Hurricane Milton dropped to a Category 4 early Wednesday as it churns toward Florida鈥檚 west coast. The National Hurricane Center had predicted it would likely weaken, but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.
The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.
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Here鈥檚 the latest:
In Lee County, the public safety director says the time to evacuate has passed
In Lee County, which includes Fort Myers about 95 miles (153 kilometers) southeast of Tampa, Public Safety Director Ben Abes said Wednesday that the county鈥檚 law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will not respond to calls beginning later Wednesday when the weather worsens.
鈥淥ur area hospitals may also lock down, which would prevent access for 鈥� ambulances,鈥� Abes said.
Abes said tropical storm force winds were coming ashore and the time to evacuate has passed.
鈥淚t is not safe to be out and it is not safe to return to your home if you have evacuated,鈥� Abes said. 鈥淭he time to shelter in place is now.鈥�
Abes said the county鈥檚 13 shelters are housing more than 6,700 people.
St. Petersburg mayor says to prepare for a long recovery after Milton hits
St. Petersburg officials warned residents Wednesday afternoon that regardless of where the storm hits, the city should prepare for extended power outages and the possible shutdown of its sewerage system.
Mayor Ken Welch said residents should brace for a long recovery.
鈥淭his is the reality of a direct hit from a powerful hurricane in our area. This is not a storm that we will recover from quickly. We have a long road ahead of us, but we will recover and we will rebuild,鈥� Welch said. 鈥淏ut for the next several hours, our focus is to keep everyone safe, and we can do that.鈥�
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lashed out at people who spread false information online
At a Wednesday briefing, DeSantis responded to a question about social media messages falsely suggesting federal emergency officials aren鈥檛 going to let residents back into their homes after Hurricane Milton strikes.
鈥淲e live in an era where if you put out crap online, you can get a lot of people to share it and you can monetize that. That鈥檚 just the way it is,鈥� DeSantis said.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e hearing things 鈥� something that鈥檚 just outrageous 鈥� just know, in the state of Florida none of that stuff would ever fly,鈥� he said. 鈥淔EMA is not leading this show, we are leading this show here in the state of Florida. We鈥檙e marshaling whatever assets are available to us, we鈥檙e leveraging that.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 not going to be anything where FEMA is ever going to be able to keep you from your home,鈥� he said.
鈥淏e careful about the nonsense that gets circulated, and just know that the more titillating it is, the more likely somebody is making money off it,鈥� he added. 鈥淎nd they don鈥檛 really give a damn about the well-being and safety of the people that are actually in the eye of this storm, it鈥檚 all just trying to monetize what they鈥檙e doing.鈥�
At a shelter in St. Petersburg: 鈥楽leeping on the floor, that鈥檚 the hardest part for me鈥�
Trokon Nagbe and his husband Morris Kulp evacuated their one-story home in St. Petersburg to stay at the storm shelter at Gibbs High School, where as of Wednesday morning some 1,700 people were hunkering down.
The couple didn鈥檛 have damage from Hurricane Helene, but heard Hurricane Milton will be much worse and didn鈥檛 want to chance it. They wished they knew to bring their own cots though 鈥� the couple said evacuees are sleeping on the floor of the school鈥檚 classrooms.
鈥淪leeping on the floor, that鈥檚 the hardest part for me,鈥� Nagbe said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the Hilton or the Marriott,鈥� his husband Morris Kulp added, 鈥渂ut it sure is appreciated.鈥�
Pasco County officials say 鈥榯his is your last chance if you need to get to a shelter鈥�
Shortly before noon Wednesday, officials in Pasco County, home to more than 500,000 people in bedroom communities for Tampa and St. Petersburg, said they were getting ready to take buses off the roads.
鈥淭his is your last chance if you need to get to a shelter,鈥� the Pasco County Public Information Office said in a written statement. 鈥淎fter that, you鈥檒l need to find a way to the shelter or be prepared to ride out the storm.鈥�
The county has six shelters open for anyone in mandatory evacuation zones.
At Legoland home in Florida, officials urge people: 鈥楪o now, don鈥檛 wait鈥�
Forecasted tornadoes and up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain 鈥� along with possible hurricane-force wind 鈥� prompted officials in the storm鈥檚 path in central Florida to urge people to reach their safe places immediately.
鈥淕o now. Don鈥檛 wait. The time to be able to move around safely and make those last minute preparations is rapidly closing,鈥� Polk County Emergency Management Director Paul Womble urged residents in a public briefing Wednesday morning.
Inland from the Tampa area and south of Orlando, Polk County is home to the Legoland Florida Resort theme park, which was closed ahead of the storm.
The weather will get bad after dark and flooding may even worsen over the next couple days as rainwater finds its way to the ocean, Womble warned.
鈥淥nce you鈥檙e hunkered down, just stay put. There鈥檚 no reason at that point to go out there. There will be trees down, there will be power lines down, it will be dangerous to move around,鈥� Womble said.
Nearly 3,000 people already were in the county鈥檚 19 shelters and there was still plenty of space for more, he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris warns against jacking up prices on people dealing with back-to-back hurricanes
鈥淭hose evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud 鈥� at the pump, airport, or hotel counter,鈥� she said in a statement Wednesday.
Harris said the federal government is tracking allegations and 鈥渨ill hold those taking advantage of the situation accountable.鈥�
President Joe Biden made a similar demand Tuesday.
鈥淚鈥檓 calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations and not to engage in price gouging, to just do it on the level,鈥� he said at the White House.
Famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay closes as Milton approaches
The Florida Highway Patrol said in an email Wednesday that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay is now closed to traffic as Hurricane Milton approaches.
Officials had earlier said major bridges around Tampa Bay planned to close in the afternoon.
The Skyway links Pinellas and Manatee counties and carries Interstate 275. It鈥檚 often closed when winds from any source reach a certain threshold.
One Florida man hunkers down to test house built to withstand hurricanes
Christian Burke and his mother Patty are hunkering down in their three-story, poured concrete home overlooking the bay.
Burke said his father, a builder by trade, designed this home with a Category 5 hurricane in mind 鈥� and now they鈥檙e going to test it.
As a police vehicle drove by blaring an announcement urging residents to evacuate, Burke acknowledged staying isn鈥檛 a good idea and said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot laughing at this storm one bit鈥� 鈥� he just believes the house his father built will withstand it.
National Weather service says much of the southern part of Florida is under a tornado watch
More than 12 million people in the state faced threat of tornadoes along with hail and wind, the service said.
The city of Tampa was providing real-time flooding information via its website. However, city officials said it was past time for residents to evacuate or stay home.
鈥淪tay home today. By this time, you should be either evacuated or hunkering down,鈥� the city said in a post X on Wednesday morning.
The city was still working to gather debris from Hurricane Helene in advance of Milton鈥檚 arrival.
Hurricane Milton now expected to make landfall late Wednesday
That鈥檚 according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, which says the storm will make landfall along the center of Florida鈥檚 west coast.
The hurricane center had previously said landfall could come late Wednesday or early Thursday.
More than half of Florida鈥檚 school districts are closed in anticipation of Hurricane Milton
State education officials say some school buildings will be used as shelters for the storm throughout the affected region.
Among those closed is the Hillsborough County school district, where Tampa is located, which has about 224,000 students and is the nation鈥檚 seventh largest school district.
Colleges and universities also canceled classes, with some saying they would switch to remote learning later this week if they鈥檙e able to resume classes. Some schools outside the storm鈥檚 path, including the University of Miami, planned to take precautions by shifting to remote learning through Thursday.
In a neighborhood in Punta Gorda
A couple blocks from the Peace River, Ted Gjerde worked up a sweat Wednesday morning as he prepared his home for up to 12-feet of storm surge. His house sits on a 10-foot hill but that might not be enough protection.
The retiree has spent his life dealing with water 鈥� 23 years in the Navy running boilers followed by 20 years working at a nearby state water plant 鈥� so he had a plan. He had piled sandbags in front of his garage and put plywood and caulk on the interior of his doors.
鈥淗opefully, that should get me to 13 or 14 feet up,鈥� he said before giving a mock, 鈥淵ay.鈥�
He would spend the storm at the treatment plant, 25-feet above sea level, with his wife and their two German shepherds. His 1967 Chevy Camaro was already there.
Two weeks ago, Helene鈥檚 surge had unexpectedly gotten to the bottom of his garage door 鈥� a couple more feet and his classic car and his house would have been in trouble. Nearby homes that aren鈥檛 elevated got swamped.
鈥淲e got lucky, real lucky,鈥� Gjerde said.
Gov. DeSantis says 鈥榰nfortunately there will be fatalities鈥�
鈥� I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any way around that,鈥� he said at a Wednesday morning briefing.
Forecasters warn Milton could inflict wind and storm surge damage along the Georgia coast as it crosses Florida
Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane鈥檚 center.
Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet was forecast for Georgia communities including St. Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
鈥榊ou can鈥檛 just hunker down with that鈥�
Gov. Ron DeSantis said to people choosing to remain home on barrier islands, 鈥渏ust know that if you get 10 feet of storm surge, you can鈥檛 just hunker down with that.鈥�
鈥淚f you鈥檙e on the southern part of this storm, you are going to get storm surge,鈥� DeSantis said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 churning massive amounts of water, and that water is going to come out,鈥� he added. 鈥淢an, if you鈥檙e anywhere in the eye or south, you are going to get major storm surge.鈥�
Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers has closed
And it will remain closed Thursday, according to a statement on the airport鈥檚 website.
鈥淲e plan to resume operations on Friday, Oct. 11, but that will depend on a damage assessment and staffing,鈥� the statement said.
The closing includes the airport terminal, car rental agencies and parking facilities.
A Florida official warns against looting
鈥淔lorida will not stand for looting 鈥� we will not stand for it. We will come after you,鈥� said Mark Glass, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Emergency managers now plan to start working on damage prediction models
The models were developed before the storm, with plans specific to various parts of the state, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
The plans will be used to project where the most damage will likely be, based on the hurricane鈥檚 last position and movement at landfall, he said.
Gov. DeSantis described a wide range of resources to help respond to Milton
That includes 6,000 Florida National Guard members and 3,000 members of the National Guard from other states.
鈥淭his is the largest Florida National Guard search and rescue mobilization in the entire history of the state of Florida,鈥� he said during a Wednesday morning briefing.
There are 31,000 people in shelters and there鈥檚 room for nearly 200,000 people, 鈥渟o there is space available in these shelters,鈥� he said.
A tornado crossed Interstate 75 in Florida as Hurricane Milton approached the state
The National Weather Service in Miami posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the highway Wednesday morning with the words: 鈥淭ORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!鈥�
Gov. DeSantis says 鈥榶ou still have time to evacuate if you are in an evacuation zone鈥�
鈥淭he roads and the interstates, they are flowing,鈥� he said, but added that traffic conditions could deteriorate as the day goes on Wednesday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says some gas stations have run out of fuel
But in a Wednesday morning briefing, the governor said highway patrol cars with sirens are escorting gasoline tanker trucks to get them through traffic to refill the supply.
鈥淎nd they are continuing with the fuel escorts as we speak,鈥� he said.
Water pressure will be lowered in the Port Charlotte area to prepare for Milton
In the Port Charlotte area, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Tampa, officials said water pressure would be lowered Wednesday morning.
Utility operations for Charlotte County also would be suspended at noon. Officials said on the county鈥檚 webpage that storm surge and heavy rainfall will inundate the sewer system, making it difficult for wastewater to flow properly.
When will Milton make landfall?
Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida鈥檚 Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
鈥淲e must be prepared for a major, major impact to the west coast of Florida,鈥� Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.
As of Wednesday morning, the storm was about 210 miles (340 kilometers) southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph).
In Largo, a city in central Pinellas County, a steady rain fell all morning
But there were no immediate strong winds. Most businesses were closed as people finished storm preparations and got to the location where they鈥檒l ride out the storm.
In the Tampa Bay area, counties are using multiple ways of communication to urge residents to evacuate from vulnerable areas
They鈥檙e also providing other key information, such as shelter locations. On Wednesday morning, Pinellas County sent people text messages, emails and direct cellphone calls to warn of the dangers. Similar methods are used in neighboring Hillsborough County and other locations.
In Florida鈥檚 Pinellas County, official says the window is rapidly closing for people in vulnerable low-lying areas to evacuate
鈥淭his is it, folks,鈥� Emergency Management Director Cathie Perkins said at a Wednesday morning news conference. 鈥淭hose of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out and you need to get out now.鈥�
Perkins said 13 public shelters are open for people with no other option to escape the storm and that major bridges around Tampa Bay would begin closing in the afternoon. Perkins also said people should not feel a sense of relief because of indications Milton might come ashore south of Tampa.
鈥淓verybody in Tampa Bay should assume we are going to be ground zero.,鈥� she said.
Climate change boosted Helene鈥檚 deadly rain and wind and scientists say the same is likely for Milton
Human-caused climate change boosted a devastating Hurricane Helene 鈥檚 rainfall by about 10% and intensified its winds by about 11%, scientists said in a new flash study released just as a strengthening Hurricane Milton threatens the Florida coast less than two weeks later.
The warming climate boosted Helene鈥檚 wind speeds by about 13 mph (21 kph), and made the high sea temperatures that fueled the storm 200 to 500 times more likely, World Weather Attribution calculated Wednesday from Europe. Ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico were about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above average, WWA said.
鈥淗urricane Helene and the storms that were happening in the region anyway have all been amplified by the fact that the air is warmer and can hold more moisture, which meant that the rainfall totals 鈥� which, even without climate change, would have been incredibly high given the circumstances 鈥� were even higher,鈥� Ben Clarke, a study co-author and a climate researcher at Imperial College London, said in an interview.
Milton will likely be similarly juiced, the authors said.
The scientists warned that continued burning of fossil fuels will lead to more hurricanes like Helene, with 鈥渦nimaginable鈥� floods well inland, not just on coasts. Many of those who died in Helene fell victim to massive inland flooding, rather than high winds.
鈻� Read more about the effects of climate change on hurricanes.
鈥業t鈥檚 a ghost town around here鈥�
In Charlotte Harbor, about two blocks from the water, Josh Parks spent Wednesday morning packing his Kia sedan with his clothes and other belongings from his small triplex apartment.
The clouds were swirling and the winds had begun to gust. Two weeks ago, Helene鈥檚 surge brought about 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water to the neighborhood, its streets still filled with waterlogged furniture, torn out drywall and other debris.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a ghost town around here,鈥� said Parks, an auto technician.
His roommate had already fled and Parks wasn鈥檛 sure when he would be back.
鈥淚 told her to pack like you aren鈥檛 coming back,鈥� said Parks, who was fleeing to his daughter鈥檚 inland home.
The bridge from the mainland to the island of St. Pete Beach has been closed
Law enforcement vehicles blocked the bridge from the mainland to the barrier island of St. Pete Beach on Wednesday morning, where as of Tuesday evening, officials had closed down access to this string of low-lying barrier islands that jut out into the Gulf.
All residents in these low-lying communities west of the city of St. Petersburg are under mandatory evacuation orders, as another storm bears down less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene killed 12 people in the Tampa Bay area, including residents who didn鈥檛 leave 鈥� and then drowned in their homes.
At a park bench on the side of the road that cuts through the small island of Deadman Key, plastic bags stuffed with clothes and a shopping cart full of someone鈥檚 personal belongings sat in the blowing rain, seemingly abandoned by its owner ahead of Hurricane Milton鈥檚 expected impact.
Three boats were already dashed against a low-lying seawall and under a bridge, apparently casualties from Helene, which sent deadly storm surge into scores of homes in Pinellas County, even as the eye of that storm stayed 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore from this stretch of the coast.
Officials are warning that a direct hit from Hurricane Milton would bring far greater risks to this part of the state.
A tornado watch has been issued for more than 20 Florida counties ahead of Hurricane Milton
The National Weather Service on Wednesday morning issued the watch, which includes a vast part of Florida, including the Tampa area, the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County.
In Sarasota, emergency officials urgently warned people who live near bodies of water to leave immediately
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen a lot of questions about, 鈥榳ell I live on a creek,鈥� or 鈥業 live on a river, is it really going to get 10 to 15 feet where I live?,鈥欌�� Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said in a briefing early Wednesday.
鈥淭hat storm surge is going to start at 10 or 15 feet near the coastline and then it鈥檚 going to travel,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd storm surge likes to go on the path of least resistance. So those of you that live near a river, that live near a creek, those river banks, their water will come up.鈥�
鈥淲e do not want you staying in your home if you鈥檙e anywhere near a body of water,鈥� Tapfumaneyi said.
鈥淭his is going to be an intense disaster for Sarasota County,鈥� she added. 鈥淓vacuate now if you have not done so already.鈥�
The Associated Press
