Hurricane Milton – live: Florida warned ‘once in a lifetime’ storm on its way amid Helene cleanup
Floridians asked to brace for what could be the largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017
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Florida is preparing for what could be another “once in a lifetime storm” heading for its coast this week, even as the cleanup from Hurricane Helene is still underway.
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to hit the heavily populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday, likely as a major hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.
Floridians were asked to brace for what could be the largest evacuation since 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
“I highly encourage you to evacuate,” Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, said.
Milton is tracking towards areas already devastated by Hurricane Helene, which struck northern Florida on 26 September.
On Sunday evening, Milton was about 780 miles from Tampa with sustained winds of 85mph.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm surge and power outages could exceed those caused by Helene, especially given the leftover debris.
“There are some areas with a lot of debris... if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage,” Ron DeSantis said.
Florida to be hit with tropical storm-force winds as early as Tuesday
‘Everyone just needs to get out’: Pinellas County Sheriff issues warning to residents
The Pinellas County Sheriff issued an urgent warning for residents to “get out” as the region continues its recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.
The National Hurricane Center predicts that Milton will become “an intense hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards” and will likely make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast by midweek, as the storm charts its eastwards as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the NHC’s latest update.
It comes less than two weeks after Helene made landfall at Florida’s Big bend as a devastating Category 4 hurricane on September 26, taking more than 220 lives as it carved its path north through the southeast.
Now, Pinellas County Sheriff has issued a warning ahead of Milton’s prospective landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday.
“This is going to be bad. That’s all you need to know,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during an emergency press conference on Sunday afternoon. “Everyone just needs to get out.”
He continued: “In the past, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued and bars stay open. Restaurants stay open. And people just go about their business in stores. That’s not going to happen this time. We’re going to shut you down because we can’t have the tragedy that we had a week and a half ago.”
Milton likely to become major hurricane later today as it moves ‘erratically’ eastwards
Photos: As Hurricane Milton arrives, Florida is still in shambles
Florida to get up to 15 inches of rainfall
Heavy rainfall will likely impact Florida even before Milton makes landfall on Wednesday.
According to the National Hurricane Centre, the Florida Keys and portions of the state’s peninsula can experience 5 to 8 inches of rainfall with localised totals up to 15 inches as the storm inches closer.
'Debris could turn into missiles' as Hurricane Milton targets area still reeling from Helene
Hurricane Milton's threat to Florida is intensified by the fact that the state is still recovering from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene just days ago.
Experts warn that Milton, expected to make landfall mid-week, could amplify damage in areas already struggling with debris, weakened infrastructure, and overextended resources.
"There are some areas with a lot of debris that is there, so if you get hit with a major hurricane, what's going to happen to that debris? It's going to increase the damage dramatically," governor Ron DeSantis said.
AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that debris from Helene could "turn into airborne missiles or be swept away in flooding and storm surge."
Milton's storm surge could surpass what many experienced during Helene, meteorologists warned, urging residents to heed evacuation orders.
"Rescues will be incredibly dangerous, if not impossible during this storm," Mr DaSilva said.
Hurricane Milton could become 'once-in-a-lifetime' storm, experts warn
Hurricane Milton could become a "historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians", according to AccuWeather.
As Milton barrels towards Florida's Gulf Coast, it could bring some of the most catastrophic impacts seen in modern history, particularly in the densely populated Tampa Bay area, the private forecaster has said.
"Milton has the potential to become one of Florida’s most damaging and costly hurricanes," AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said, with life-threatening dangers including an extreme storm surge of 10-15 feet and destructive winds.
AccuWeather experts have rated Milton a 4 out of 5 on their RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes.
The storm's path remains uncertain, but slight variations could drastically change its impact, meteorologists said.
If Milton tracks further south, areas already devastated by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, such as Fort Myers and Naples, could face even more destruction.
A more northern path, however, could result in storm surges as high as 20 feet in parts of Tampa Bay.
AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that debris left from Hurricane Helene could become deadly during Milton’s landfall, urging residents to heed evacuation orders.
Florida prepares for largest evacuation since 2017
Florida is bracing for its largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017 as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the state’s western coast.
Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida's emergency management division, asked people to prepare for the "largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma".
"I highly encourage you to evacuate," he said at a press conference.
Officials are warning that more than 500,000 residents of Pinellas County, including St Petersburg, may be ordered to evacuate starting Monday as the storm intensifies.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told a press conference that these could be mandatory evacuation orders as too many people ignored the orders for Helene, resulting in 12 deaths in the county and 1,500 emergency calls that were unable to be answered.
Evacuations of hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities have already begun, affecting over 6,600 patients, while schools are set to close early this week.
Hurricane Milton, projected to make landfall near the densely populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday, could bring devastating storm surges and widespread destruction to regions still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
Milton intensifies into a hurricane
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.
Milton's sustained winds reached 85 mph (140 kmph), and it was located approximately 780 miles (1,255 km) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving eastwards at 7 mph (11 kmph).
Forecasters warned that the storm could continue to intensify over the next few days, potentially reaching major hurricane status before making landfall along Florida's western coast by mid-week.
Welcome to The Independent’s live blog tracking the intensifying Hurricane Milton. Stay tuned for the latest updates!
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