On Monday (October 7), Hurricane Milton strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico. Currently, a Category 5 natural disaster is heading for Florida.
Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, ordered the evacuation of the area near Tampa Bay and all cars and houses produced by Tuesday night. According to the Associated Press, Hurricane Milton could cause dangerous storm surges in Tampa Bay. Besides that, it is setting the stage for a potential mass evacuation less than two weeks after catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline.
RELATED: Pray up! Hurricane Helene Reportedly Claims More Than 130 Lives As Cities Struggle With Aftermath (PHOTOS)
What to Know About Hurricane Milton
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has provided more insight into the hurricane’s progress. According to the NHC, Milton intensified on Monday and had maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. As of midday Monday, the storm’s center was about 130 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 720 miles southwest of Tampa. At that time it was moving east-southeast at 9 mph.
The center could arrive as early as Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area. Forecasters warned of possible storm surges of 8 to 12 feet in Tampa Bay. Flash and river flooding could result from five to 10 inches of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches in places.
Additionally, Hurricane Milton could remain a hurricane as it moves through central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. If you take that path, it will generally spare other countries hit hard by Helene. So far, the storm has killed at least 230 people on its way from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains.
Here’s How Florida Prepares
As mentioned, the Tampa Bay area is still recovering from Helene and growing strongly. Twelve people were killed, with the worst damage along the string of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that it is important that the state clear the chaos of Helene ahead of the arrival of Milton so that they do not become projectiles. More than 300 vehicles picked up debris Sunday but encountered a locked landfill gate when they tried to drop it off. State troopers used a rope tied to a pickup truck and opened it. “We don’t have time for bureaucracy and red tape,” DeSantis said.
Meanwhile, schools, including the University of Central Florida in Orlando, announced they would be closed midweek. Walt Disney World said it was monitoring the hurricane but that operations are now normal.
All highway tolls are suspended in west central Florida. St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it would close after the last flight Tuesday, and Tampa International Airport said it would suspend airline and cargo flights beginning Tuesday morning.
Officials in Tampa are freeing up all city garages for residents hoping to protect their cars from flooding, including electric vehicles. Vehicles must be left on the third floor or higher in each garage.
More details on Hurricane Milton Evacuations
About 7 million people were advised to evacuate Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma made landfall. Instead, the result was gridlocked highways, long gas station lines, and vows from Florida residents not to obey evacuation orders in the future.
Building on lessons learned during Irma and previous storms, Florida set up emergency fueling for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Kevin Guthrie said the state has learned from past storms. Currently, they are setting up emergency fuel stations and charging stations for cars on the evacuation route. “We are preparing … for the largest evacuation we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” said Guthrie.
Tampa Bay Sheriff Chad Chronister agreed that the evacuation “stank” but assured residents that keeping their families safe will keep them alive. Meanwhile, Hillsborough Fire Rescue Chief Jason Dougherty highlighted that at-risk residents are making emergency responders when not evacuating. “If you stay there, you may die, and my men and women may die trying to rescue you. Help them by leaving,” Chief Dougherty said.
DeSantis expanded the emergency declaration on Sunday to 51 counties and said Floridians should prepare for power outages and other disruptions from Hurricane Milton. He also said he had a week’s worth of food and water and was ready to hit the road.
Florida’s Recent History With Hurricanes
It has been twenty years since so many storms crossed Florida in such a short period of time. In 2004, an unprecedented five hurricanes hit Florida in six weeks, including three hurricanes that hit central Florida.
Although Tampa has not been directly hit by a hurricane in more than a century, other parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast have recovered from such storms in the past two years. The Fort Myers area in southwest Florida is still rebuilding from Hurricane Ian, which caused $112 billion in damage by 2022. Three hurricanes have hit the Big Bend area of Florida in the past 13 months, including Helene.
RELATED: Couple Who Killed Downed Tree During Hurricane Helene Found Hugging At Home
Associated Press reporters Mike Schneider, Haven Daley, Jeff Martin, and Freida Frisaro contributed to this report.
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