda. MIlton Is expected to hIt the area florIda. MIlton Is expected to hIt the area later florIda. MIlton Is expected to hIt the area later wIth hIt the area later wIth ferocIous wInds of 165 mIles an hour, 270 kIlometres an hour. As we saId In the IntroductIon ThatIs as we saId In the IntroductIon that Is why presIdent Joe BIden has warned people to leave now, It Is a matter of lIfe and death, as the state undertakes Its largest EvacuatIon Effort In years. They say It wIll make landfall In the comIng hours and have the potentIal to be one of the most destructIve that has ever been recorded. It comes less than a fortnIght after hurrIcane lee, another powerful hurrIcane hIt florIda. SIren. An EvacuatIon SIren on the streets of RedIngton Shores In florIda. DebrIs Is stIll pIled up after Storm Helene two weeks ago, and now people are beIng told they have to leave agaIn. Mandatory EvacuatIon Orders are In place for nearl