Hurricane Milton: Thousands evacuated as deadly Category 5 storm closes in on Florida

Tampa Bay AreaHome to more than 3.3 million people, it hasn’t seen the direct impact of a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between divisions 4 and 5 getting closer, But regardless of the difference in wind speed, the National Hurricane Center said it will be a large and very dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.

“This is it, folks,” said Cathy Perkins, director of emergency management in Pinellas County, which sits on a peninsula that forms Tampa Bay.

Major bridges around Tampa Bay are scheduled to close later in the afternoon, and public shelters are open for evacuees. Residents shouldn’t feel relieved by signs that Milton’s center could come ashore south of Tampa, he said.

“Everybody in Tampa Bay has to assume we’re going to be zero,” he said.

The normally busy interstate leading into downtown Tampa was almost empty of vehicles early Wednesday morning. A few cars moved in a couple of streets. Drivers hoping to get above the tanks were hard-pressed to find stations that weren’t closed or boarded up. Many people covered their fuel pumps with plastic to keep the nozzles from spinning in hurricane winds.

In Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents in a Facebook video to finalize their plans: “My message is simple. We are approaching that 11th hour. If you need to secure a safe place for any reason, now is the time to do so.

Milton was centered about 230 miles (365 kilometers) southwest of Tampa on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just 2 mph (3 kph) above Category 5 status, the hurricane center said. It was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) and was expected to continue moving in that direction with an increase in its forward speed through Wednesday night.

In Charlotte Harbor, about two blocks from the water, clouds swirled and the wind blew as Josh Parks packed his Kia sedan with clothes and other belongings Wednesday morning. Two weeks ago, Helen’s surge brought about 5 feet of water to the neighborhood, and its streets were littered with submerged furniture, ripped drywall and other debris.

Parks, an auto technician, planned to flee inland to his daughter’s house and said his roommate had already left.

“I told you to pack like you’re not coming back,” he said.

Milton targets communities Still wobbly two weeks later Helen Streets and homes flooded in its devastating march across West Florida, killing at least 230 people across the South. In many places along the coast, municipalities raced to collect and dispose of debris ahead of Milton’s winds and storm surge — expected to reach 12 feet (3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and 15 feet (4.5 meters) further south. Sarasota and Fort Myers – throw it around and add any damage.

Heavy rain began spreading across parts of South Florida on Wednesday, and conditions could worsen throughout the day, the center said. Six to 12 inches (15 to 31 centimeters) of rain, with up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in some places, is expected well inland, making the risk A catastrophic flood. A hurricane was also predicted.

The storm is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida and heads toward the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. The exact path remained uncertain, but as of Wednesday morning, Milton’s center was expected to make landfall somewhere around Tampa Bay. The hurricane center said the highest storm surge will occur to the south of the landfall location.

Sarasota County Emergency Management Director Sandra Tappumanei said 11 emergency shelters are open and pets are welcome. He warned that it would be a “major disaster” for the county and urged residents in boats, mobile and manufactured homes to evacuate: “We don’t want you staying in those structures. They’re not going to do well in this storm with high winds.

Tappumanei urgently warned people living near water bodies to evacuate immediately. Those areas were flooded by Hurricane Debbie last year and Hurricane Ian in 2022. He warned that the surge would travel the “path of least resistance” from shore to rivers and creeks.

Authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders in 11 Florida counties, home to about 5.9 million people. Officials warned that anyone staying behind should fend for themselves as first responders are not expected to risk their lives to rescue at the height of the storm.

In the coastal town of Punta Gorda, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, streets were littered Tuesday with 5-foot (1.5-meter) soaked furniture, clothes, books, appliances and debris hauled from damaged homes. Not two weeks ago by Helen.

Many of the houses were empty, but accountant and art collector Scott Joyner was on the second floor of the New Orleans-style house he built 17 years ago. Joyner said bull sharks swam through flooded streets and a neighbor rescued Helen in a canoe when the first floor of her home flooded.

“Having water is a blessing, but it’s also very dangerous,” Joyner said.

Despite the risk, Joyner said he plans to get Milton out. But after Helen others took no chances.

On Anna Maria Island at the southern tip of Tampa Bay, Evan Purcell packed his father’s ashes and tried to hold onto his 9-year-old cat Mackenzie as he prepared to leave Tuesday. Helen suffered thousands of dollars in damages when her home flooded. He feared that Milton might retire.

“I’m still in the first shock, here comes round two,” Purcell said. “I have a pit in my stomach about this.”

___

Spencer reported from Fort Myers Beach. Associated Press reporters Kurt Anderson, Mike Stewart and Kate Payne in Tampa contributed to this report; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Seth Borenstein in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City.