Hurricane Milton quickly intensified into a Category 1 storm on Sunday and has made its way toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Forecasters predict Milton will make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, bringing winds of more than 120 miles per hour and flooding an area that is still reeling. Hurricane Helene.
As of 5:00 PM ET on Sunday, Milton was about 270 miles (430 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour and was flying north-northeast at a speed of 7 miles per hour.
Path of Hurricane Milton
A map from the National Hurricane Center shows Milton continuing to develop into a major hurricane as it approaches the west coast of Florida.
“Milton is forecast to intensify rapidly over the next few days and become a major hurricane on Monday,” forecasters said.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
The storm is expected to remain north of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, and heavy rains are expected as Milton moves northeast toward Florida. The Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning from Celestun to Cabo Catoche, and a tropical storm warning from eastern Cabo Catoche to Cancun.
The hurricane center said hurricane and storm surge warnings could be issued for parts of Florida later Sunday.
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
Florida officials are preparing for more impact
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Sunday that while it remains to be seen where exactly Milton will strike, it is clear that Florida will be hit hard. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where we don’t have major consequences right now,” he said.
“You have time to prepare – all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday, to make sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” the governor said. “If you’re on the west coast of Florida, the barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”
NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
DeSantis expanded his state of emergency to 51 counties on Sunday, saying Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions and make sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the road.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, coordinated with the governor and briefed President Biden on Sunday on how it has deployed lifesaving resources.
“I strongly encourage you to evacuate” if you are in an evacuation zone, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “We’re preparing for the largest evacuation we’ve seen, probably since 2017, Hurricane Irma.”
As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state workers remove debris, DeSantis said.
“All available state resources are being marshaled to help remove the debris,” DeSantis said. “We’re going 24/7… it’s all hands on deck.”
