FLORIDA

Powerful Hurricane Milton slammed into Florida's southwest coast on Wednesday night, bringing "catastrophic flooding" to the areas surrounding Sarasota.

Social Media users are reacting to the "Waffle House Index" map, which was updated to show the status of its restaurants across Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center of the storm.

A landfall near Fort Myers, about 95 miles south, could cause $70 billion in losses, Jefferies Financial Group stock analyst Yaron Kinar said.

Walt Disney World and all the major Orlando-area theme parks are closing ahead of Hurricane Milton's projected landfall in Central Florida.

Officials suspended toll collections and allowed motorists to drive on the shoulder of local highways to ease the massive evacuation effort.

Tampa could experience 15 feet of water as a storm surge combines with high tides.

Milton, which is forecast to batter Mexico's Yucatan peninsula as it churns eastward, rapidly intensified to the highest category on a scale of five, triggering evacuation orders and warnings of savage conditions on Florida's west coast.

The storm is classified as a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest on the scale.

The storm jumped from a Category 2 storm to a Category 5 storm on Monday morning.

Last week, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was mocked after suggesting Democrats can control the weather.

The storm went from a Category 2 hurricane to a Category 4 hurricane on Monday morning.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 120 MPH as the storm heads to Florida's Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Milton is headed to Florida, where meteorologists predict it might make landfall as a Category 3 storm.

The storm is forecast to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, then cut across the Sunshine State to the Atlantic Ocean.

Less than ten days after Hurricane Helene struck Florida, the state is preparing for another possible severe impact from a hurricane

State Rep. Randy Fine was found in contempt of court after he flashed his middle finger and made the "loser" hand sign during a virtual hearing.

A condo board president is accused of multiple felony charges for embezzling $1.5 million from unit owners.

Two Florida men were arrested after allegedly ransacking a strip mall 'Trump Store' during Hurricane Helene.

It is one of several new plates that were approved by lawmakers.

The storm began as a hurricane, the strongest on record to hit Florida's Big Bend, and then moved north into Georgia and the Carolinas.