Hurricane Milton remained a strong Category 5 storm in the central Gulf of Mexico late Monday evening. The National Hurricane Center measured its top sustained winds at 165 miles per hour.
The storm intensified in a matter of hours on Monday. It had been upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane late Sunday and by Monday afternoon it had become a strong Category 5 hurricane.
Milton will now present an "extremely serious threat" to Florida over the next days, the NHC said.
10 pm - Category 5 Hurricane #Milton near the northern Yucatan Peninsula. The hurricane poses an extremely serious risk to Florida. Here are the Key Messages. Visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ for details. pic.twitter.com/0rdZ31e8xd
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 8, 2024
Hurricane Milton is now the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since Hurricane Dorian of 2019, and the fifth strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded by the NHC.
The rapidly intensified cyclone is drifting to the east at about 9 miles an hour. As it crosses the Gulf of Mexico, it should remain a Category 4 or 5 hurricane for several days. The National Hurricane Center now forecasts it will turn northeast over Tuesday and Wednesday and be a Category 4 storm just before landfall on the west coast of Florida near Tampa.
Before reaching Florida, Milton is expected to sideswipe Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. A hurricane warning is in place there.
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Starting Monday afternoon, a hurricane warning was in effect for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay. Tropical storm warnings extended further north and south from there on Florida's Gulf coast.
Storm surge warnings were in place for West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay was forecast to receive 10-15 feet of surge.
Where is Hurricane Milton heading?
While a Florida landfall is almost certain, where along the Florida Gulf Coast remains in question. The National Hurricane Center said models are showing some disagreement on Milton's exact path.
"The track guidance is in good agreement that the hurricane will cross the Florida Peninsula, but there remains significant differences in both the location and timing of landfall," the National Hurricane Center said Monday.
How powerful will Milton be?
Hurricane Milton became a Category 5 hurricane on Monday, but forecasters say it might lose some of its strength before reaching the coast. The National Hurricane Center said that wind shear and dry air are expected to cause the storm to weaken slightly from its peak intensity before making landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.
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"While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida," the National Hurricane Center said.
In preparation for the storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended tolls on interstates in affected areas to assist with evacuations.
Some airports and schools in Florida are shutting down ahead of the storm. The Florida Division of Emergency Management said Monday it was working with Uber to give residents free rides to evacuation shelters if they needed them.
President Biden on Monday approved an emergency declaration for Florida, freeing up FEMA resources for emergency activity in the state such as evacuations and rescues.
FEMA administration officials met with the Mayor of Tampa, Florida, Monday to prepare for the storm's arrival. Officials said the agency is staging ambulances and high-water vehicles near Tampa and is preparing supplies of fresh water.
The White House said Monday that FEMA has enough funding to simultaneously respond to the effects of Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, which came ashore in Florida's Big Bend late in September.
Earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters FEMA was already feeling the strain of a busy hurricane season and may not have the funds it needs to keep recovery efforts going through the end of the season.
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