Observer Time: October 07, 2024
The intensity of Hurricane Milton in Tampa is on full alert due to the system’s development into a Category 4 storm with 150-mph winds, potentially fatal storm surge, and heavy winds that could result in flooding rain.
According to the NHC, winds within Milton could reach 155 mph at the maximum sustained level, only 2 months away from being declared as Category 5 strength.
While the potentially fatal storm continues its journey towards Florida, millions in the region are preparing for potentially life-threatening consequences such as severe storm surges, destructive winds, and flooding rain.
Florida’s Gulf Coast has been the site of hurricane watches, tropical storm warnings, and storm surge watches that are likely to be strengthened as the storm moves towards the Sunshine State.
So today here at Observer Time we will discuss and observe the news of Hurricane Milton.
HURRICANE MILTON SURGES TO CATEGORY 4
As preparations are made for the storm, officials have advised residents to evacuate their homes and move forward, while thousands more are fleeing the coast.
Hurricane watches were issued along Florida’s Gulf Coast from Cedar Key south to Naples, including Tampa and Fort Myers.
Storm watches were also issued for the Florida Keys, including Gulf Coast communities from Flamingo south of Chokoloskee and the Suwanee River north to Indian Pass.
A hurricane watch has also been issued along the Florida coast, from Flamingo north to the Suwanee River, including Port Charlotte and Tampa Bay.
The storm surge warning for Tampa Bay is between 8 and 12 feet if the tide is at low tide. That’s significantly higher than during Helen when Tampa Bay saw a storm surge of 7-8 feet.
The NHC warned: “Deepwater will appear along the coast and south of the country, and the heat will be severe.”
Florida officials urge residents to evacuate ahead of Milton.
Florida state officials are urging residents to prepare for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall in the western part of the state this week.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials held a news conference Tuesday, saying evacuations and time to prepare for the storm’s worst effects are possible.
Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said, “I urge Floridians to complete their hurricane preparations now; implement their plan.”
I highly encourage you to go. “We’re preparing and preparing the state’s emergency response team for what could be the largest evacuation we’ve seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017.”
If Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, it will be the third time it has done so this season, following Debbie in August and Helen in September. Ron DeSantis declares a State of Emergency ahead of Milton.
Florida Gov. On Saturday, Ron DeSantis declared a State of Emergency for numerous counties, but as Hurricane Milton approached hazardous conditions, he modified the emergency order to cover 51 out of 67 counties in the state.
State officials are now able to function without bureaucratic obstacles, which DeSantis stated on Sunday, and provide essential resources to communities before any potential storms could strike.
While the residents are getting ready for some of the potentially deadly impacts of Hurricane Milton, they are also preparing for the worst with their hopes and prayers.
To assist with debris removal and logistical support for local entities, DeSantis reported that the Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard members, and the FLHP have deployed their personnel and sent in additional FDOT personnel.
DeSantis reported that more than 800 guardsmen are currently deployed to remove debris following Hurricane Helene and that up to 4,000 will soon be available for the precise task of managing time to clear debris.
How to Prepare for Evacuation?
In a crisis, your anxiety levels are already high. Now add the order to leave the house and run to safety and end the stress out of the plans.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for evacuation. As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, officials have ordered evacuations and school closures to give people time to prepare and evacuate coastal and other low-lying areas.
DeSantis and Guthrie encourage people to learn if they are in an evacuation zone and be prepared to act. “Know your evacuation zone,” warns DeSantis. Dedication activities occur in many communities throughout the state of Florida.
If you’re on the west coast of Florida and the barrier islands, just think you’ll be told to leave.
Some evacuations have been issued for parts of Pinellas and Manatee counties, and more are expected.
Additionally, local schools, including in Southwest and Central Florida, have decided to close this week due to the storm forecast.
What’s the latest on Hurricane Milton?
Hurricane Milton is located more than 700 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and has sustained winds of 125 mph, due to Hurricane Wind. Scale section 3.
Milton is moving east-southwest at 8 mph.
What is the forecast for Hurricane Milton?
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Milton is moving east-southeast, and that general motion is expected to continue through Monday evening. After that, the NHC said Hurricane Milton should turn east and then northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday.
According to this forecast track, Hurricane Milton will move near or north of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday, then cross the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approach off the west coast of the Florida peninsula on Wednesday.
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