The governor then runs through the support available to people and businesses affected by the hurricane.

He adds that his administration are going to "continue to support" all remaining rescue missions, as well assessing the damage done.

They anticipate, he says, further flooding in the coming days.

Finally, he says, he is "proud" of everybody's hard work.

"We will absolutely get through this".

DeSantis says that Tampa International Airport, which shut down earlier this week in anticipation of Milton, has sustained minimal damage and should reopen tomorrow after repairs.

The Florida governor adds that many schools across the state remain closed, but those that were not in the storm's direct path will likely open tomorrow.

"Those in harder-hit areas may take longer," he says.

Post-storm fatalities are entirely avoidable, DeSantis notes.

"Never walk through storm water," he says, warning residents to be cautious of hazards such as downed power lines and tree debris.

DeSantis continues by saying there are still 3.1 million accounts without power in the state, with 635,000 restorations completed since Hurricane Milton hit.

DeSantis begins by saying there were "over 80,000" people staying in shelters overnight.

"We will better understand" the extent of the damage as the day progresses, he says, but adds it was "thankfully not the worst case scenario".

For example, he says, the storm surge was "not as significant" as with Hurricane Helene.

Rescue missions are currently under way, he adds, with at least 48 people rescued so far.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is giving a news conference on the impact of Hurricane Milton.

We'll update you with what he says as it happens, and you can watch along by pressing the Watch live button at the top of the page.

Image source, Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District

Firefighters in Matlacha - an island just off Florida's western coast - have been tackling several fires overnight, the fire department says.

Pictures posted on the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District Facebook page show a huge building fire and a smouldering pile of debris.

Overnight crews made access to the island, it says, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge.

Since then, they have been "responding to several calls including structure fires" caused by downed power lines.

Image source, Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District

• Four people have died in St Lucie, on the east coast, after tornadoes struck the area
• Hurricane Milton continues to move away into the Atlantic Ocean, but officials have warned that heavy winds and rain remain overland

• Tampa's mayor says the city didn’t experience the storm surge that was predicted, which “saved us a lot” - but storm surge warnings are still in place across the state

Image source, CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

We've just received an update on Hurricane Milton from the National Hurricane Center.

According to its latest advisory, the centre of Milton is pulling away from Florida's east coast.

However, the Space Coast is still experiencing strong gusty winds and heavy rainfall, it adds.

Earlier, we reported the story of a dog found tied to a pole on Interstate 75 mere hours before the storm made landfall yesterday.

Florida Highway Patrol rescued the distressed pet, believed to be a bull terrier, and later said he was "examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health."

Governor Ron DeSantis said he was "outraged" by the story, saying "people do a lot of dumb things" and noting that Florida has "very good laws against animal cruelty".

The dog was later taken to the Pet Resource Center in Tampa where county records initially showed he had been "returned to owner".

But his status has now been updated to "transfer", according to the Lost and Found Pets of Hillsborough County Facebook page, citing those county records.

St Lucie County, on the east coast of Florida, has confirmed that four people have died after tornadoes struck the area.

"First responders and public works/utility crews are conducting response and recovery efforts caused by two confirmed tornadoes that touched down prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton," the statement says.

"The St Lucie Medical Examiner has confirmed four fatalities as a result of these tornadoes."

Earlier, we reported that deaths had been confirmed in the county, but the exact number was unclear.

Kris Bramwell
BBC UGC

From Orlando, Brendan McCoy tells us "the worst has passed us now". But he is waiting to see the full extent of the damage Hurricane Milton caused.

McCoy hunkered down with girlfriend Juli, their dog and cat - and they are now waiting for engineers to restore power after it went out last night.

"They can’t send the power crews out to start working on the grid until the wind dies down," he says. "We’re waiting for the sun to come up to see what it looks like outside."

Brendan's home is one of 3.2m in Florida without power, according to poweroutage.us., external

Image source, Brendan McCoy

Image source, Reuters

A rare piece of good news now from Tampa - the mayor says the city "didn't see that predicted storm surge" that was due to hit.

"That saved as a lot," Jane Castor tells a news conference, since it had been "what we were really worried about".

But, the mayor warns, "it's not over".

"When high tide comes in, rivers are going to flood all over Hillsborough County, not just in the city of Tampa."

However, there are still storm surge warnings further south, and on the east coast of the state - as this map shows.

We've just received these pictures of the destruction in Florida - including this aerial shot of the Tampa Bay Rays' baseball stadium in St Petersburg, after its roof was ripped off.

Image source, Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire

Image source, Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire

Image source, Tampa Bay Times/ZUMA Press Wire

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office just announced all access points in and out of the county - which includes St Petersburg - will remain closed until further notice due to "hazardous conditions".

They say the closure also applies to the barrier islands, including Fort de Soto and Sand Key.

Earlier, the local emergency management department confirmed Hurricane Milton had brought over 18 inches of rain and "gusts to 101mph", causing extensive damage and flooding.

Image source, AFP

Tampa chief of police Lee Bercaw says 15 people "including young children" were rescued after a tree fell on a home in hurricane-force winds.

He says water was pouring into the house but officers managed to "get there safely" and relocate the group to a local shelter.

Tampa fire chief Barbara Tripp adds another person with "head injuries" was rescued and taken to hospital after a tree fell onto another home.

It’s almost 06:40 in Florida and we’re starting to see more of the damage Hurricane Milton caused overnight. If you’re just joining us, this is the latest:

• Milton is now moving away from Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, but hurricane-force winds and rain are continuing

• Over three million people are now without power across Florida, with Sarasota, Hardee, Manatee, and Highlands among the worst impacted areas
• Five people are in hospital in Palm Beach due to tornado touchdowns, while a crane crashed into a newspaper building in St Petersburg
• In Plant City, east of Tampa, 35 people were rescued from high water - and residents have been told to stay out of "toxic" flood waters
• Milton is a "one in a thousand year rainfall event" our weather presenter says

Image source, Reuters

Elizabeth Rizzini
Lead weather presenter

Often the most dangerous part of a hurricane is the storm surge. This is the wall of water driven onshore by hurricane force winds which can cause catastrophic flooding - particularly when combined with extreme rainfall.

Even as the hurricane barrels away from the east coast, it is difficult to assess what the storm surge has actually been - there are few official observation sites and the situation is clearly still too dangerous to view first-hand.

However, the Weather Channel is reporting an 8ft surge near Sarasota, and a surge of 3-6ft further south from Naples to Charlotte Harbor.

The surge was highest to the south of landfall, while to the north, Tampa Bay unusually saw a negative storm surge as offshore rather than onshore winds developed.

That means water levels actually dropped by 5ft, and eyewitness reports suggest the bay was drained.

Some areas here, however, have seen as much as 18 inches of rain with more to come. There are still storm surge warnings in place from east-central Florida northwards to southern Georgia.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, Hurricane Milton has caused serious destruction across Florida - including a Major League Baseball stadium roof torn off in St Petersburg.

From the same city, we can now bring you footage of a crane that crashed into an "iconic" newspaper building.

Tampa Bay Times reporter Max Chesnes was "speechless" at the sight.

"We are at the entrance to our Tampa Bay Times office in downtown St Petersburg. A crane is blocking the road, and several stories up, smoke billows out of the building from where it appears the crane fell," he says on X.

The paper's own report , externalsays no one was inside the building at the time. Langston Taylor, a digital editor for the paper, says he and colleagues were "working through the night" from "safe houses" when the crane fell.

A St Petersburg Fire Rescue says there were no reports of injuries in the building.

BBC weather presenter Carol Kirkwood says storm surges remain a concern both on the west and east coasts of Florida - and there could be more tornadoes:

Are you in Florida? If it's safe, you can share your story with us.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist.

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