Floridians are making final preparations for the approach of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to have life-threatening impacts Wednesday into Thursday.
Milton is now a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and moving in an east-northeast direction at 9 mph, the Hurricane Center said in an update Tuesday.
Milton is expected to bring deadly storm surge, damaging winds, and heavy rain. Fox Weather reported. 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.
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.
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A highway sign warns of the impending approach of Hurricane Milton in Port Richey, Florida, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
Approximately 5.9 million people live in the 11 Florida counties under mandatory evacuation orders, according to county-level population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
News outlets showed crowds of cars trying to evacuate along State Routes 75 and 56 on Florida's west coast. Some cars are headed to the Orlando metropolitan area, and one resident said he plans to sell his home if it floods again.
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A board with graffiti reading “Milton, go home drunk” near the debris of Hurricane Helen ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, Florida. You can see shops covered with , 2024. (AP photo)
“We've done everything we can to prepare our house and we're just packing up and leaving to be with our daughters,” Winter Springs resident Dennis Rosignolo-Brown told Fox News Digital. ” he said. “It's very discouraging at our age that we're going through something like this.”
This hurricane will impact communities still affected by Hurricane Helen a few weeks ago, and will likely cause devastating damage to areas affected by Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Rossignolo-Brown said that after Ian's death, she and her family were unable to even enter their home for three days due to high water levels.
“It was an absolute nightmare,” she said.
A sculpture of Poseidon stands underwater after Hurricane Milton passed off the coast of Progreso, Mexico, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 51 of the state's 67 counties over the weekend.
President Biden on Monday approved the state's request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration, allowing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide appropriate support for necessary emergency measures. It becomes like this.
Hurricane Milton's projected path indicates it will likely impact much of the Florida peninsula. (FOX Weather)
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.”
Debris from a home flooded by Hurricane Helen lies on the side of the road as Hurricane Milton approaches, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Florida. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)
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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. Phil Klotzbach, a Colorado State University hurricane researcher, told The Associated Press that the period from Aug. 20, when the peak of hurricane season traditionally begins, to Sept. 23 was record calm.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
