Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack reported from rising floodwater in Punta Gorda, Florida, as Hurricane Milton slammed into the Florida coast
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00:00I'm here at Puta Gorda, Florida, where the storm surge has started to spill into the streets of downtown Puta Gorda.
00:08As you can see here, we're well away from the coast, about 500 yards or so from the coast, 300 yards off in this direction.
00:16The water is making its way through the town, coming down through the streets.
00:20In fact, we were down on the coast just a little while ago.
00:23So, watching the water come up over the seawall, thought we were okay to get back to the hotel,
00:28because we had just checked our route back to our hotel moments earlier.
00:32And then, by the time we came back, about 30 minutes later, there was about two or three feet of water in this intersection back behind us.
00:39Unfortunately, with a high-clearance vehicle, we were able to get through that water.
00:43But now the water is rising, and it will likely surround our hotel here.
00:49The hotel back behind us is at a higher elevation.
00:53Many cars parked up there, but all around us are floodwaters on all sides.
00:59As Milton is, bowing away from making landfall, getting hit by sustained tropical storm force winds here,
01:06as we are a little bit further south, away from the eyewall, not in the actual eye of the hurricane,
01:12targeting this storm surge here, possibly 10 to 15 foot of surge in this area and points to the north, up towards Tampa.
01:20For AccuWeather, I'm Aaron Jajak, reporting from Punta Gorda, Florida.