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Gone quiet · last update Oct 15, 2024 / Florida

Hurricane Milton's landfall in Florida weeks after Helene

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota, Florida, on October 9, 2024, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene had devastated the state's Gulf Coast.[1][2] It had rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, and hundreds of thousands of people fled the coast ahead of it.[3][1] Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and toppled a crane into the Tampa Bay Times building.[4][5]

Read the timeline

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It had rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, and hundreds of thousands of people fled the coast ahead of it.[3][1] Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and toppled a crane into the Tampa Bay Times building.[4][5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Sep 2024: average weekly share 17% (left 4%, center 9%, right 4%), from 1 of 1 weekOct 2024: average weekly share 17% (left 5%, center 8%, right 4%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 13 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (3 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 14, 20240639 of 1955%
Oct 7, 2024456127133 of 20565%
Sep 30, 2024920938 of 22217%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 14, 2024 · first reported · Headline from NBC Los Angeles

    Owner of dog abandoned amid Hurricane Milton faces animal cruelty charge

Background

Milton strengthened explosively on October 7, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay.[6] A Miami meteorologist paused, overcome, on air as he described its growth,[7] and Tampa's mayor called it "literally catastrophic."[8] President Joe Biden warned that it could be the worst storm to hit Florida in more than a century,[9] canceled a trip abroad,[10] and warned airlines against overcharging evacuees.[11] Gas stations ran dry as residents fled,[12] and hospitals still recovering from Helene prepared for another blow.[2]

The storm came ashore on the night of October 9 with gusts above 100 mph.[4] Tens of thousands of people were in shelters,[1] Walt Disney World closed and reopened on October 11,[13] and Biden visited the state that weekend, announcing more than half a billion dollars for electric grid resilience.[14] Gov. Ron DeSantis said the owner of a dog abandoned as the storm hit would face prosecution.[15]

Supporting stories (15)
  1. Florida returning to something like normal after Hurricane Milton
  2. Florida hospitals and health care facilities in Hurricane Milton's path prepare for the worst
  3. Here's what has made Hurricane Milton so fierce and unusual
  4. Hurricane Milton rips roof off Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay Rays stadium that was used as staging site for responders
  5. St. Petersburg construction crane falls from high rise during Hurricane Milton
  6. Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida orders evacuations and scrambles to clear Helene’s debris
  7. Florida meteorologist becomes emotional on air over Hurricane Milton’s staggering growth: ‘Just horrific’
  8. Tampa mayor warns residents they will 'die' if they don't evacuate, as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida
  9. Hurricane Milton latest: Biden visits Florida to survey damage
  10. Biden postpones trip to Germany and Angola to monitor Hurricane Milton
  11. Orlando and Tampa airports to shut down ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall
  12. Hurricane Milton causing gas shortages in Florida as residents evacuate storm
  13. Disney World and other Orlando parks to reopen Friday after Hurricane Milton shutdown
  14. Biden announces more than $600 million for electric grid resilience during visit to survey Hurricane Milton damage
  15. Owner of dog abandoned amid Hurricane Milton faces animal cruelty charge

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 20 recorded updates

October 2024

  1. Owner of dog abandoned amid Hurricane Milton faces animal cruelty chargeHeadline from NBC New York · 7 outlets
  2. Biden announces more than $600 million for electric grid resilience during visit to survey Hurricane Milton damageHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 6 outlets
  3. St. Petersburg construction crane falls from high rise during Hurricane MiltonHeadline from Fox7 Austin · 8 outlets
  4. Hurricane Milton rips roof off Tropicana Field — Tampa Bay Rays stadium that was used as staging site for respondersHeadline from CBS News · 12 outlets
  5. Anderson Cooper hit with flying debris from Hurricane Milton during a live broadcastHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 6 outlets
  6. Florida resident "Lieutenant Dan" recounts riding out Hurricane Milton on his sailboat: "I'm not scared of anything"Headline from CBS News · 6 outlets
  7. More than 1 million homes and businesses without power in Florida due to Hurricane Milton, according to utility trackerHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 6 outlets
  8. Hurricane Milton aftermath: At least 16 fatalities reported, more than 2.4M without power in FloridaHeadline from ABC 7 Los Angeles · 107 outlets
  9. Hurricane Milton latest: Biden visits Florida to survey damageHeadline from FOX 29 Philadelphia · 22 outlets
  10. Florida returning to something like normal after Hurricane MiltonHeadline from The Columbian · 34 outlets
  11. Stunning images show Hurricane Milton from spaceHeadline from CBS News · 16 outlets
  12. Disney World and other Orlando parks to reopen Friday after Hurricane Milton shutdownHeadline from ABC 30 Fresno · 15 outlets
  13. Biden postpones trip to Germany and Angola to monitor Hurricane MiltonHeadline from KOB 4 · 15 outlets
  14. Hurricane Milton causing gas shortages in Florida as residents evacuate stormHeadline from WOGX Ocala · 14 outlets
  15. Tampa mayor warns residents they will 'die' if they don't evacuate, as Hurricane Milton approaches FloridaHeadline from Insider · 9 outlets
  16. Orlando and Tampa airports to shut down ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfallHeadline from NBC4 Washington · 14 outlets
  17. Florida hospitals and health care facilities in Hurricane Milton's path prepare for the worstHeadline from MyNorthwest · 13 outlets
  18. Here's what has made Hurricane Milton so fierce and unusualHeadline from KVIA El Paso · 29 outlets
  19. Florida meteorologist becomes emotional on air over Hurricane Milton’s staggering growth: ‘Just horrific’Headline from New York Post · 6 outlets
  20. Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida orders evacuations and scrambles to clear Helene’s debrisHeadline from St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 86 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →