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.
“You need to prepare for catastrophic impacts,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, speaking to anyone in Milton’s path. “This is going to be a serious storm, one that could forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene.”
Urging people to seek safety, she added, “We do not need to lo lose any lives as a result of this storm.”
President Biden and Vice President Harris addressed the storm on Wednesday afternoon, urging residents to get to safety.
"We’ve been working around the clock to prepare for Hurricane Milton,” Harris said. She addressed those in the path of the hurricane. saying it would be different than others residents might have experienced. “We urge you to take this storm seriously. This is a storm that is expected to be of historical proportions.“
President Biden talked of a campaign of disinformation about a number of issues related to the storm and its aftermath. “Former President Trump has led the onslaught of lies. … It’s got to stop," he said.
Harris added that: "Anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable.”
TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW! pic.twitter.com/VYhef71ulX
— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) October 9, 2024
Parts of south Florida were also 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.
Heavy rain spread 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 were 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 the GasBuddy platform reporting more than 23% stations were out of gas in Florida as of 9:36 a.m. ET Wednesday.
Where is Milton now?
As of 12 p.m. ET, Milton was a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 145 miles per hour, the NHC said — a decrease from the 160 mph speeds seen in the early morning. It was about 150 miles west-southwest of Fort Myers and traveling at 17 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.
“If you are in those storm surge evacuation zones in that region, please escape now, while you still can,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in an update at 11 a.m. ET.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued states of emergency in 51 out of 67 counties.
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.”
The mayor said people were moving out of the way of the storm.
“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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