Milton’s Deadly Tornadoes Reveal a Hidden Hurricane Threat
Debris in front of a home following a tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, on Oct. 9
Photographer: Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
As Hurricane Milton approached Florida’s coast, authorities warned of catastrophic flooding and dangerous winds. But among its most devastating impacts is one many people didn’t expect: a rash of unusually powerful tornadoes.
At least 38 reports of tornadoes came into the US Storm Prediction Center. Deaths were reported in St. Lucie County on Florida’s east coast — more than a hundred miles from where Milton came ashore — but authorities didn’t specify how many people had been killed, according to the Associated Press.