Florida is currently bracing for Hurricane Milton, which is approaching the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm. It’s projected to make landfall near Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening. By 5 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center noted Milton was situated about 60 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, featuring sustained winds reaching up to 120 mph.
Even before landfall, the effects of Milton were evident all day, with heavy thunderstorms and tropical winds hitting parts of Florida by Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed multiple tornadoes had already touched down across southern Florida, prompting a record-breaking number of tornado warnings throughout the state.
On Wednesday alone, Florida saw over 90 tornado warnings issued, marking the highest total in a single day in its history, according to CNN.
According to Fox Weather meteorologist Mathieu Blue, the NWS offices in Miami and Tampa reported their own record-breaking warnings. Miami issued 38 tornado warnings on Wednesday, surpassing its previous mark of 37 set during Hurricane Ian in September 2022, while Tampa’s office reported 29 warnings, eclipsing its former record of 23 from June 2013 during Tropical Storm Andrea.
Florida Counties Under Tornado Warnings
By 4:30 p.m. ET, six Florida counties had active tornado warnings, some of which were set to expire at 5 p.m. ET. A tornado warning signals that a tornado has been seen or indicated by radar, prompting the NWS to advise residents to “take action” and find shelter.
One tornado was caught on camera early Wednesday, just north of Alligator Alley in Collier County. The Weather Channel also reported sightings of another tornado west of Cape Coral around midday. Additional tornadic activity was confirmed near Weston and Clewiston. By 1 p.m. ET, a suspected tornado was noted north of Fort Myers in Lee County.
Later, the NWS reported a confirmed tornado over Vero Beach Highland in Indian River County at 4:27 p.m. ET, and another sighting was confirmed over Jensen Beach in St. Lucie County at 4:12 p.m. ET.
As of 5:40 p.m. ET, the NWS indicated a “severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Port Salerno, moving north at 30 mph. Shortly thereafter, another severe thunderstorm was tracked over White City in St. Lucie County. The NWS advises that residents should “move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building” and “avoid windows.”
For those outdoors, in mobile homes, or vehicles, the NWS recommends moving to the nearest substantial shelter to protect against flying debris.