Florida prepares for massive evacuations as Hurricane Milton takes aim at major metro areas

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida is bracing for what could be the largest evacuation in seven years as Hurricane Milton strengthens over warm waters and heads toward major population centers including Tampa and Orlando.

About 7 million people were urged to evacuate Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma hit the state. The exodus blocked highways, led to hours-long lines at gas stations that still had fuel and left evacuees frustrated and in some cases swearing never to evacuate again.

Hurricane Milton was about 230 miles (370 kilometers) west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 765 miles (1,235 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa late Sunday evening with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km per hour), it said National Hurricane Center. reported.

While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall in the United States on Wednesday Tampa Bay area and remains a hurricane as it moves through central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other southeastern states that have been affected Hurricane Helenewhich caused catastrophic damage from Florida the Appalachians and a death toll that rose to at least 230 people on Sunday.

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the system’s progress, the hurricane center said. Heavy rain was expected Sunday ahead of the hurricane and will likely then combine with rainfall from Milton to flood waterways and streets in Florida, where forecasters said up to a foot of rain could fall in some places through Wednesday night traps.

Building on lessons learned during Irma and other previous storms, Florida is organizing emergency fueling for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a Sunday briefing.

“We’re looking at every potential, potential location that could potentially house someone, as we call it in emergency management, as a refuge of last resort,” Guthrie added.

Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying and will likely become a major hurricane before it arrives the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast midweek.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen where Milton will strike, it is clear the state will be hit hard.

“I don’t think there’s a scenario where we’re not having a major impact right now,” he said.

“You have time to prepare – all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to make sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,” DeSantis said. “If you’re on the west coast of Florida, the barrier islands, just assume you’ll be asked to leave.”

With Milton reaching hurricane status, this is the first time the Atlantic Ocean has had three simultaneous hurricanes after September, according to hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University. There have been four simultaneous hurricanes in August and September.

The St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up major damage from Helene and the powerful storm surge. Twelve people died when Helene flooded the coast, with the greatest damage along the narrow, 20-mile (32-kilometer) string of barrier islands stretching from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

DeSantis expanded his state of emergency to 51 counties on Sunday, saying Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions and make sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the road.

“We are preparing for the largest evacuation we have seen, most likely since 2017. Hurricane IrmaGuthrie said.

People who live in homes built after Florida tightened codes in 2004, that don’t rely on constant electricity and that aren’t in evacuation zones should probably avoid the roads, Guthrie said.

All classes and school activities in St. Petersburg’s Pinellas County were preemptively closed Monday through Wednesday as Milton approached. Officials in Tampa opened all city garages for free to residents who wanted to protect their cars from flooding, including electric vehicles. Vehicles must be left in any garage on the third floor or higher.

As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews remove debris, DeSantis said, and he ordered Florida crews sent to North Carolina in the wake of Helene to return to prepare for Milton.

“All available state resources … are being marshaled to help remove the debris,” DeSantis said. “We operate 24/7… it’s all hands on deck.”

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell defended her agency’s response to the post-Republican hurricane destruction false claimsreinforced by former President Donald Trump, created a wave of disinformation about devastated communities.

“This kind of rhetoric doesn’t help people and it’s really a shame that we put politics over helping people,” Criswell told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. It has created fear and distrust among residents toward the thousands of FEMA workers and volunteers on the ground in the Southeast, she said.

Still, Criswell said the agency is already preparing for Milton long before it is clear where exactly the storm will move across the Florida peninsula this week.

“We are working with the state there to understand what their demands will be so that we can implement them before landfall,” she said.

Federal disaster assistance has surpassed $137 million since Helene struck more than a week ago, one of the largest mobilizations of personnel and resources in recent history, FEMA said Sunday.

There are approximately 1,500 active duty troops, more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and nearly 7,000 federal workers deployed, transporting more than 14.9 million meals, 13.9 million gallons of water, 157 generators and 505,000 tarps, and more than According to FEMA , the White House and the Department of Defense, $30 million in housing and other assistance is needed for more than 27,000 households.

More than 800 people who cannot return home are staying in shelters provided by FEMA and 22 shelters continue to house nearly 1,000 people while mobile food operations continue to assist survivors. The response to Helene will not slow down during Milton and its aftermath because FEMA has the capacity to handle multiple disasters simultaneously, the agency said.

“My administration is sparing no resources to support families as they begin their path to rebuilding,” Biden said. “We will continue to work hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and however long it takes.”