FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Florida’s Gulf Coast braced Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Milton near-record winds and an expected massive storm surge, which could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian’s wrath two years ago.
Nearly the entire west coast of Florida was under a hurricane warning early Tuesday as the Category 5 storm and its 165 mph winds crept toward the state at 9 mph, drawing energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico sucked. The strongest Atlantic hurricane on record is 1980s Allen, which reached winds of 196 mph (306 km/h) as it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf before hitting Texas and Mexico.
Center Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken somewhat before landfall, although it could maintain hurricane strength as it barrels through central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other states destroyed by Helenekilling at least 230 people en route from Florida to the Appalachians.
Tampa Bay hasn’t been directly hit by a major hurricane since 1921, and authorities fear luck may be running out for the region and its 3.3 million residents. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal employees had been mobilized to help in one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in history.
“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a news conference Monday. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”
The Tampa Bay area is still recovering from Helene and his powerful wave – an 8-foot wall of water that he created even though his eye was 100 miles offshore. Twelve people died there, with the worst damage occurring along a series of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.
Forecasters warned that Milton could bring a possible storm surge of 8 to 12 feet, leading to evacuation orders for beach communities along the entire Gulf Coast. In Florida, this means anyone who remains is on their own and first responders are not expected to risk their lives to save them at the height of the storm.
Stragglers were a problem during 2022 Helene and Ian. Many residents did not heed the ample warnings, saying they had evacuated during previous storms but no major waves would occur. But on Monday there were indications that people were getting out before Milton arrived.
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 blocked the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed to 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 almost a ghost town Monday afternoon when an evacuation order went into effect. Ian devastated the community of 5,000 two years ago, with a 15-foot storm surge destroying or seriously damaging 400 homes and businesses. Fourteen people died there trying to weather the storm, and dozens had to be rescued.
On Monday, the few remaining residents were racing against time to secure their buildings and belongings. No one said they were staying.
The signs of Ian’s devastation remain visible everywhere. Rebuilt houses stand next to others in various states of construction. There are numerous vacant lots, which were once rare.
“This whole street used to be full of houses,” said Mike Sandell, owner of Pool-Rific Services. His workers were removing pumps and heaters from his customers’ pools on Monday and storing them so they wouldn’t be destroyed.
Homebuilding supplies such as bricks, pipes and even workers’ cottages lined the streets, potential projectiles that could cause further damage if a wave were to hit.
At the beach Monday afternoon, workers busily unloaded the triple trailer that houses The Goodz, a combination store for hardware, convenience, fishing supplies, ice cream and beach supplies. Owner Graham Belger said he moved his ‘Your Island Everything Store’ to the trailer after Ian destroyed his permanent building across the street.
“We will rebuild, but it will be bad,” he said.
Nearby, Don Girard and his son Dominic were working to finish the family’s three-story combination rental and vacation home, which sits about 100 feet above the water. The garage and first floor entryway were flooded by Helene last month, Hurricane Debby in August and a recent supermoon.
Ian was by far the worst. The waves crashed onto the second floor of the 14-year-old house, destroying the floor. Girard repaired the damage and his aqua blue and white house contrasts with the older one-story house across the street. It was flooded by Ian, never repaired and still stands empty. The once off-white walls are now tinted brown. Plywood covers the gaps where windows and doors once were.
Girard, who owns a banner and flag company in Texas, said that while his feelings about owning his home are mostly positive, they are mixed. He said his extended family gathers there every December for the holidays. At that time of year, temperatures in Southwest Florida are usually in the 70s (low 20s Celsius) with little rain or humidity. The area and beaches are filling with tourists.
“There is no better place in the world at Christmas,” Girard said.
But floods from Ian, the other storms and now Milton are leaving him frustrated.
“It was hard, I’m not going to lie to you,” Girard said. “The last few years have been pretty bad.”
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Daley reported from Tampa. Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Kate Payne in Tampa, Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Seth Borenstein in Washington, Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.