Hurricane Milton live: ‘Storm of the century’ nears Florida as Tampa faces ‘impending catastrophe’ from storm surge
Multiple confirmed tornados tore across southern Florida as ‘storm of the century’ nears sunshine state
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Florida residents in the path of Hurricane Milton have received a last-ditch emergency alert to “GET OUT NOW” ahead of the storm making landfall on Wednesday night.
While Milton’s intensity continues to fluctuate, and again weakening to a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center predicts it will be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida”.
The storm continues to grow in size and winds are expected to pick up on Florida’s west coast this afternoon, the NHC warned.
In Pinellas County’s latest emergency alert, officials pleaded with residents to “GET OUT NOW. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM.”
Federal and state officials have urged those in Milton’s path to evacuate to avoid “catastrophic” winds, up to 18in rainfall and up to 15ft of storm surge, before the major hurricane slams into Florida’s west-central coast.
“This is the 11th hour. If you’re in an evacuation zone, the time to get out is now,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chard Chronister told CNN on Wednesday.
Vice President Kamala Harris warned that even the toughest Floridians won’t weather the “historic” hurricane, she said on The Late Show on Tuesday night.
MTG doubles down on weather modification conspiracy theory despite experts rubbishing ‘hurricane control’
Marjorie Taylor Greene has doubled down on her debunked claim that the government can control the weather just as millions of Floridians brace for Hurricane Milton.
The Republican from Georgia claimed last week that “they” can control the weather after Hurricane Helene killed more than two dozen people in her state and more than 230 across the US. While she did not clarify who “they” was at the time, Joe Biden said the idea the federal government controlled the weather was “beyond ridiculous”.
“Yes they can control the weather,” she wrote on X last week. “It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”
Then, on Wednesday, Greene posted a follow-up to her initial claim to clarify: “Everyone keeps asking, ‘who is they?’”
“Well some of them are listed on NOAA, as well as most of the ways weather can be modified...If your home or business or property is damaged or a loved one is killed by their weather modifications shouldn’t you be eligible for compensation?” Greene wrote.
The Independent’s Katie Hawkinson has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-weather-control-hurricane-b2626699.html
Tropical-storm-force winds starting to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast
Winds of tropical storm force from Hurricane Milton, with speeds of between 39-73mphm are beginning to lash Florida’s west coast, officials said Wednesday.
‘We urge you to take this storm seriously,’ Vice President Kamala Harris says in update
Orlando mayor says city is ‘as prepared as we can be'
“We’re as prepared as we can be,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told Fox Weather on Wednesday afternoon.
Dyer asked residents to take Hurricane Milton seriously.
Orlando residents are not necessarily being asked to evacuate unless they are in flood-prone areas, he said.
Milton moving toward Tampa Bay with maximum sustained winds of 130mph
Florida power outages leap up above 65K
There were more than 65,000 customers without power in Florida on Wednesday afternoon, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.
Watch: Penguins moved to safety at Florida Aquarium as Hurricane Milton nears
The Florida Aquarium has moved its penguins to higher ground ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall on Wednesday evening.
“Several other animals were moved today, including a smack of moon jellies, six snakes, three lizards, 3 turtles, two alligators, 2 toads and a hermit crab,” it said in a statement.
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