Hurricane Milton was upgraded back to a Category 5 storm as it churns toward Florida’s west coast. The ferocious storm could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.
Here’s what to know:
- Evacuations: Eleven Florida counties, home to about 5.9 million people, were under mandatory evacuation orders as of Tuesday afternoon. Officials are warning residents not to bank on the storm weakening.
- 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: The storm is forecast to cross central Florida and to dump as much as 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain while heading 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.
Charlotte County in Florida extends evacuation orders inland
Charlotte County on Tuesday evening extended its Hurricane Milton evacuation order further inland to what it refers to as “Zone C Yellow.”
The additional evacuation zone in the county southeast of Sarasota includes residents in any zone who live in mobile or manufactured homes. That’s about 11% of the more than 202,600 people who live in the county, according to population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Despite fluctuations in intensity, Milton is still forecast to land as a major hurricane
Hurricane Milton remained on course Tuesday evening for Florida’s west coast, traveling northeast across the Gulf of Mexico at about 10 mph (17 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory.
As of 8 p.m. EDT, the storm was 440 miles (710 kilometers) southwest of Tampa. Its maximum sustained windspeeds were 165 mph (270 kph), making it a Category 5 hurricane still.
“Fluctuations in intensity are likely while Milton moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida Wednesday night,” the hurricane center said.
Storm surge and hurricane warnings on Florida’s west and east coasts remained in effect.
FEMA battles rumors surrounding Helene recovery
The rumors surrounding Hurricane Helene are many.
There are false claims that people taking federal relief money could see their land seized. Or that $750 is the most they will ever get to rebuild. Or that the agency’s director — on the ground since the storm hit — was beaten up and hospitalized.
As the U.S. agency tasked with responding to disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been fighting misinformation since Helene slammed into Florida nearly two weeks ago and brought a wide swath of destruction as it headed north.
The false claims are being fueled by former President Donald Trump and others just ahead of the presidential election, and are coming as the agency is gearing up to respond to a second major disaster: Hurricane Milton.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters Tuesday that she has never seen the disinformation problem as bad as it’s been with Helene, which hit hard in North Carolina, a state key to winning the election.
Health care facilities in Hurricane Milton’s path prepare for the worst
Hospitals and other health care facilities on Florida’s Gulf Coast — still reeling from Hurricane Helene — are now revving up for Hurricane Milton.
Long-term care facilities in counties where mandatory evacuations have been issued are taking their patients elsewhere, while hospitals are largely on guard, preparing to stay open through the storm.
According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ website, 10 hospitals have reported evacuations as of Tuesday afternoon, and 300 health care facilities including nursing homes and assisted living facilities have evacuated as of this morning, said Florida Agency for Health Care Administration deputy secretary Kim Smoak.
Steve McCoy, chief of the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, said it is the state’s “largest evacuation ever.”
Milton could hit a bit south of Tampa Bay, forecasters say
Hurricane Milton’s forecasted trajectory wobbled slightly Tuesday, which means it could make landfall Wednesday a bit south of Tampa Bay, according to the most recent forecast discussion from the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Still, the whole region is expected to get slammed by Milton.
It is difficult to predict an exact landfall location even just a day and a half before it’s expected to come ashore. Predictions can be off by a little over 60 miles (96 kilometers), the hurricane center said.
The Tampa metro region is home to about 3.3 million people. Areas south of Tampa are less populated, the biggest nearby city being Sarasota, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south.
Pentagon deploys forces to North Carolina in Helene’s wake
The Pentagon has deployed 1,500 active duty forces to North Carolina to help with emergency route clearance, helicopter search-and-rescue and the delivery of food, water and other resources in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Helene, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said.
There are roughly 5,000 National Guard members from 19 different states working in North Carolina.
In Florida, more than 5,000 members of the state’s National Guard have been mobilized to prepare for Hurricane Milton. Additionally, U.S. Army North is prepositioning high water vehicles and helicopters for search and rescue operations.
WATCH: Hurricane researchers take a bumpy flght into Milton