FLORIDA — Hurricane Milton has made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, pounding Tampa and nearby cities with destructive winds and intense rain.

More than 3 million people are without power and there are confirmed deaths. With so many Rochester natives living in Florida, here’s what to know about contacting any loved ones who may be near Milton’s path and how to help with relief.

How can people check on loved ones if they don’t hear back during the storm?

The American Red Cross can check on loved ones if you’re not able to connect with them. Send the Red Cross Reunification Team the information about where your loved one lives through this link. Click on the tab that says “Find Loves Ones in Florida (Milton)”.

The Red Cross also has these tips for contacting loved ones during the storm:

• Call during off-peak hours for the best chance of getting through
• Send a text message, which may go through when phone calls cannot
• Check your loved one’s social media pages as they may have already gone online to tell their story
• Send an email
• Call friends and relatives who may have already been in contact with your loved one
• Call people or places where your loved one is well-known such as neighbors, work, school, or senior center

How can people donate or volunteer to hurricane relief?

People can donate to the American Red Cross here or become a disaster volunteer at the organization. The Red Cross says cash is best so they select the supplies they need.

Red Cross volunteers will help to provide food, shelter, and care for people impacted by Milton and finding loved ones who have lost power. You can search for volunteer openings here.

How can you fact-check what you’ve heard about the hurricane?

With so much talk about Hurricane Milton on social media, how can you fact-check to make sure what you’re hearing is accurate or avoid getting scammed?

FEMA has a web page where you can fact-check rumors. Some false rumors are that FEMA is blockading people in Florida and preventing evacuations, FEMA only provides loans to disaster survivors, and that funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.

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• First Alert Weather In-Depth: Rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton