Hurricane Milton ‘explodes’ into Category 5 storm as Florida braces for ‘life-threatening’ 180-mph winds: Live
Hurricane Helene weakens to Category 4 but can regain strength
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A Florida mayor issued a stark warning that residents will die if they don’t evacuate as Hurricane Milton intensified to a Category 5 on Monday evening.
The potential “once in a lifetime” storm is bearing down on the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to remain “extremely dangerous” as it makes landfall in Florida by Wednesday, hitting the densely populated Tampa Bay area first.
With air pressure in the storm’s eye dropping to a near-record low 897 millibars and winds reaching 160mph, Milton is now the fifth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record.
“If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die,” Tampa mayor Jane Castor said on CNN. Hurricane Helene was a “wake-up call,” but Milton could be “literally catastrophic,” she said.
Pinellas County sheriff Bob Gualtieri warned locals to prepare for the largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma, saying, “This is going to be bad. Everyone just needs to get out.”
Milton is racing towards areas already devastated by Hurricane Helene.
“There are some areas with a lot of debris... if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage,” Florida governor Ron DeSantis warned.
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President Biden said he approved an emergency declaration from Florida on Monday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: Nearly 9K cubic yards of debris removed from barrier islands before Milton
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday that officials and vendors must continue to clear debris from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton makes landfall as soon as Wednesday night.
Thus far, he said, nearly 9,000 cubic yards have been removed from the barrier island of Pinellas County. The work would continue as long as it was safe to do so and local landfill and dump sites are required to remain open 24 hours a day to dispose of the debris.
“The state of Florida has marshaled unprecedented resources to help with debris removal. The Division of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, and the Florida Highway Patrol have been activated and deployed to aid in this mission,” DeSantis said.
Joe and Jill Biden give joint address to Helene survivors: ‘Your nation has your back’
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden gave a joint address on Good Morning America pledging their support to those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“To the people of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,” Joe Biden says, before the first lady continues: “and Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama. Your nation has your back.”
Biden adds: “Moments like this, there are no red or blue states.”
“No matter how you vote, we help each other when disaster strikes. Because we are one United States of America,” Jill continues.
The president said that Federal Emergency Management Agency staff are knocking on doors of those impacted and offering financial aid.
“FEMA is knocking on doors, to sign up survivors in direct need of financial aid as many of them need it now. “I’ve directed my team to stay there 24/7 with you until this job is done.”
“There’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together, and we’re going to do it together. God bless you all,” Biden signed off.
Milton intensifies into a Category 5 hurricane
Milton has intensified into a powerful, Category 5 hurricane.
Biden declares state of emergency as Hurricane Milton races toward Florida
President Joe Biden has declared a state-wide emergency across Florida as Hurricane Milton charges towards Tampa Bay, with it expected to make landfall on Wednesday night.
The president has ordered federal assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support state, tribal and local response efforts, according to a White House statement issued on Monday.
They will attempt to alleviate “the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” the statement read.
FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer John Brogan has been appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Milton expect to grow in size with winds to slow as it makes landfall
Milton is expected to grow in size as it makes landfall, despite winds predicted to slow, the National Hurricane Center Director Dr Michael Brennan said in a live update on Monday morning.
Hurricane Milton, which is currently situated in the Southern Gulf of Mexico, has sustained wind speeds of 155mph, with it expected to become a Category 5 hurricane.
“While we could see the peak winds come down a little bit, the storm is expected to grow in size as it nears landfall along the Florida west coast on Wednesday,” Dr Brennan said.
“It now extends inland places like Ocala, Orlando, the west of Lake Okeechobee, Pole County, Lakeland to the Cedar Key area.
“Everyone in this area is at risk of seeing damaging hurricane-force winds during Wednesday, into Wednesday night.”
Hurricane watches are expected to extend to the east coast of Florida later today, according to Dr Brennan.
Milton forecast to become Category 5 hurricane
Milton is expected become a Category 5 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm currently has sustained wind speeds of 155mph, just 2mph slower than what the Saffir-Simpson scale defines as Category 5.
Hurricane Milton is currently 720 miles away from Tampa, where it’s expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening. Evacuation orders have been dispatched across Florida’s west coast.
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