Hurricane Milton is rapidly approaching the Florida coast, prompting urgent evacuation orders for residents in affected areas. Authorities are advising everyone to prepare for severe weather and potential impacts.
On Wednesday morning, constant rain and increasing winds swept through the Tampa Bay area as Hurricane Milton advanced ominously toward Florida’s west coast. Despite the potential for devastating impact, some residents chose to remain in place even after millions were instructed to evacuate. Officials warned that those who stayed behind faced extremely dire survival prospects.
The Tampa Bay area, with a population exceeding 3.3 million, has not experienced a direct hit from a major hurricane for over 100 years. As Milton neared the region, it alternated between category 4 and 5 statuses; however, regardless of this fluctuation in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center warned that it would be classified as an extremely dangerous storm upon making landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
“This is the moment, everyone,” said Cathie Perkins, the emergency management director of Pinellas County on the peninsula forming Tampa Bay. “If you were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, this will be even more severe. You must evacuate immediately.”
She mentioned that major bridges around Tampa Bay were scheduled to close in the afternoon, with public shelters available for evacuees. Residents shouldn’t feel reassured by suggestions that Milton’s center could make landfall south of Tampa, she noted.
She said, “Everyone in Tampa Bay should assume we will be ground zero.”
The typically bustling interstate heading into downtown Tampa was largely devoid of traffic early Wednesday. Only a handful of cars navigated the side streets. Motorists looking to refuel faced difficulty locating stations that weren’t shut down or boarded up, as many had secured their fuel pumps with plastic wrap to prevent nozzles from being tossed around by hurricane-force winds.
In a Facebook video, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister advised residents of Tampa to complete their preparations: “My message is simple. We’re nearing the eleventh hour. If you need to move someplace safe for any reason, now is the time.”
During a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis detailed the deployment of diverse resources: 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; more than 50,000 utility workers coming even from California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers for restocking supplies so residents could fuel their vehicles before evacuating.
On Wednesday morning, Milton was located approximately 230 miles (365 kilometers) southwest of Tampa. It had maximum sustained winds reaching 155 mph (250 kph), only 2 mph (3 kph) under Category 5 status, according to the hurricane center’s report. The storm was traveling northeast at a speed of 16 mph (26 kph) and was anticipated to maintain this direction while picking up forward momentum through Wednesday night.
In Charlotte Harbor, roughly two blocks away from the shoreline and approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, clouds swirled while winds gusted as Josh Parks loaded his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings on Wednesday morning. Just two weeks prior, Helene’s surge had inundated the neighborhood with about 5 feet of water, leaving streets cluttered with waterlogged furniture, torn-out drywall, and various debris.
Parks, an auto technician, intended to escape to his daughter’s home inland and mentioned that his roommate had already departed.
Milton is aiming at communities in western Florida, still grappling with the aftermath of Helene’s devastating floods two weeks ago. This previous storm left over 230 people dead throughout the South. In numerous coastal areas, municipalities are rushing to clear and dispose of debris before Milton arrives, bringing projected winds and a storm surge that could reach up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters) between Sarasota and Fort Myers; this new threat has raised concerns about further damage if debris isn’t promptly managed.
The center reported that heavy rain started spreading across areas of southern Florida on Wednesday, and conditions are anticipated to worsen as the day progresses. Rainfall amounts between six to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) were expected further inland, with some regions potentially experiencing up to 18 inches (46 centimeters), posing a significant risk of catastrophic flooding.
READ ALSO: Florida Gulf Coast Braces for Impact as ‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Milton Nears
On Wednesday morning, a tornado made landfall in the sparsely populated Everglades region of South Florida. The National Weather Service shared an image on the social platform X showing the funnel cloud crossing a highway. Forecasters had previously warned that tornadoes were likely to occur.
Milton is projected to maintain its hurricane strength while traversing central Florida on Thursday, heading toward the Atlantic Ocean. Although the exact path is still uncertain, as of Wednesday morning, Milton’s center was anticipated to make landfall near Tampa Bay. According to the hurricane center, the most significant storm surge is expected at and south of where it makes landfall.
Sandra Tapfumaneyi, the Chief of Sarasota County Emergency Management, announced that 11 emergency shelters were available in the area and pets were welcome. She emphasized that this event would be an “intense disaster” for the county. Tapfumaneyi strongly advised residents living on boats or in mobile and manufactured homes to evacuate: “We don’t want you staying in those structures. They will not withstand high winds during this storm.”
Tapfumaneyi issued an urgent warning to residents near bodies of water, advising them to evacuate immediately. These areas experienced flooding last year due to Hurricane Debby and in 2022 from Hurricane Ian. She cautioned that the surge would move inland through rivers and creeks “following the path of least resistance.”
Authorities have mandated evacuation orders for 11 counties in Florida, collectively home to approximately 5.9 million people. Officials cautioned that those who choose to remain will be on their own, as first responders are not anticipated to put themselves at risk by conducting rescues during the storm’s peak intensity.
In the bayside town of Punta Gorda, located roughly 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, streets remained cluttered on Tuesday with 5-foot (1.5-meter) heaps of soggy furniture, clothing, books, appliances and other debris removed from homes that had been damaged by Helene less than two weeks earlier.
Numerous homes were left unoccupied, yet the accountant and art collector Scott Joiner stayed on the second floor of his New Orleans-style house, which he constructed 17 years prior. According to Joiner, bull sharks roamed through the inundated streets and a neighbor required rescue by canoe when Helene caused flooding that submerged the first floor of his residence.
“Water is a blessing,” Joiner said, “but it can also be very dangerous.”
Joiner stated that he intended to stay in Milton, despite the risks. However, after experiencing Helene, others weren’t willing to take any chances.
On Anna Maria Island, situated on the southern edge of Tampa Bay, Evan Purcell was preparing to leave on Tuesday by gathering his father’s ashes and attempting to catch McKenzie, his 9-year-old cat. His home had suffered thousands of dollars in damages due to flooding caused by Helene. Now he worried that Milton might cause even more devastation.
“I’m still reeling from the first one, and now round two is approaching,” Purcell remarked. “This time, I have a knot in my stomach.”
