Thursday, October 10

Hurricane Milton made landfall yesterday near Siesta Key, Florida, with raging winds of 115 mph, heavy rain, and a storm surge of 2-5 feet.

Milton began in the western Gulf as a tropical depression and moved westward, strengthening into a Category 2 as it approached Mexico. The next day, it rapidly intensified to a Category 5, with sustained wind speeds of 180 mph. After that, it slowed down to a Category 3. Cities like Cancun were hit along the way by Milton's outer bands.

Milton has now slammed into Florida with strong winds, heavy rain, and a serious storm surge, inundating western Florida. Tampa has been particularly hard hit, as the eye went right over it. As of 9:00 PM EDT, wind speeds of up to 100 mph have hit central-west Florida. Water levels have gone up by over 8 feet in Sarasota, and a storm surge of 2-5 feet was reported to be from Naples to Charlotte Harbor (about 70 miles distance). 6-14 inches of rain has fallen in southern Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and Manatee County.

Daytona Beach International, Gainesville Regional, Lakeland Linder International, Melbourne Orlando International, Orlando International, Orlando Sanford International, Sarasota Bradenton International, Southwest Florida International, St. Pete-Clearwater International, and Tampa International Airports were closed ahead of Milton's landfall, schools were shut down for the week, and Disney and Universal theme parks also closed. Many alerts were in place ahead of the storm, including a state of emergency and hurricane warnings.

Milton is moving quickly, so it should pass by Florida by the end of the day today. It's expected to reach 60 mph Friday afternoon when it's well into the Atlantic, and it should reach Bermuda by Sunday with sustained wind speeds of 35-40 mph.

Fact of the Day (Facts.net): We are born with only 2 natural fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds. All other fears and phobias are learned or acquired later in life. 

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anaïs Nin)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Coruscate (verb)- To coruscate is to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes. Coruscate is used as a synonym of sparkle and may also be used to mean "to be brilliant or showy in technique or style."

In a Sentence: She placed a bid on a classic car from the 1950s, replete with yards of coruscating chrome.