What to Expect When Hurricane Milton Rams Into Florida

When Hurricane Milton makes landfall, it volition bring devastating winds, torrential rains, and unsafe tempest surges that authorities officials accidental airs a large menace to quality beingness and property. Here’s what to expect arsenic the Category 4 tempest barrels towards Florida.

On Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center warned of an “extremely life-threatening” concern for residents on portions of Florida’s westbound coast, and advised anyone successful the affected areas to evacuate if told to bash truthful by section officials. Hurricane warnings are successful effect for westbound and eastbound cardinal Florida, portion tropical tempest warnings person been issued for the northbound and southbound coastal areas.

As of Tuesday morning, aerial unit successful Milton was measuring 929 millibars. In hurricanes, little aerial unit is tied to greater force. For comparison, 2022’s Hurricane Ian had a barometric unit of 979 millibars erstwhile it made landfall, and the mean oversea level aerial unit is 1013.25 millibars.

A graphic showing wherever hurricane and tropical tempest warnings are successful effect. © National Hurricane Center

While Milton has been downgraded from a Category 5 hurricane to a Category 4 owed to a flimsy dip successful upwind strength, winds wrong the hurricane were inactive measured astatine 150 miles per hr (241 kilometers per hour) connected Tuesday morning. The NHC forecasted that the hurricane volition support those winds for the adjacent 24 hours, earlier dropping somewhat arsenic the hurricane moves inland.

4 americium CDT – Extremely almighty Hurricane #Milton is conscionable northbound of the Yucatan Peninsula. Forecast to stay an highly unsafe hurricane erstwhile it reaches Florida Wednesday night. This is simply a precise superior menace and residents successful Florida are urged to perceive to section officials.… pic.twitter.com/UifYnQO9rf

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 8, 2024

Even with that drop, the National Weather Service warned winds could scope arsenic precocious arsenic 110 miles per hr (177 km/hr) by the clip the tempest hits eastbound Florida, and that imaginable impacts of the tropical tempest could beryllium “extensive,” with adjacent sturdy buildings apt to incur structural damage. Mobile homes volition apt beryllium “severely damaged, with immoderate destroyed.” Some parts of Florida “may beryllium uninhabitable for weeks,” the enactment added.

“Efforts to support beingness and spot should present beryllium rigorously underway,” the NWS said successful a hurricane warning issued conscionable aft 8 a.m. connected Tuesday. “Prepare for sizeable upwind damage.”

Though the afloat unit of the hurricane isn’t expected to deed until Wednesday, the National Weather Service forecasts thunderstorms for the Tampa country starting connected Tuesday afternoon. Once Milton does hit, it volition bring with it not conscionable almighty winds, but up to 12 inches of rainfall successful immoderate parts of Florida. That, successful turn, could pb to flash floods and municipality flooding, NOAA warned.

Areas nether a tempest surge informing are shown successful agleam pinkish successful this graphic, portion regions nether a tempest surge ticker are successful purple. © National Hurricane Center

The almighty winds could pb to ample tempest surges, driving a important emergence successful oversea levels on overmuch of Florida’s westbound seashore and the mid- to northeastern coast. Storm surges are caused by beardown winds pushing connected the ocean’s surface, creating a vertical circulation of water. As hurricanes attack shallower waters, specified arsenic those adjacent the Florida coast, the water level disrupts this circulation, forcing the h2o upward and onto land. The NHC said tempest surge levels could reach 10 feet (3 meters) oregon greater, and radical successful those areas should evacuate connected Tuesday, arsenic determination volition apt not beryllium clip to bash truthful connected Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, tempest surges are the starring origin of hurricane-related deaths successful the United States.

National Hurricane Center models foretell tropical tempest level winds volition deed the westernmost areas of Florida arsenic aboriginal arsenic Wednesday astatine 8 a.m. section time, though landfall is much apt to hap aboriginal successful the day. By 8 p.m. that day, the tempest is forecasted to expanse done cardinal Florida connected its mode to the eastbound coast, earlier heading retired into Atlantic waters connected Thursday morning. Milton could precise good participate and exit Florida arsenic a hurricane.

This graphic shows the astir apt clip framework for Hurricane Milton’s way crossed Florida. © NOAA

Florida isn’t the lone authorities that could beryllium affected by Milton. The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency said successful a statement that impacts volition beryllium felt acold from the storm’s center, including successful southbound Georgia. That includes up to six inches (15 centimeters) of rainfall, and winds of up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour, successful immoderate counties. Up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) of tempest surge waters could origin flooding successful immoderate coastal regions of the state.

🚨 STORM SURGE is DEADLY! #Milton volition bring life-threatening flooding on the westbound seashore of FL. If you’re successful a surge zone, hole for the worst NOW! Follow evacuation orders oregon your beingness volition beryllium astatine risk. Don’t gamble with tempest surge!

🌊 https://t.co/YbTCtJCzgd pic.twitter.com/mqoFlQXWBj

— FEMA (@fema) October 7, 2024

South Carolina Emergency Management besides said the authorities could beryllium affected by Milton, but enactment manager Kim Stenson said successful a property merchandise that the agency’s precedence “remains betterment from Hurricane Helene.”

That storm, which made landfall successful Florida arsenic a Category 4 past week, knocked retired powerfulness for millions of radical crossed the U.S. southeast, and caused inland flooding successful respective states, including Tennessee and North Carolina.