Category 5 Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida: Live updates

 

Hurricane Milton intensified into a powerful Category 5 storm on Monday, bringing sustained winds of 160 mph as it charged through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida’s storm-weary western coast. The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, with potentially devastating impacts.

Milton underwent rapid intensification, escalating from a Category 2 to a Category 5 hurricane within hours. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm may experience eyewall replacement cycles, which could slightly weaken its strength but expand its size. Despite potential weakening, Milton is expected to remain an "extremely dangerous" hurricane over the next couple of days, and it will still likely be a large and formidable system upon landfall.

Hurricane watches have been issued for parts of Florida, with warnings of life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains. The NHC predicts rainfall between 5-10 inches, with some isolated areas potentially receiving up to 15 inches. Flooding rains may arrive ahead of the storm as early as Tuesday, extending into Wednesday night.

Storm surges of 8-12 feet are possible, particularly in the Tampa Bay area and other coastal regions. The storm, which was located about 720 miles west-southwest of Tampa on Monday morning, has shifted slightly north, placing Tampa in the center of the projected path.

In preparation, Tampa International Airport will halt flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday, while local officials have begun issuing mandatory evacuation orders for low-lying areas.

Milton is the second Category 5 storm of the 2024 Atlantic season, following Hurricane Beryl. Category 5 hurricanes, the strongest classification, require sustained winds of 156 mph or higher and are rare in the Atlantic, with only 40 such storms recorded since 1924.

As Florida braces for Milton, residents are still recovering from Hurricane Helene, which struck just two weeks ago. Many areas remain heavily damaged, and long lines have formed outside gas stations and stores as people scramble to stock up on supplies. In hard-hit regions, debris from Helene continues to pile up, adding to the challenges of preparing for the new storm.

State officials have already initiated the largest evacuation effort since Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 counties. Meanwhile, clean-up operations from Helene are ongoing, with over 6,100 National Guard members deployed to assist.

Though weakened, Hurricane Milton remains a significant threat, and residents across Florida's Gulf Coast are being urged to evacuate and prepare for what could be a catastrophic event.