Storm Milton: Tracking Winds, Rain, and Power Outages

Ever heard of Milton? It's not a person, but a storm! A big one, too. Milton was a post-tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic Ocean, according to the National Hurricane Center. This storm was no joke, with winds blowing at 75 miles per hour! It caused power outages in its path. About 20% to 80% of customers lost power, depending on where they were. The rain was something else! In places like Tallahassee and Tampa, it rained a lot. Some spots got over 16 inches of rain in just a day or two. Can you imagine that much water falling from the sky?And the flooding? Yeah, that happened too. The National Water Prediction Service showed flooding across Florida. Some places had minor flooding, while others were hit hard with major flooding. The winds? Oh, they were intense! Right after Milton made landfall, wind speeds were recorded at 39 to 74 mph. That's like a really strong gust of wind on a windy day, but much, much stronger! Milton is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic this year. It follows a super active season last year, with 20 named storms. This year, the Atlantic is extra warm, and El Niño isn't as strong, making it easier for storms to form and grow.