On Sunday afternoon (October 6), Tropical Storm Milton rapidly intensified into a Category 1 hurricane. According to information from the National Hurricane Center of the United States, Milton is expected to continue strengthening before hitting the state of Florida. The governor of Florida announced on Sunday that 51 out of the state’s 67 counties have entered a state of emergency.
Following the destructive Hurricane Helene, Florida once again finds itself preparing for the arrival of another hurricane, Milton.
It is forecasted that Milton will bring potentially life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds, and heavy rainfall to the state.
According to the National Hurricane Center’s advisory issued at 2 pm Eastern Time on Sunday, Hurricane Milton had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. At that time, the storm was located approximately 815 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Milton will intensify to a Category 3 hurricane later on Monday (October 7).
Forecasters predict that Miami, Orlando, and Tampa could see rainfall amounts between 4 to 8 inches by Thursday. This is equivalent to the typical monthly rainfall in Miami, two months’ worth of rain in Orlando, and three months’ worth of rain in Tampa.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared on Sunday that 51 counties out of the 67 in the state are under a state of emergency, an increase from the 35 counties announced the day before.
Kevin Guthrie, the head of Florida’s Emergency Management Department, stated during a press conference held with DeSantis that the department is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017.
“I urge Floridians to complete storm preparations now, make plans. I strongly recommend evacuating,” Guthrie said.
DeSantis mentioned that the current expectation is for the hurricane to make landfall around 5 pm on Wednesday in the Madeira Beach area of Pinellas County. However, he also added that the storm’s path could still change in the coming days.
The Florida governor further added that Milton is expected to be a “large hurricane” upon landfall. He predicted that the storm surge’s destructiveness could be even greater than the Category 4 Hurricane Helene that hit the Big Bend area of northern Florida. Helene caused 500 miles of destruction, leading to catastrophic flooding, destructive winds, and power outages.
Hurricane Helene also swept through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, resulting in the deaths of over 220 people.
As the impact of Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, officials have begun ordering evacuations and closing schools to give people time to prepare and move away from the coast and other low-lying areas.
DeSantis and Guthrie urge people to know if they are in an evacuation zone and prepare to take action.
“Know your evacuation zone,” DeSantis cautioned. “Many communities in Florida will have voluntary and mandatory evacuations. If you’re on the west coast and barrier islands in Florida, be prepared that you may be asked to evacuate.”
Partial evacuations have been ordered in Pinellas County, Manatee County, with more expected.
Furthermore, some schools in certain areas have decided to close this week, including those in Sarasota County, Pasco County, and Hillsborough County.
(This article references reports from Fox News and CNN.)