Cat. 5 Hurricane Milton Prompts Evacuations Across Florida’s Gulf Coast

Hurricane Milton/ Florida evacuation/ Tampa Bay storm surge/ Gulf Coast/ hurricane preparedness/ storm intensification/ Newslooks/ FLORIDA/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ As Category 5 Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast, evacuation orders have been issued, and officials are scrambling to clear debris from Hurricane Helene. Expected to make landfall Wednesday near Tampa, Milton could bring record-breaking storm surge and flooding, threatening areas still recovering from Helene’s devastation.

Hurricane Milton Threatens Florida with Category 5 Force: Quick Looks

• Historic Threat: Milton, with 165 mph winds, could make landfall near Tampa, an area unhit by major hurricanes in over a century.
• Dangerous Storm Surge: Forecasts predict up to 12 feet of storm surge in Tampa Bay, higher than recent Hurricane Helene.
• Race to Clear Debris: Florida scrambles to clear leftover debris from Helene to avoid potential airborne hazards.
• Massive Evacuations: Gov. Ron DeSantis orders evacuations as residents fill highways, recalling memories of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
• Rapid Intensification: Milton’s wind speeds spiked by 92 mph in 24 hours due to the Gulf’s unusually warm waters.

Cat. 5 Hurricane Milton Prompts Evacuations Across Florida’s Gulf Coast

Deep Look

Florida’s Gulf Coast faces a potentially devastating impact from Category 5 Hurricane Milton, set to make landfall Wednesday near the densely populated Tampa Bay area. With maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, Milton intensified rapidly over the Gulf of Mexico, bringing dire warnings of record-breaking storm surge, flooding, and airborne debris. As Tampa Bay braces for its first direct hit by a major hurricane in over a century, evacuation orders have been issued across the region.

Threat to Florida’s Gulf Coast Communities

Milton’s path toward the Tampa Bay area places over 3.3 million people at risk, particularly vulnerable to coastal surge and inland flooding. Meteorologists are warning of storm surges as high as 12 feet in Tampa Bay, nearly double the levels recorded during Hurricane Helene two weeks prior. With already saturated soil, the anticipated 5-10 inches of rainfall could result in significant flooding throughout central Florida.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents of the storm’s imminent danger, saying, “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.” The National Hurricane Center (NHC) echoed this urgency, advising residents in low-lying areas and mobile homes to evacuate immediately.

A Race Against Time to Clear Debris

With Milton approaching, officials are focused on removing debris left by Hurricane Helene to prevent potential projectiles. Crews across the region have been working non-stop to clear remnants from Helene, which left streets littered with furniture, tree limbs, and other materials. In Tampa Bay’s Pinellas County, lifeguards and volunteers scrambled to remove any objects that could become airborne hazards in Milton’s high winds.

Local residents are concerned about the hazards posed by uncollected debris. “If this one does hit, it’s going to be flying missiles,” said Belleair Beach resident Sarah Steslicki, echoing sentiments of residents worried about the looming impact.

Evacuations and Emergency Measures

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued evacuation orders for Tampa Bay and surrounding areas, including mobile homes and low-lying areas, encouraging residents to find shelter inland. President Joe Biden has authorized an emergency declaration to mobilize federal resources, with U.S. Representative Kathy Castor noting that this will allow 7,000 federal workers to assist in the region.

Hurricane Milton has rekindled memories of the mass evacuation during 2017’s Hurricane Irma when 7 million Floridians were urged to leave. As highways clogged and gas stations experienced shortages, Florida officials began coordinating fuel deliveries, with hundreds of thousands of gallons en route to ease shortages across evacuation routes.

Personal Accounts from Residents Facing Milton

Many residents find themselves once again preparing for the worst, just days after starting recovery from Hurricane Helene. Candice Briggs, a Seminole resident, was forced to evacuate with her family for the second time in as many weeks, struggling to cope with the exhaustion of back-to-back storms. “Most of the tears I’ve cried have been out of exhaustion or gratitude,” she shared, adding that her home is now especially vulnerable due to storm damage from Helene.

Other residents, like Belleair Beach homeowner Tanya Marunchak, face uncertainty about whether to evacuate. Despite experiencing four feet of flooding from Helene, her husband is reluctant to leave. Marunchak voiced her frustration, saying, “We lost all our cars, all our furniture… This is the oddest weather predicament that there has ever been.”

Milton’s Rapid Intensification and the Gulf’s Warm Waters

Hurricane Milton’s wind speeds surged by 92 mph within 24 hours, a phenomenon that places it among the fastest-intensifying storms on record. Hurricane experts point to Milton’s compact “pinhole eye” and the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as factors contributing to this rapid intensification. Colorado State University researcher Phil Klotzbach noted that Milton could undergo an “eye wall replacement cycle,” potentially broadening the storm but weakening its peak winds slightly before landfall.

Safety Preparations in Florida and Mexico

Local governments in Florida and Mexico are making last-minute preparations as Milton approaches. Pinellas County has converted schools into shelters, while Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Orlando airports are preparing to close. Officials in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula are also evacuating residents, particularly from low-lying Holbox Island, expected to experience significant impacts from Milton’s outer bands.

In Florida, the memory of Florida’s 2004 hurricane season — which saw five storms within six weeks — looms large as residents brace for yet another potentially catastrophic landfall. The 2024 hurricane season has already tested Floridians’ resilience, and Hurricane Milton threatens to stretch resources and recovery efforts even further.

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