Hurricane Milton is fast approaching Florida’s west coast. It is anticipated to make landfall late Wednesday night as a Category 4 hurricane.
As Floridians are still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Milton approaches. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of more than a dozen Florida counties, including Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, St. Johns, and Volusia.
Nationwide, over 1,700 flights have been cancelled as Hurricane Milton advances towards Florida.
Several airports, including St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Orlando Sanford International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, are shutting down due to the storm.
The Florida Division of Emergency Services has collaborated with Uber to offer free transportation to and from shelters for evacuating residents in anticipation of Milton.
President Joe Biden has communicated with local authorities from Clearwater and Pinellas County, Florida, discussing “ongoing preparations for Hurricane Milton,” according to the White House.
Milton is predicted to reach the coast near Sarasota, just south of Tampa, on Wednesday night as a low-end Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 140 mph.
Wind gusts exceeding 100 mph are expected in the Tampa area during the hurricane’s arrival.
A perilous, unprecedented storm surge reaching up to 12 feet is forecasted for Tampa Bay and Fort Myers, with the potential for a life-threatening 15-foot surge near Sarasota.
Intense rainfall, possibly amounting to 18 inches, is likely to cause significant flooding in parts of central Florida.
In anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, Sarasota County in southwest Florida has broadened its evacuation orders early Wednesday, now including areas designated as “Level C.” Levels A and B were already under evacuation orders.
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