8 months ago
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(NewsNation) — As Florida and overmuch of the southeastern United States prime up the pieces near by Hurricane Helene, different massive tempest is brewing successful the Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane Milton, present a Category 5 hurricane with estimated apical upwind speeds reaching 180 mph, is expected to marque landfall connected the Sunshine State sometime Wednesday.
Milton rapidly strengthened from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane successful little than 24 hours, becoming lone the 2nd highest-strength hurricane to signifier successful the Gulf of Mexico since 1966. Forecasters pass the country could spot a tempest surge of up to 12 feet.
When, wherever volition Milton marque landfall?
The monolithic hurricane volition marque landfall midweek, with existent models forecasting its accomplishment successful the Tampa Bay country determination betwixt Wednesday nighttime and Thursday morning.
It's expected to beryllium the worst tempest to deed the Tampa Bay country successful a century. Two days retired of its arrival, Floridians and tourists alike are fleeing the area.
Northbound postulation connected Interstate 75 was bumper to bumper for miles, moving astir 6 mph arsenic Floridians and tourists alike tried to fly the authorities Monday.
Flights retired of Florida volition halt Tuesday, with Tampa International Airport grounding trips astatine 9 a.m. and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport closing aft the past formation that day.
Will Milton enactment a Cat 5 hurricane?
Forecast models presently amusement Milton remaining astatine hurricane spot arsenic it moves eastbound crossed Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
That trajectory places overmuch of Central Florida successful the nonstop interaction zone, though it avoids different states impacted by Helene, which has resulted successful astatine slightest 230 deaths truthful far, with galore still missing successful the Appalachians.
This outer representation provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration connected Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, shows Hurricane Milton. (NOAA via AP)Preparing for Hurricane Milton
President Joe Biden approved an exigency declaration for South Florida to let national resources to assistance authorities and section efforts.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to execute preparedness plans, noting that determination is inactive clip to get ready, but it has to beryllium done quickly. He besides elaborate efforts being made to support captious infrastructure specified arsenic h2o attraction plans and to banal up connected substance up of the storm.
In a Monday briefing with reporters, DeSantis called the hurricane “ferocious” and emphasized the system’s accelerated strengthening.
“At the spot it is now, this is simply a really, truly beardown storm. The effects of that, not conscionable from the tempest surge but from upwind harm and debris, volition beryllium really, truly significant,” DeSantis said. “This is not a tempest you privation to instrumentality a hazard on.”
Less than an hr later, the U.S. National Hurricane Center issued tempest surge warnings and hurricane warnings for astir each of Florida’s westbound coast.
The hurricane halfway besides issued tempest surge watches connected the U.S. East Coast including overmuch of Florida up to parts of South Carolina.
“If you are successful an evacuation area, I beg you, I implore you to leave,” said Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie. “Drowning deaths from tempest surges are 100% preventable if you leave.”
DeSantis noted that radical bash not person to evacuate hundreds of miles and that those connected obstruction islands and successful low-lying areas whitethorn beryllium capable to spell to a structure successful their ain county.
The authorities is preparing for the largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma successful 2017, erstwhile 7 cardinal radical were told to evacuate. Tolls person been suspended to assistance successful evacuation efforts, and hotels are offering catastrophe rates, which besides see accepting pets careless of whether a edifice is usually pet-friendly.
NewsNation's Steph Whiteside and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
