Here’s what to know:
- Landfall: Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, which have winds of 111-129 mph (180-210 kph).
- Path: Milton could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That track would largely spare other states ravaged by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas.
- Evacuations: Officials are warning residents not to bank on the storm weakening. Florida’s Division of Emergency Management offers this list of which counties under evacuation orders.
8:25 AM GMT-5preparationFEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency is moving staff and supplies into place in advance of MiltonBy REBECCA SANTANAShare
And Criswell pleaded with residents to listen to their local officials for guidance on what to do as the storm bears down.
“This is an extremely dangerous hurricane,” Criswell said Tuesday morning. “I need people to listen to their local officials to get out of harm’s way… People don’t need to move far. They just need to move inland.”5:13 PM GMT-5preparationHurricane preparation for home ownersBy PHIL HOLMSharehttps://interactives.ap.org/graphics-2024/preparing-for-a-hurricane/5:01 PM GMT-5preparationFirst alerts sent to Florida residents notifying them of hurricane and storm surge warningsBy CHRISTOPHER L. KELLERShare
The first alerts notifying residents of Pinellas, Manatee, Pasco, Charlotte, Citrus and Hillsborough counties in Florida of a hurricane warning and storm surge warning went out via email, text message and phone call beginning at about 5:10 p.m. EDT, according to messages received by The Associated Press.
The hurricane warning said the impacts of Milton could be “devastating to catastrophic.”
The alerts warned that sturdy buildings could suffer complete roof and wall failures, and that damage could make some areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months.”