Hurricane Milton live updates: Thousands evacuate as Florida braces for monster Category 5 storm
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and state officials pleaded with residents to evacuate ahead of Wednesday’s projected landfall
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Milton restrengthened into a Category 5 hurricane late Tuesday afternoon as it moved toward western Florida.
As of Tuesday evening, the massive storm was sustaining winds near 165 mph with higher gusts. The National Hurricane Center anticipates Milton to be “a dangerous major hurricane” when it’s expected to make landfall on Wednesday night on the west coast of Florida.
Governor Ron DeSantis warned Floridians that “time is running out” for them to evacuate.
“You may have a window where it may be safe, but you may not,” he said. “So, use today as your day to finalize and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family.”
His warning comes after Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN on Monday that residents will die if they don’t evacuate as Milton races towards the state’s west coast.
Hurricane Helene, which recently devastated parts of the state, was a “wake-up call,” she said. Milton could be “literally catastrophic,” Castor added.
Milton will bring “life-threatening storm surge and winds” to parts of the Florida Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center predicted on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration on Monday after pledging “life-saving resources in advance of the storm,” the day prior.
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NASA’s Kennedy Space Center limits personnel ahead of hurricane
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County, Florida is now restricted to essential personnel only as it prepares for Milton’s landfall on Wednesday evening.
“The Ride Out Team, comprising of emergency response representatives from across the center, will report Wednesday ahead of the heaviest impacts to the area and safely shelter in the spaceport’s Launch Control Center for the remainder of the storm,” the center said in an announcement on Tuesday.
Once the hurricane has passed and winds have subsided, the infrastructure “will be assessed before employees are cleared to return to work.”
The latest update on Milton shows hurricane could bring ‘life-threatening storm surge and wins’
Last-minute evacuees jam Alligator Alley
Alligator Alley, a portion of the southwestern Interstate 75, is backed up as residents race to evacuate the areas.
Space station captures Milton’s eye as it flies more than 250 miles above Earth
How the Tampa zoo is protecting 1,000 animals from Hurricane Milton
Workers are racing to protect more than 1,000 animals that live in Tampa’s zoo as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida’s western coast.
ZooTampa said it would be closed through Thursday, as zookeepers began to move animals to safety.
“The zoo has a comprehensive severe weather plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members and will take all precautions as conditions warrant,” it said in a social media post on Monday.
The Independent’s Julia Musto has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-milton-prep-tampa-zoo-animals-b2625976.html
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