Florida is gearing up for its largest evacuation in seven years amid fears that Hurricane Milton will bring the largest storm surge in a century while the state is already cleaning up from Hurricane Helene.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, as officials across the state urge people to flee before Milton makes landfall at around 5pm Wednesday.
‘Just go now. Beat the traffic and go now and just go to higher ground,’ Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN she is telling residents.
Other county and city officials are mandating evacuations, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at a news conference on Sunday that residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders should take steps to help authorities identify them if they perish in the storm.
‘You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterward,’ she said bluntly.
Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf late Sunday, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated Florida
Hurricane Milton is expected to slam into Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday
Milton was centered late Sunday night about 230 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 765 miles west-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.
While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.
That would largely spare other southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic damage from Florida into the Appalachian Mountains and a death toll that rose Sunday to at least 230 people.
But the storm is expected to intensify greatly in the next 48 hours, becoming a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reaches Florida, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, as officials across the state urge people to flee before Milton makes landfall
It is expected to dump four to eight inches of rain on the cities of Miami, Orlando and Tampa, and could bring as much as 15 inches of rain to other parts of the state.
It will also bring the potential for the worst storm surge in more than 100 years in the Tampa Bay area with up to 10 inches of water – almost double that of Helene, which killed 12 people in Pinellas County alone, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
‘I don´t think there´s any scenario where we don´t have major impacts at this point,’ DeSantis said at a news conference Sunday.
‘You have time to prepare – all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to be sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place,’ DeSantis said. ‘If you´re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you´ll be asked to leave.’
He went on to suggest the risk for power outages may be worse than what residents saw during Helene.
The state has already been reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which barreled into the Sunshine State less than two weeks ago
More than 15million people are now under flood watches through Thursday morning, and schools in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and Pasco County have already announced closures through Wednesday, with Hillsborough officials saying the decision allows it to convert the schools into shelters.
‘Given the recent impact of Hurricane Helene, many in our community are still recovering and may find it unsafe to remain in their homes. Additionally, we anticipate an influx of evacuees from coastal areas,’ county officials said.
‘If you are in an evacuation zone, please consider using one of our school shelters.’
Officials in Tampa have also opened all city garages free of charge to residents hoping to protect their cars from floodwaters, including electric vehicles. The vehicles must be left on the third floor or higher in each garage.
DeSantis warned on Sunday that flying debris could pose a major threat to lives and property as so many people have yet to clear the debris from their homes
The storm will come less than two weeks after Helene left thousands stranded in their flooded homes, and Gov. DeSantis warned on Sunday that flying debris could pose a major threat to lives and property as so many people have yet to clear the debris from their homes.
With that in mind, the governor issued an emergency order on Saturday requiring all landfills and debris management sites to be open 24 hours.
He also recalled the National Guard and State Guard members who had been deployed to other southern states to help with their Helene recovery efforts.
More than 800 guardsmen are currently deployed for debris removal, but DeSantis said Sunday there would soon be up to 4,000 available, according to CNN.
‘All available state assets … are being marshaled to help remove debris,’ DeSantis said. ‘We´re going 24-7 … it´s all hands on deck.’
And building on lessons learned during Irma and other previous storms, Florida is staging emergency fuel for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said at a Sunday briefing.
‘We are looking at every potential, possible location that can potentially house someone, as what we refer to in emergency management, as a refuge of last resort,’ Guthrie added.
FEMA officials say they are prepare to tackle the pending tempest as some remain stranded from Helene
When Milton achieved hurricane status on Sunday, it was one of the earliest 13th storms of the season, which does not normally occur until October 25, CNN reports.
Milton also marked the first time the Atlantic has had three simultaneous hurricanes after September, according to Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach. There have been four simultaneous hurricanes in August and September.
Still, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said her agency is prepared to tackle the pending tempest, trying to position resources in advance of Milton slamming into Florida.
‘We´re working with the state there to understand what their requirements are going to be, so we can have those in place before it makes landfall,’ she said.
But 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.
Some 1,500 active-duty troops, more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and nearly 7,000 federal workers have been deployed, shipping more than 14.9 million meals, 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and 505,000 tarps, along with approving more than $30 million in housing and other types of assistance for over 27,000 households, according to FEMA, the White House and the Department of Defense.
More than 800 people unable to return home are staying in lodging provided through FEMA and 22 shelters are still housing nearly 1,000 people as mobile feeding operations continue to help survivors.
The response to Helene won´t let up during Milton and its aftermath, because FEMA has the capacity to address multiple disasters simultaneously, the agency said.
‘My Administration is sparing no resource to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding,’ President Biden said. ‘We will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.’