Tropicana Field has become accustomed to hosting playoff games since Kevin Cash took over as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays, but in the coming days the stadium will be closed to the Florida Department of Emergency Management ahead of Hurricane Milton. It will be used as a base camp for support. .
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to Florida crews dispatched to North Carolina to help with recovery from the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, warning of Milton's arrival as it rages through the Gulf of Mexico as a dangerous Category 5 storm. He instructed them to return to Florida in preparation for the
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Tropicana Field will open a temporary hub for workers and operations before Hurricane Milton arrives in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 7, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones.)
Florida emergency officials have issued evacuation orders for much of the state's west coast in preparation for Milton. Many of those same areas were still trying to dig out of Helen.
“Time is running out,” DeSantis said Tuesday. USA Today. “We can't guarantee what the weather will be like starting Wednesday morning… There may be safe times, but it may not be safe. So use today to finalize and implement a plan to protect yourself. Use it as a day for you and your family. ”
Milton announced it is expected to bring deadly storm surge, destructive winds and heavy rain. fox weather. Forecasters warned that storm surge of 10 to 15 feet high was possible in Tampa Bay. This is the highest storm surge ever predicted for that location, and evacuation orders have been issued for entire coastal communities.
Hurricane Milton: Protect your home from looting in 4 steps
A crib seen at Tropicana Field before Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 7, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
The storm could also cause widespread flooding, with 5 inches to 1 foot of rain expected on the Florida peninsula, with up to 18 inches possible in some places.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued a stern warning to those who choose to remain in mandatory evacuation zones as Hurricane Milton hurtles toward Florida.
“Helen has sounded the alarm. This is literally a catastrophic situation,” Castor told CNN. “If you choose to stay in the shelter, you will die.”
Before this Atlantic hurricane season began, forecasters said it was all set to be a monster busy year, but since Beryl became the earliest Category 5 storm on record. It started like that. Then, nothing.
The Florida Army National Guard checks a nearly deserted Bradenton Beach for remaining residents ahead of Hurricane Milton's arrival in Anna Maria, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. There, piles of debris from Hurricane Helen's flooding still lie outside damaged homes. An island in Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
A closed Waffle House sign along Highway 19 prepares for Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024 in New Port Richey, Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
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It was record quiet from Aug. 20, when the peak hurricane season traditionally begins, to Sept. 23, Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach told The Associated Press.
Fox News Pilar Arias and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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