Shownotes Transcript
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. Hurricane Milton is pulling away from Florida's east coast. The storm made landfall last night on the western Gulf Coast, south of Tampa. At that time, top sustained winds were 125 miles per hour. The storm destruction has been catastrophic. Storm surge reached several feet high on the Florida Gulf Coast. Winds severely damaged or destroyed buildings.
The hurricane also spawned dozens of tornadoes on the east coast of Florida. St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson says the tornadoes killed at least four people. This community was hit from what the Dopplers are showing. We got hit the hardest, the quickest. Again, we say this wasn't expected. We prepare for things, but you can't expect or do anything when we have multiple tornadoes touchdown in such a short period of time in our community. It's just, it's devastating. It's
There's no words to describe it. Officials in several Florida areas are telling residents to stay inside shelters or their homes. NPR's Windsor Johnson reports if people go out, authorities warn conditions are not safe. The storm has left hundreds of communities littered with downed power lines, debris, and some neighborhoods completely underwater.
Dan Brown with the National Hurricane Center says people need to exercise caution when leaving their homes today. When you have these widespread flooded areas, there can be snakes, wildlife, downed power lines, risk of electrocution. So you really want to be extremely cautious. Forecasters are also warning people against driving into flooded areas if they're unable to accurately gauge how deep the water is.
President Biden has issued a disaster declaration for Florida, allowing people to apply for federal assistance. Windsor Johnston, NPR News. The United Nations says that two of its peacekeepers were wounded in southern Lebanon as Israel presses its offensive against Hezbollah militants in the region.
Ampere's Michelle Kellerman reports that peacekeepers are caught in the crossfire. A statement by the UN peacekeepers known as UNIFIL says an Israeli tank fired on an observation tower at UNIFIL's headquarters, directly hitting it and causing the peacekeepers to fall. The injuries are not serious, but the statement says UNIFIL's positions have been repeatedly hit,
as Israeli forces clash with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. It also says Israel has been dismantling UN cameras. The peacekeeping force is there mostly to report on what they're seeing and to coordinate between the Israeli military and the Lebanese armed forces who are helping civilians evacuate. The UN secretary general calls it the most challenging environment for peacekeepers anywhere in the world.
Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, the State Department. On Wall Street, stocks are lower. The Dow is down 170 points. It's NPR. This message is brought to you by NPR sponsor, Lisa, in collaboration with West Elm. Discover the new natural hybrid mattress, expertly crafted from natural latex and certified safe foams, designed with your health and the planet in mind. Visit leesa.com to learn more.
