Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was forecast to become a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
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In central Florida, there’s a stream of vehicles heading north on Interstate 75
That’s the scene on the interstate Monday afternoon as residents were already heeding the pleas of local and state officials to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton.
In some stretches, the flow of traffic slowed considerably due to the sheer number of cars, semi-trucks and recreational vehicles trying to get out of harm’s way. Emergency officials are telling those in the storm’s path to consider evacuating tens of miles rather than hundreds of miles away, in part due to concerns that traffic could snarl evacuation routes and leave motorists stranded.
Sarasota County urges residents to take the approaching storm seriously
“Take action now to ensure you and your loved ones are ready,” officials posted on the county’s website.
Sarasota, which is about 60 miles (96 kilometeres) south of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast, is preparing for whatever Hurricane Milton brings. Evacuations were underway Monday in the most coastal and low-lying areas. “Leave now,” was the directive on the website. Other areas should be prepared for the storm as well, officials said.
Sarasota took a glancing blow from Hurricane Helene late last month, and many areas in the region were flooded by storm surge.
The county said evacuation centers will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday for those who can’t leave the area.
“If your plan is to leave the area, do so now, today, Monday. This will be one of the largest evacuations along our state’s west coast. If you wait, you will get stuck in traffic,” officials said.
A potential major hurricane hitting Tampa Bay directly hasn’t happened in more than 100 years
It’s the “black swan” worst case scenario that MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel and other hurricane experts have worried about for years.
Part of it is that for some reason – experts say it’s mostly luck with a bit of geography – Tampa hasn’t been smacked with a major hurricane since the deadly 1921 hurricane that had 11 feet (3.3 meters) of storm surge that inundated downtown Tampa, though there wasn’t much to the city at the time, Emanuel said. Since then, a metropolis has grown and it’s full of people who think they’ve lived through big storms when they haven’t, he said.
“It’s a huge population. It’s very exposed, very inexperienced and that’s a losing proposition,” Emanuel, who has studied hurricanes for 40 years, said. “I always thought Tampa would be the city to worry about most.”
He said the whole basin is shaped and low-lying so it’s quite susceptible to flooding.
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane, the strongest level, in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday on a path toward Florida.
Milton had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (250 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will relocate to the New Orleans area ahead of Sunday’s game against the Saints
They plan to leave Tampa on Tuesday morning, the team announced in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Monday game against the Nashville Predators has been canceled. That game has been rescheduled from Sept. 27 because of Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Milton is forecast to become a Category 5 and is making aim for Florida
Milton rapidly strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and was forecast to become a Category 5 storm on a path toward Florida, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Mexico’s Yucatan state, and much of Florida’s west coast was under hurricane and storm surge watches. Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, which often floods during intense storms, was also under a hurricane watch.
Milton was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph) Monday morning over the southern Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. It was forecast to become a Category 5 hurricane later Monday with winds greater than 157 mph (250 kph) and become a large hurricane over the eastern Gulf.
Its center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Tampa Bay is scrambling to clear damage from Helene before Milton makes landfall
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday that it was imperative that messes from Helene be cleaned up ahead of Milton’s arrival so they don’t become dangerous flying projectiles.
More than 300 vehicles picked up debris Sunday but encountered a locked landfill gate when they tried to drop it off. State troopers used a rope tied to a pickup truck and busted it open, DeSantis said.
“We don’t have time for bureaucracy and red tape,” DeSantis said. “We have to get the job done.”
Hurricane Milton has strengthened to a Category 4 storm
Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
The storm is expected to stay at about its current strength for the next couple of days, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Mexico’s Yucatan state, and much of Florida’s west coast was under hurricane and storm surge watches.
Milton had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240 kph) over the southern Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane center said.
Its center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.
Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and said flash and river flooding could result from 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) in places.
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