Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that 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.
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Schools in Sarasota County Will Be Closed All Week
“We will let you know—as soon as possible—about school reopening after Hurricane Milton has passed. Our facilities team will need time to safely conduct countywide assessments on all of our sites to ensure our traditional public schools and offices are safe to welcome back students, teachers, and staff members,” the district said in a Facebook post.
The county, which could suffer a direct hit from Milton, was also urging residents in evacuation zones to seek shelter. The county is setting up evacuation centers, but those should be viewed as “last resort,” county government said in a statement.
FEMA Moves Staff and Supplies into Place in Advance of Milton
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency is moving staff and supplies into place in advance of Milton. Criswell pleaded with residents to listen to their local officials for guidance on what to do as the storm bears down.
“This is an extremely dangerous hurricane,” Criswell said Tuesday morning. “I need people to listen to their local officials to get out of harm’s way… People don’t need to move far. They just need to move inland.”
Authorities in the Mexican State of Yucatan Peported Only Minor Damages from Milton
The hurricane remained offshore early Tuesday. Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatan Gov. Joaquín Díaz, but he did not report any deaths or injuries.
Are Residents Ready?
While Floridians are no strangers to storms, Tampa hasn’t been in the direct path of a major hurricane in over a century.
In that lapse, the area has exploded in growth. Tens of thousands of Americans moved to the area during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many choosing to settle along barrier islands like Clearwater and St. Petersburg overlooking the normally placid, emerald Gulf waters. More than 51,000 people moved to the area between 2022 and 2023, making it the fifth-largest-growing U.S. metropolitan area, according to U.S. Census data.
Longer term residents, after having experienced numerous false alarms and near misses like Irma in 2017, may be similarly unprepared for a direct hit. A local legend has it that blessings from Native Americans who once called the region home and used to build mounds to keep out invaders have largely protected the area from major storms for centuries.
MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel said a hurricane in Tampa is the “black swan” worst-case scenario that experts have worried about for years.
Milton Poses ‘Extremely Serious Threat:’ National Hurricane Center
Hurricane Milton poses an “extremely serious threat” to Florida as it heads towards the state, National Hurricane Center experts said in an Oct. 8 morning bulletin.
“Residents are urged to follow the orders of local officials,” the bulletin stated.
Milton strengthened on Monday to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, before weakening back to a Category 4. Category 5 hurricanes produce winds of at least 157 miles per hour and are guaranteed to cause catastrophic damage, according to the center. By Tuesday morning, Milton’s maximum winds were near 155 miles per hour.
“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida,” the center added.
The hurricane is expected to turn northeast later on Tuesday and remains on track to make landfall in Florida by Wednesday evening.
The storm is located about 560 miles southwest of Tampa and 85 miles from Progreso, Mexico.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a press conference that people should make and execute a plan before it becomes too late to take action. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in multiple counties along the Gulf Coast.
Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said he was encouraged by how many people are evacuating ahead of the storm.
“This is actually a good sign, that people are starting to get out of harm’s way,” he said during the Oct. 7 briefing.
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for Rio Lagartos to Cabo Catoche, from Campeche to Celestun, for Dry Tortugas and Lake Okeechobee, from Chokoloskee to Bonita Beach, and from the St. Lucie/Indian River County line to the mouth of the St. Marys River. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within these areas.
Experts have also issued a storm surge warning for Flamingo to the Suwannee River, which includes Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. A storm surge warning means there is danger from life-threatening inundation.
Tampa Bay has not been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921.
“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a separate press conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 percent of the time.”
The Tampa Bay area is still rebounding from Hurricane Helene and its powerful surge—a wall of water up to 8 feet it created even though its eye was 100 miles offshore. Twelve people died there, with the worst damage along a string of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.
Milton could bring storm surges of up to 12 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A steady stream of vehicles headed north toward the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 75, the main highway on the west side of the peninsula, as residents heeded evacuation orders. Traffic clogged the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.
About 150 miles (south of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was nearly a ghost town by Monday afternoon as an evacuation order took effect. Hurricane Ian devastated the 5,000-resident community two years ago, its 15-foot storm surge destroying or severely damaging 400 homes and businesses. Fourteen people died there as they tried to ride out the storm, and dozens had to be rescued.
On Monday, the few residents who could be found were racing against the clock to safeguard their buildings and belongings. None said they were staying.
Workers in Florida have been preparing for Milton by removing debris from previous storms, pre-staging for rescue missions, and ensuring generators are ready to kick in.
The White House said President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been in touch with DeSantis and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to learn firsthand about the preparations.
Harris said on Monday that the storm would be “very, very serious” and urged people to listen to evacuation orders.
The Epoch Times reporter Zachary Stieber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.