Hurricane Milton will make landfall in Florida on Wednesday morning as a Category 4 hurricane – and it’s expected to be even worse than Helene.
Six million residents are under hurricane warnings and many have been ordered to evacuate as ‘life-threatening’ three-metre-high storm surges and winds of up to 150 miles per hour rush in.
Stunning spaghetti models show the hurricane’s deadly path across large parts of Florida.
Follow our live blog for the latest updates as the storm heads towards the US:
Milton expected to hit many of the communities still reeling from Helene
The upcoming Category 4 hurricane is expected to hit many of the same areas hit by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago.
Residents barely had time to recover from the latest storm, which killed 230 people in the US, before having to evacuate or bunker down for a second time.
Helene was the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005, killing more than 1,800 people – and meteorologists have warned Milton is expected to be even worse.
Tampa residents warned they have less than 24 hours for a plane to take off
Tampa International Airport has announced it will close due to the hurricane.
“We will suspend flight operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday and reopen as soon as it is safe to do so,” the airport said Monday morning.
Milton is expected to make landfall in Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Disney’s Orlando park remains open despite warnings from Hurricane Milton
“Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions,” the theme park said in an announcement Sunday.
“We are closely monitoring the path of the expected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and cast members,”
Disney has a reputation for only closing under the most dire circumstances.
Spaghetti models show Milton’s expected path of destruction
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.
The latest model from the National Weather Service shows Milton making landfall in Tampa Bay Wednesday afternoon.
Florida AG warns residents who refuse to leave
Attorney General Ashley Moody asked residents who refuse to evacuate to take steps that will allow emergency responders to identify them if they die in the hurricane.
“You should probably write your name on your arm in permanent marker so that people know who you are when they approach you afterwards,” she warned at a news conference.
Milton has been upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane
The National Hurricane Center upgraded Milton to a Category 4 hurricane early Monday morning.
This means Milton is expected to cause ‘catastrophic damage’, with winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour and storm surges of up to three metres.
“Most trees will be felled or uprooted and utility poles will be downed,” the National Hurricane Center said.
‘Falled trees and electricity poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”
The center issued a hurricane watch for Florida’s Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay, as well as for the Dry Tortugas.
Meanwhile, a storm surge watch covers the Gulf Coast from Flamingo north to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay.
Walmart shelves remained empty amid a frenzy of inventory
Florida residents have rushed to stock up on supermarket supplies in preparation for the coming deluge.
Shelves were left empty at a Walmart in the Gulf Coast city of Sarasota – one of the first places expected to be hit by the hurricane on Wednesday.
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