Hurricane Milton was a major storm in October 2024 that formed in the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall on Florida’s west coast on the evening of October 9, 2024.

Formation and Rapid Intensification

Milton began as a tropical wave that moved into the western Caribbean Sea in late September 2024 and then organized into a tropical storm over the eastern Gulf of Mexico in early October. It underwent extremely rapid intensification and quickly became a Category 5 hurricane by October 7, with peak winds estimated near 160 mph (260 km/h) and a very low central pressure around 895–897 mb.

Landfall in Florida

Milton weakened slightly before landfall as it moved over cooler waters and encountered increasing wind shear, but it was still a strong major hurricane when it hit. It made landfall near Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota on Florida’s central west coast, at about 8:30 p.m. local time on October 9, 2024 , as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds near 115–120 mph (185–193 km/h).

Track and Aftermath

After landfall, Milton moved northeast across the Florida peninsula, weakening to a Category 1 hurricane as it emerged over the Atlantic Ocean on October 10. It transitioned into a hurricane‑force extratropical low that day and continued eastward over the Atlantic before its remnants dissipated by October 12, 2024, near Bermuda.

The storm caused widespread damage from storm surge, destructive winds, and numerous tornadoes, particularly in the Sarasota and Tampa Bay areas, and led to dozens of fatalities and millions losing power.