Hurricane Milton has the “potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says.
NHC provided that update late Monday prior to Milton’s eyewall replacement cycle, noting that the system would weaken on Tuesday but “grow larger.” While it predicts Milton will encounter shear which could weaken it more on Wednesday, it is still predicting a “large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland.”
“Residents in Florida should closely follow the orders from their local emergency management officials, as Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” it added.
The 11:00 a.m. ET NHC update confirms that Milton is still expected to “retain major hurricane status and expand in size” as it approaches the west coast of Florida.
The NHC warns of storm surges of 10 feet or higher, as well as “devastating hurricane-force winds” on the west coast of Florida, although it warns these winds “especially in gusts, are expected to spread inland across the peninsula.” Counties as far northeast as St. Johns are currently under a hurricane warning.
The NHC is also warning of heavy rainfall which brings the risk of “life-threatening flash flooding.”
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) also warned that this could be a worst-case scenario, writing on social media, “Several years ago I asked @NHC_Atlantic to show me what the worst case storm hitting Florida would look like.”
“What they showed me back then is almost identical to the #Milton forecast now,” he revealed.
These warnings come as countless Floridians evacuate the Tampa Bay area, where landfall is expected. The gridlock is so bad from the evacuations in these areas, such as I-75, that the state is opening the shoulders for vehicles to use.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor did not mince words when it came to evacuations.
“I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die,” she warned.
