*

Storm makes landfall near Siesta Key, south of Tampa Bay

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At least 19 tornadoes confirmed, destroying homes in

multiple

counties

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Multiple tornado deaths reported in town on eastern coast

of

Florida

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Flash flood emergency in effect for Tampa Bay area

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State prepared to engage in search and rescue missions

overnight

By Brad Brooks and Leonara LaPeter Anton

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Hurricane

Milton marched across central Florida on Thursday after making

landfall on the state's west coast hours earlier, whipping up

deadly tornadoes, destroying homes and knocking out power to

nearly 2 million customers.

The storm made landfall around 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 GMT) on

Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds

of 120 miles per hour (195 kph) near Siesta Key, the U.S.

National Hurricane Center said.

By 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT), wind speeds had reduced to 105

mph (165 kph), dropping Milton to a Category 2 hurricane,

nonetheless still considered extremely dangerous. The eye of the

storm was 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Orlando in the center

of the state.

A flash flood emergency was in effect for the Tampa Bay area

including the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater,

the hurricane center said, with St. Petersburg already receiving

16.6 inches (422 mm) of rain on Wednesday.

The eye of the storm landed in Siesta Key, a barrier island

town of some 5,400 off Sarasota about 60 miles (100 km) south of

the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, which is home to more than 3

million people.

Governor Ron DeSantis said he hoped Tampa Bay, once seen as

the potential bull's eye, could dodge major damage and that the

worst of the predicted storm surge could be avoided thanks to

the landfall coming before the high tide. Forecasters said

seawater could still rise as high as 13 feet (4 meters).

DeSantis reported Milton had also spawned at least 19

tornadoes caused damage in numerous counties, destroying around

125 homes, most of them mobile homes.

"At this point, it's too dangerous to evacuate safely, so

you have to shelter in place and just hunker down," DeSantis

said upon announcing the landfall.

At least two deaths were reported at a retirement community

following a suspected tornado in Fort Pierce on the eastern

coast of Florida, NBC News reported, citing St. Lucie County

Sheriff Keith Pearson. His department did not immediately

respond to a request for details.

Pearson estimated 100 homes were destroyed in the county

where some 17 tornadoes touched down, NBC said.

More than 1.8 million homes and businesses in Florida were

without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm was expected to cross the Florida peninsula

overnight and emerge into the Atlantic, still with hurricane

force, on Thursday.

Once past Florida, it should weaken over the western

Atlantic, possibly dropping below hurricane strength but still

posing a storm-surge danger on the state's Atlantic Coast.

In a state already battered by Hurricane Helene two weeks

ago, as many as two million people were ordered to evacuate, and

millions more live in the projected path of the storm.

Much of the southern U.S. experienced the deadly force of

Hurricane Helene as it cut a swath of devastation through

Florida and several other states. Both storms are expected to

cause billions of dollars in damage.

ZOO ANIMALS PROTECTED

While human evacuees jammed the highways and created

gasoline shortages, animals including African elephants,

Caribbean flamingos and pygmy hippos were riding out the storm

at Tampa's zoo.

Nearly a quarter of Florida's gasoline stations were out of

fuel on Wednesday afternoon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency had moved millions

of liters (gallons) of water, millions of meals and other

supplies and personnel into the area. None of the additional aid

will detract from recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene, the

agency's administrator, Deanne Criswell, said earlier on

Wednesday.

Trucks have been running 24 hours a day to clear mounds of

debris left behind by Helene before Milton potentially turned

them into dangerous projectiles, DeSantis said.

About 9,000 National Guard personnel were deployed in

Florida, ready to assist recovery efforts, as were 50,000

electricity grid workers in anticipating of widespread power

outages, DeSantis said.

Search-and-rescue teams were prepared to head out as soon as

the storm passes, working through the night if needed, DeSantis

said.

"It's going to mean pretty much all the rescues are going to

be done in the dark, in the middle of the night, but that's

fine. They're going to do that," DeSantis said.