Essential Information on Hurricane Milton: Key Dates, Impacted Regions, and Additional Details
|Authorities have begun calling for evacuations as another hurricane approaches Florida. The governor of the state has also declared a state of emergency for multiple counties.
As southeastern states in the U.S. work to recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, Florida must prepare for yet another significant tropical storm. According to both the National Hurricane Center and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida as early as midweek (the week of October 7).
The risk of Hurricane Milton causing life-threatening storm surges and damaging winds is on the rise, with severe impacts expected along parts of Florida’s west coast. This is likely to commence late on October 8 or early on October 9.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has reported that Florida will experience heavy rainfall on Monday (today), with additional downpours expected on Tuesday (October 8) and into Wednesday evening before Hurricane Milton’s arrival.
“This rainfall will increase the likelihood of significant flash, urban, and area flooding, along with the potential for moderate to severe river flooding,” the NHC added in its hurricane update.
Additionally, regions of northern Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula are bracing for tropical storm and hurricane conditions, with watches currently in effect.
“Milton is forecasted to bring rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches across sections of the northern Yucatan Peninsula,” the NHC stated.
In its report regarding Hurricane Milton, the NHC has also urged residents of Florida to follow any directives from local officials and stay informed on the latest storm updates.
Besides outlining the crucial information about Hurricane Milton, the NHC issued a bulletin on their website.
This notice indicated that as Hurricane Milton continues to gain strength over the Southern Gulf of Mexico, storm surge, hurricane, and tropical storm watches have been announced for various parts of Florida.
Areas along Florida’s Gulf Coast under hurricane watch include Tampa Bay, the Dry Tortugas, and regions from Chokoloskee north to the mouth of the Suwannee River.
A storm surge watch has also been established from Flamingo north to the Suwannee River, as well as Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
Additional locations under tropical storm watch encompass areas west of the Suwannee River to Indian Pass, and from south of Chokoloskee to Flamingo. The lower, middle, and upper regions of the Florida Keys, including Florida Bay, are also included in this watch. Such warnings typically indicate that impactful weather is expected within 48 hours.
In its bulletin, the NHC detailed the potential effects associated with Hurricane Milton.
The anticipated storm surge is expected to elevate water levels by 2 to 4 feet above ground along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Alongside this surge, dangerous and powerful waves are anticipated.
If the peak surge coincides with high tide, areas that are typically dry could face flooding from rising waters, potentially reaching heights of 12 feet. For instance, Tampa Bay may see surges of 8 to 12 feet, Charlotte Harbor may experience 5 to 10 feet, while the region from Anclote River to Englewood could see similar levels of 8 to 12 feet, and Yankeetown to Anclote River may face 5 to 10 feet of surge.
As Hurricane Milton rapidly approaches, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across 51 counties, an increase from the initial 35 counties due to the escalating threats posed by the tropical storm.
A portion of the Executive Order Memorandum from the governor states, “Whereas, an amendment to Executive Order 24-214 is necessary because recovery efforts and those affected by this disaster require the continued support of the State of Florida.”
“[As] the Governor of Florida, it is my duty to address the threats posed to our state and its citizens by this emergency,” the statement goes on.
The counties covered by DeSantis’ state of emergency declaration include Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, and Hillsborough.
Additional counties affected include Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia.
In conjunction with the governor’s executive order, Kevin Guthrie, the director of Florida’s emergency management division, has also urged residents to prepare for a large-scale evacuation.
Guthrie described this as “the largest evacuation we’ve likely seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017.” He emphasized during a recent press conference, “I strongly encourage everyone to evacuate.”
Pinellas County has already begun implementing its evacuation plan. Cathie Perkins, the county’s emergency management director, reported that they have initiated the evacuation of 6,600 patients from six hospitals, 44 assisted living facilities, and 25 nursing homes.
According to Reuters, schools will be closed from today (Monday) through Wednesday (October 9).
Regarding Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch remarked, “We will be rebuilding for years because of Hurricane Helene, and the impact of this storm will only make it worse.”
He added, “Keep in mind that Hurricane Helene was 100 miles (160 km) away from us and moving in a different direction. This is a strong Category 2 or 3 hurricane coming directly at us.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell recently participated in an interview with ABC News to provide updates on recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene.
During this discussion, Hurricane Milton was addressed, and Criswell was asked about the readiness of the emergency management organization and whether she had any advice for residents.
“We are fully prepared. We began planning for this several days ago, even before it developed. We are aware that it is heading straight for Florida. I contacted Governor DeSantis this morning, and I expect to have a call with him shortly after this interview. We will be deploying additional resources to assist,” Criswell stated.
She also pointed out that there are already personnel in Florida who have been aiding in the response and recovery efforts for the severe impacts caused by Hurricane Helene and previous storms.
“We are collaborating with the State EOC to determine their needs so that we can be ready before it makes landfall,” Criswell concluded.