More than 2.85 million people in Florida are without power as of 2:36am (6:36 GMT), according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks supplies.
The worst-affected states are on its west coast, especially Hardee, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte and Hillsborough counties.
Of 9,640 electricity customers tracked in Hardee, 9,403 were out of power, it said.
Hurricane #Milton is pictured as a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula from the space station on Oct. 8, 2024. pic.twitter.com/S7Hpe5GFMp
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 9, 2024