Hurricane Milton tracker: Storm exits Florida at Category 1 strength after slamming west coast

For the latest news on Milton, visit USA TODAY's tracker for Friday, Oct. 11.

Hurricane Milton is expected to batter its way Thursday through Florida into the Atlantic Ocean after what President Joe Biden called "the storm of the century" made landfall in the state's west coast.

In downtown Tampa early Thursday, fierce winds tore down traffic lights, ripped signs out of the ground and sent construction barricades flying across wet pavement. Milton’s winds also ripped off plywood meant to keep the storm out and hindered first-responders' response to emergencies.

In the aftermath of the storm, which was exiting the state near Cape Canaveral at Category 1 strength, neighborhoods were flooded, homes destroyed and the roof of Tropicana Field torn off.

The devastation came as Milton made landfall late Wednesday on the state's western coast as a Category 3 hurricane amid a flurry of tornadoes it spawned. The system slammed near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, bringing severe weather to Tampa Bay, Sarasota and other regions still reeling from Helene's devastation less than two weeks ago.

Biden, Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials had spent days prior warning residents to heed evacuation orders amid the approach of the life-threatening storm.

At least two deaths were reported at a retirement community following a suspected tornado in Fort Pierce on the state's east coast, NBC News reported, citing St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson. More than 3 million homes and businesses were in the dark by early Thursday, according to USA TODAY power outage data.

"It’s a matter, literally, of life and death," Biden said at a White House emergency briefing.

Hurricane Milton live updates: Hurricane Milton leaves destruction across storm-weary Florida

National Hurricane Center warns of continued risks

In its 5 a.m. update Thursday, the National Hurricane Center warned that hurricane-force winds at about 85 mph are expected to continue for a few more hours in east-central and northeast Florida.

"Residents are urged to remain in an interior room and away from windows," the center said.

The region will also continue to experience heavy rainfall through the morning, bringing the risk for flash and urban flooding. The National Weather Service had previously forecasted rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches across central to northern portions of the Florida peninsula through Thursday, with some localized totals up to 18 inches.

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Hurricane Milton spaghetti models

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Watch live as Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida.

This story has been updated to add new information.

Contributing: James Powel, John Bacon, Trevor Hughes, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Christopher Cann, Michael Loria, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Milton tracker: See storm path after landfall near Siesta Key