As Hurricane Milton continues barreling toward Florida, the National Hurricane Center issued a public advisory on Wednesday, warning residents, “The time to prepare, including evacuate if told to do so, is quickly coming to an end along the Florida West Coast.”
At about 11 a.m. EDT on October 9, Milton was rated as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 145 mph. At that time, tornadic supercells from the storm were already beginning to sweep across the southern Florida peninsula, according to the Hurricane Center.
A storm surge warning is in effect for the state’s western coast from the southern tip of the peninsula to Yankeetown, including the Tampa Bay area. A storm surge warning is in effect on the eastern coast from Sebastian Inlet, Florida, to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. A storm surge watch is in effect from Altamaha Sound northward to Edisto Beach, South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has forecasted that Milton could produce a surge of water as high as 15 feet in some areas, reaching the rooftops of single-story homes and completely covering many of the roads in the area. According to NHC, more than 25% of the roads in the Gulf Coast region are at or below 4 feet of elevation.
A hurricane warning is in effect for most of the state. Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are expected in the central and northern portions of the state, with up to 18 inches expected in some localized areas.
Multiple counties in the state have ordered mandatory evacuations.
Highways were congested with traffic, gas stations were running out of fuel, and store shelves were empty on Wednesday as Floridians made their last-minute preparations to flee or ride out the storm, USA Today reported.
Milton is expected to make landfall late Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning.
In a briefing on Wednesday morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis enumerated the state’s storm preparations.
Hundreds of search and rescue personnel and more than 180 high-water vehicles have been embedded in the areas likely to be hardest hit. More than 6,000 National Guard members and 3,000 from other states are ready to spring into action as needed, and 50,000 linemen are on standby to restore power after the hurricane passes.
“We are facing this with the determination that it deserves but also the belief that we will get through this,” DeSantis said.
