SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key at 8:30pm as a category three hurricane with sustained winds of 120mph.
A sustained wind of 40mph and a gust of 73mph was recently reported at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Sustained winds of 78mph and a wind gust of 97mph was recently reported in Venice. A wind gust of 81mph was recently reported at Tampa International.
The core of Hurricane Milton will continue to track inland across Sarasota and Manatee counties over the next couple of hours. An extreme wind warning remains in effect for Manatee, Pinellas, and Hillsborough counties until 9:30pm. Milton is then forecast to move across Polk County overnight tonight as a category one hurricane.
The heaviest rainfall is located on the northern side of Hurricane Milton. Rainfall totals will exceed one foot in many spots on the northern side of the eye wall as it continues inland. The worst of the storm surge remains on the southern side of the eyewall.
As the eye of Milton moves over Sarasota and further inland, winds will pick back up on the backside of the hurricane. Conditions will begin to improve overnight tonight as Milton continues to weaken and move further inland into Central Florida.
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