Hurricane Milton Makes Landfall as Category 3 Storm as Florida Braces for More 'Catastrophic' Weather After Helene

Milton was once a Category 5 storm and is impacting many areas that were hit by Hurricane Helene in late September

<p>CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty</p> A Jeep drives through floodwaters near Smather

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

A Jeep drives through floodwaters near Smather's Beach ahead of Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton has made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm.

Milton came ashore around Siesta Key, Fla. at around 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 9, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is about five miles west of Sarasota and 115 miles southwest from Orlando.

The storm brought maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph. It is the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. this year.

"As Hurricane Milton makes landfall near Sarasota county, now is the time to shelter in place. First responders are staged and ready to go, as soon as weather conditions allow," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote in a message on X, moments before the storm made landfall. "Search and rescue efforts will be well underway to save lives before dawn, and they will continue for as long as it takes."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Ahead of the storm making landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned that the central and northern portions of the Florida Peninsula can expect between 6-18 inches of rain through Thursday, Oct. 10.

"This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding," the agency warned.

The National Weather Service also issued at least 90 tornado warnings in Florida, the highest amount ever issued in the state in a single day, per CNN.

<p>CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty</p> Empty streets in streets of downtown Orlando, Florida, on October 9, 2024, in the hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

Empty streets in streets of downtown Orlando, Florida, on October 9, 2024, in the hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall

Although once a Category 5 storm, Milton weakened in intensity on Wednesday, becoming a Category 4 and then a Category 3 storm.

However, in the hours before it made landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned that Milton is expected to "remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida."

The center of the storm was expected to hit "near or just south of the Tampa Bay region" before moving across " the central part of the Florida peninsula overnight, and emerge off the east coast of Florida on Thursday."

<p>CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty</p> A home that was hit by a tornado in Fort Myers, Florida on October 9, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

A home that was hit by a tornado in Fort Myers, Florida on October 9, 2024, ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival

Related: Officials Tried to Help Viral Florida Man 'Lt. Dan' Before Hurricane Milton, but He Chose to Stay in His Boat

Many of the areas in Milton’s path were just hit by Hurricane Helene, which Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said brought about six feet of storm surge to the city.

During an appearance on CNN on Monday, Oct. 7, Castor said she expects the aftermath from Milton will be “catastrophic.”

“This is something that I have never seen in my life,” the mayor explained while urging residents to evacuate the area ahead of the storm. “And I can tell you that anyone who was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen anything like this before.”

<p>CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty</p> A house that got hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 9, 2024

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

A house that got hit by a reported tornado in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 9, 2024

Related: Will Florida Be Hit by Another Hurricane Right After Milton? Forecasters Don't Think 'Nadine' Is a Threat Soon

DeSantis declared a state of emergency for dozens of counties before Milton made landfall. At a press conference in Tallahassee on Tuesday, Oct. 8, DeSantis warned the storm had the potential to leave an “indelible mark on a community,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.

“We are praying for the best,” the governor said, per the Tallahassee Democrat, adding, “There's no way we're going to get out from this in terms of not having an impact."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.