Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol recued an abandoned Bull Terrier dog that was tied to a fence pole in ponding water off a highway outside Tampa on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approached the west coast of Florida.
Bodycam video posted by the FHP in Tampa shows an officer approaching the scared pooch:
FHP Troopers rescued a dog left tied to a pole on I-75 near Bruce B Downs Blvd this morning. Do NOT do this to your pets please… pic.twitter.com/8cZJOfkJL2
— FHP Tampa (@FHPTampa) October 9, 2024
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) promised to hold pet abusers accountable, “Thank you, @FHPTampa. It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable.”
Thank you, @FHPTampa.
It is cruel for anyone to leave a dog tied to a post in the middle of an oncoming storm. FL will hold anyone who mistreats pets accountable. https://t.co/19axr8CLf0
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 9, 2024
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles posted an update Wednesday afternoon, “Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health.”
Update: The dog rescued by @FHPTampa is safe and receiving care. Troopers brought him to a vet, where he was examined for injuries and received a clean bill of health. pic.twitter.com/cut1jv7cBe
— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) October 9, 2024
Hurricane Milton has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm with winds of about 120 mph. A massive storm surge is expected along the west coast from about Tampa south to Ft. Myers with areas north and south of that also expecting storm surge flooding.
The outer bands of Milton have been spinning off numerous tornados in the lower Florida peninsula all day.
Tornado footage from Clewiston, Florida, as Hurricane Milton approaches hours from landfall. pic.twitter.com/SLndb7EFP9
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) October 9, 2024
ABC News reports 15 tornados have been reported with seven confirmed:
Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, at least 15 tornadoes have been reported across the state, seven of which have been confirmed.
There are multiple tornado warnings ongoing across central and South Florida.
Follow for updates: https://t.co/ZGouaJoJQR pic.twitter.com/9jKfEaAaLr
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 9, 2024
Excerpt from the 5 p.m. EDT update on Milton from the National Hurricane Center:
..MILTON APPROACHING THE COAST OF WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA…
…LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, DAMAGING WINDS, AND FLOODING RAINS
EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA…SUMMARY OF 500 PM EDT…2100 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…26.9N 83.4W
ABOUT 60 MI…100 KM WSW OF SARASOTA FLORIDA
ABOUT 170 MI…275 KM SW OF ORLANDO FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…120 MPH…195 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NE OR 35 DEGREES AT 17 MPH…28 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…948 MB…28.00 INCHES…A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…
* Florida west coast from Flamingo northward to Yankeetown,
including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
* Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the
St. Johns RiverA Hurricane Warning is in effect for…
* Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River,
including Tampa Bay
* Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northward
to Ponte Vedra BeachA Hurricane Watch is in effect for…
* Lake Okeechobee
* Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to the
Palm Beach/Martin County Line
Oct 9 5:00 PM update:
…MILTON APPROACHING THE COAST OF WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA……LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, DAMAGING WINDS, AND FLOODING RAINS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA…https://t.co/dv1LkCViaN pic.twitter.com/TEBaPQ4m53
— National Hurricane Center (@NWSNHC) October 9, 2024
