Embattled Florida residents, who are still reeling from two deadly storms in quick succession, have been warned to brace for yet another hurricane—with evacuation orders already underway.
Hurricane Milton, which is due to make landfall midweek, is shaping up to be “a historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians,” according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
The ensuing evacuation could be the largest seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017, experts say, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the leftover destruction from Hurricane Helene could pose additional dangers in the face of a new storm. “There are some areas with a lot of debris… if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage,” he said.
The U.S. has been ravaged by a series of fierce storms in recent weeks, but the misery is far from over as there are still almost two months left of the official hurricane season, which runs from June 1 until November 30. Back in May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted an “above-normal” Atlantic hurricane season for 2024, due to the La Nina weather pattern and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures.
David Hester surveys the ruins of his home after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024. The state is now bracing for Hurricane Milton, which is due to hit this week.
CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
The forecasters were proved correct when Hurricane Beryl hit Texas on July 8—the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, although it had weakened before hitting the U.S.—followed by Hurricane Debby, which claimed a number of lives in Florida. Category 4 storm Hurricane Helene then hit Florida on September 26, before wreaking devastation across a swathe of states, killing at least 225 victims in the fierce winds and catastrophic floods.
Now, Floridians are being warned to expect worse from Milton. A storm tracker released by the National Hurricane Center can be viewed below:
This graphic shows the path that Hurricane Milton is likely to take as it heads toward Florida.
National Hurricane Center
Milton is likely to become a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane, meaning winds of at least 111 mph and potentially reaching up to 156 mph when it hits west-central Florida Peninsula this week.
Porter, the AccuWeather meteorologist, said: “This is an unusual and extremely concerning forecast track for a hurricane approaching the Tampa Bay area… Milton has the potential to become one of Florida’s most damaging and costly hurricanes, bringing a variety of life-threatening dangers.
“This includes an extreme storm surge of 10 to 15 feet along and near the coast, including in the Tampa Bay area, destructive winds and major flooding to one of the most densely populated areas of Florida, the I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando.”
Protective sand dunes washed away by Hurricane Helene mean that some areas will be more vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Porter added that, “should an intense Milton track just north of Tampa, surges of up to 20 feet can occur in parts of Tampa Bay. This would result in widespread, catastrophic damage not seen in this part of Tampa Bay in modern history.”
Evacuation orders have already been issued for some barrier islands on the west coast, although many more are set to be issued as the storm barrels toward the state.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie said on Sunday: “I urge Floridians to finalize your storm preparations now; enact your plan. I highly encourage you to evacuate. We are preparing, and I have the State Emergency Response Team preparing, for the largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma.”
Floridians should check their local weather forecasts for the most-up-to-date reports, monitor local safety alerts, and check whether their homes fall within an evacuation zone on the FloridaDisaster.org website.
