Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key in Sarasota County on Florida’s west coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm hit with maximum sustained winds estimated at 120 mph.

Hurricane Milton will be a storm surge event unlike any hurricane in living memory for west-central Florida, said Dr. Ryan Truchelut.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near Siesta Key in Sarasota County, Florida the National Hurricane Center said.  Milton was a Category 5 hurricane late Tuesday but was downgraded to a Category 3 Wednesday afternoon after spending most of the day as a Category 4.

Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location Hurricane Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, near Siesta Key. Maximum sustained winds were 120 mph, making Milton a Category 3 hurricane.

Hurricane Milton is forecast to retain major hurricane status and expand in size as it approaches the west coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday. Milton was located about 520 miles southwest of Tampa,

The Category 4 storm prompted what could be Florida’s largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and officials say the time to prepare is running out.