Millions evacuate as Milton nears Florida
Hurricane Milton churned towards a potentially catastrophic collision along the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate and officials warned that stragglers would face grim odds of surviving.
The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century, The Associated Press reported.
The National Hurricane Center predicted Milton, a monstrous Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach, would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late today.
Milton was centred early today about 360 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Click here for a video of Milton from the international Space Station.
Forecasters predicted the storm will retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday on a path east toward the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane’s precise track remained uncertain, as forecasters Tuesday evening nudged its projected path slightly south of Tampa.
A “1-in-100 year event” could result in $175 billion in losses for a landfall in the Tampa region, and$70 billion in the Fort Myers region, Jefferies analysts warned.
Thousands of fleeing cars clogged Florida’s highways ahead of the storm, but time for evacuations was running out Wednesday. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor noted that up to 15 feet of storm surge forecast for her city would be deep enough to swallow an entire house.
“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in,” Castor said.
Milton targets communities still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida along its devasting march that left at least 230 dead across the South.
In the bayside town of Punta Gorda, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, streets were still filled Tuesday with 5-foot (1.5-meter) piles of soggy furniture, clothing, books, appliances and other trash dragged from damaged homes.
Many homes sat vacant, but accountant and art collector Scott Joiner remained on the second floor of the New Orleans-style home he built 17 years ago. Joiner said bull sharks swam in the flooded streets and a neighbour had to be rescued by canoe when Helene passed and flooded the first floor of his home.
“Water is a blessing to have,” Joiner said, “but it is very deadly.”
Joiner said he planned to go another round and ride out Milton, despite the risk.
Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 11 Florida counties with a combined population of about 5.9 million people, according to US Census Bureau estimates.
Officials have warned that anyone staying behind must fend for themselves, as first responders are not expected to risk their lives attempting rescues at the height of the storm.
State and local governments scrambled ahead of the storm to remove piles of debris left in Helene’s wake, fearing that the oncoming hurricane would turn loose wreckage into flying missiles. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state deployed over 300 dump trucks that had removed 1,300 loads of debris.
In Mexico, authorities in the state of Yucatan reported minor damage from Milton as it passed just offshore. Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, Yucatan Gov. Joaquín Díaz said. He did not report any deaths or injuries.
Aon reported that Milton's wind field is expected to expand as it approaches Florida. In fact, the official forecast shows the hurricane and tropical-storm-force winds roughly doubling in size by the time it makes landfall.
In addition, the stronger-than-normal winds could occur on the northwest/back side of the storm since Milton will be interacting with a frontal boundary and beginning extratropical transition. Damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge, and heavy rainfall will extend well outside the forecast cone.
After passing over Florida, Milton is expected to move in the direction of Bermuda, with current forecasts having it pass to the south of the island on Saturday. Current forecasts from the Bermuda Weather Service predict the island will be hit by 35mph winds on Saturday night and on Sunday.
Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.
