Exactly two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s northwest coast, another major storm is set to batter the state’s Gulf coast this week. While Hurricane Milton—currently a Category 4 storm, with winds of 150 mph—is expected to reach west-central Florida early Thursday morning, effects from the storm will be felt beginning Tuesday night.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says that “there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds” for regions along Florida’s western coast. Beginning Monday, theses areas are also expected to receive heavy rainfall, which would “bring the risk of considerable flash, urban and areal flooding, along with the potential for moderate to major river flooding.”
More than 6 million people in Florida are under a hurricane watch, according to AccuWeather, which adds that mandatory evacuations have been issued. Areas from north of Tampa, including Spring Hill, down past Cape Coral to the Florida Keys are under hurricane watch. The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will close Tuesday afternoon after the last flight departure.
While Milton was recorded with 60 mph winds—making it a tropical storm—on Sunday morning, wind speeds increased by 65 mph by Monday, making it a major Category 3 storm. Currently a Category 4 storm, forecasts expect the storm to grow event stronger due to the warm waters in the Guld of Mexico. Should it continue to intensify, Milton would become the second Category 5 storm of the season, following Hurricane Beryl, which hit the Caribbean in early July.
In addition to Florida, Milton will bring hurricane-force winds and life-threatening storm surge to the Yucatan Peninsula, just north of Cancun.
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