A FAMILY of seven from Newport who have been trapped in their holiday home in Florida during last night's Hurricane Milton have captured footage of the storm. 

Renée Short, from Newport, is currently on holiday in Davenport, Florida with her extended family of seven, including her son Cody.

The family were confined to their holiday home for the second time in a number of weeks after also being caught in the previous Hurricane Helene. 

Ms Short has told the Argus that while the members of her family are "all okay", it was a scary night with the storm not letting up until the early hours. 

She said: "We are all ok, very tired but fine. The winds and rain were horrendous but thankfully it’s passed now. 

"We barely slept much at all, as the storm only calmed down around 5.30am."

Renée Short has been caught in Hurricane Milton with family, including her son Cody Short and mother Deborah SullivanRenée Short has been caught in Hurricane Milton with family, including her son Cody Short and mother Deborah Sullivan (Image: Renee Short) Ms Short says the family are "relieved" that the worst of the situation is over now, with just light winds and little rain. 

They have had a rough few weeks after also being stuck in Florida while Hurricane Helene ravaged the state in late September, but are finally due to return home to Newport a week from Monday. 

Heavy rain and tornadoes lashed parts of southern Florida starting on Wednesday morning, with conditions deteriorating throughout the day.

Six to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimetres) of rain, with up to 18 inches (46 centimetres) in some places, was expected well inland, bringing the risk of catastrophic flooding.

One twister touched down on Wednesday morning in the lightly populated Everglades and crossed Interstate 75. Another apparent tornado touched down in Fort Myers, snapping tree limbs and tearing a gas station’s canopy to shreds.

Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people. Officials warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, because first responders were not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis said later on Thursday that Milton was a significant storm but not “the worst case scenario”.

He told reporters that the worst storm surge appeared to be in Sarasota County, where it was eight to 10 feet (2.5 to three metres) — less than in the worst place during Helene.

“We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” he said. “The storm was significant but thankfully, this was not the worst case scenario.”

Water levels in many Florida rivers are forecast to continue rising, he said.