Hurricane Milton weakened slightly overnight but was still an “extremely dangerous” top-end Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Milton had 155 mph winds and could bring a potentially catastrophic 10 to 15 feet of storm surge to Florida. The hurricane center expects Milton to make landfall on the western Florida Peninsula on Wednesday night, then cross over the state, still as a powerful storm.
The hurricane center didn’t mince words on Tuesday when describing the threat posed by the storm, saying “It is worth emphasizing that this is a very serious situation and residents in Florida should closely follow orders from their local emergency management officials. Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
Milton is not expected to directly affect Alabama or the northwest Florida Panhandle, but there is a high risk for rip currents in effect along those coasts and officials warned beachgoers to stay out of the Gulf.
Milton was near the northern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday morning and is expected to turn more to the northeast, move across the Gulf and approach the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday.
The hurricane center said on Tuesday morning that it appeared Milton was finishing an eyewall replacement cycle. Forecasters said “these eyewall replacement cycles are common in strong hurricanes and often cause the peak winds to fluctuate, while the wind field generally expands.”
As of 4 a.m. CDT Tuesday, the center of Hurricane Milton was located about 560 miles southwest of Tampa and was tracking to the east-northeast at 12 mph. The hurricane center said Milton could fluctuate in strength but was expected to remain an “extremely dangerous” hurricane through landfall in Florida.
Storm surge is one of the biggest concerns with Milton. Ten to 15 feet will be possible along parts of the vulnerable west coast of Florida, including Tampa Bay. The National Weather Service in Tampa warned Floridians that Milton has the potential to be the worst storm the area has seen in 100 years.
Here’s the forecast for peak storm surge:
The hurricane center said Milton could bring 8 to 12 inches of rain, with localized totals of 18 inches, across the Florida Peninsula through Thursday, raising concerns about deadly flash flooding.
A few tornadoes will also be possible in those areas starting later tonight.
Here are the watches and warnings as of Tuesday:
* A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.
* A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Celestun to Rio Lagartos in Mexico and the Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay.
* A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from Sebastian Inlet to Edisto Beach, including the St. Johns River.
* A Hurricane Watch is in effect from Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche and from Campeche to south of Celestun in Mexico, the Dry Tortugas, Lake Okeechobee, the Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach, the Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River.
* A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Rio Lagartos to Cancun and from Campeche to south of Celestun in Mexico, all of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas, Lake Okeechobee, the Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach and the Florida west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass.
* A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the east coast of the Florida peninsula south of the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line southward to Flamingo, the coast of Georgia and South Carolina from north of the mouth of the St. Marys River to South Santee River, S.C.
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