Updated October 09, 2024 at 11:07 AM ET
People in Florida are quickly running out of time to head to higher ground ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall along the state's western coastline, an event now expected as early as Wednesday night.
The situation is especially dire: "Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.
Heavy rain was spreading over southwestern and west-central Florida early Wednesday, bringing some of the hurricane's first direct effects to the U.S. With conditions deteriorating as the day wears on, people in the storm’s path are being urged to finish any preparations -- and evacuate if ordered to do so.
A mass exodus from coastal areas has taken a toll at gas stations, with data showing that, as of 9:36 a.m. ET Wednesday, more than 23% were out of gas, according to Patrick De Haan, the chief analyst at the app Gasbuddy.
TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW! pic.twitter.com/VYhef71ulX
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) October 9, 2024
With the hurricane looming, parts of southern Florida were put under tornado watches and warnings Wednesday morning. A tornado was spotted near the Miccosukee Service Plaza along I-75 — and it then crossed the interstate, according to the National Weather Service office in Miami.
Where is Milton now?
As of 10 a.m. ET, Milton was a high-end Category 4 storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 miles per hour, the NHC said — a slight decrease from the 160 mph speeds seen in the early morning. It was about 210 miles southwest of Tampa and traveling at 16 mph. Multiple safety advisories and evacuation orders are in effect in western Florida. The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm surge could get as high as 15 feet in some places, and rainfall totals could reach 18 inches.
Storm surge warnings are in effect for Florida's west coast from Flamingo northward to Yankeetown, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane warnings also are in effect for the state's east coast from the St. Lucie-Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued states of emergency in 51 out of 67 counties.
"There's going to be impacts far beyond wherever the eye of the storm is," DeSantis said Tuesday. “You should be executing your plan now. If you're going to get out, get out now. You have time today. Time will be running out very shortly if you wait any longer."
Debris from Helene could become ‘projectiles’
Residents and leaders are highlighting concerns about debris from Helene becoming ammunition for Milton’s winds and water.
“We just hadn't even completed our clean up from Helene,” Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert told NPR’s Morning Edition. “One of the really bad things is that people's things are still on the side of the road and, you know, that's disturbing enough to see -- and then now those things are going to become projectiles or battering rams in this surge.”
Noting Milton’s imposing surge levels and strong winds, Alpert added, “This is really scary.”
Conditions were calm in Sarasota early Wednesday morning, the mayor said. But, she added, people are moving out of the way.
“A lot of people have left,” Alpert said. “Especially on our barrier islands… because they will just be entirely under water. It won’t be survivable.”
Thousands have left their homes to seek safety
For days now, officials have been imploring people to take evacuation orders seriously, emphasizing that people who can relocate even a relatively short distance away from flood-prone areas can find more safety and security. As of Wednesday morning, some of those shelters were at capacity.
Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, is urging people in the storm’s path to find a place to stay with family or friends, or in a hotel beyond an evacuation zone.
“Shelters are a last resort and should be used only if you have no other options for evacuation,” the county said.
In Sarasota County, “more than 4,130 people and close to 700 pets” were in evacuation centers as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, member station WUSF reports.
Buses are giving free rides to shelters in Sarasota, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco counties -- but that service stops at noon, due to the approaching storm.
Hoping to blunt the storm’s impact, the Florida Division of Emergency Management says it has distributed 726,200 liters of water; 581,000 MREs; 237,000 sandbags; nearly 33,600 tarp kits.
The storm is big, and is expected to get bigger
Forecasters warn that Milton will get bigger as it approaches Florida — adding emphasis to their frequent advice not to focus on where landfall occurs, as perils from water and wind often occur far from a hurricane’s center.
That’s particularly true with Milton: while its storm surge and rain is predicted to bring extremely high water levels to a broad part of the Gulf Coast, the hurricane’s “wind field is expected to grow considerably in size while it moves across Florida,” the NHC said on Wednesday.
Milton became a hurricane on Sunday after its wind speeds increased over very warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Milton's arrival comes just under two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic levels of storm surge, rain and strong winds to Florida.
Local resources
Member stations across the NPR Network in Florida are covering the local impact of Hurricane Milton.
➡️ Orlando [via Central Florida Public Media]
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