Storm surge warnings were in effect for nearly the entire west coast of Florida as Hurricane Milton, described as a "dangerous major hurricane," intensified while approaching the state. Officials warned of severe impacts, including the potential for cities to experience significant flooding and construction cranes being thrown into buildings due to the storm's strength. "This is not a question of if, but when," emphasized Cathie Perkins, Pinellas County's Director of Emergency Management, during a news conference on Tuesday evening. She stressed the imminent nature of the threat posed by Hurricane Milton.
As of early Wednesday morning, Milton had reached Category 5 status with winds reaching up to 160 mph, according to updates from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Forecasters predicted that Milton would make landfall near Tampa and Sarasota as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing with it catastrophic flooding, powerful winds, extensive storm surges, and possibly even tornadoes. The NHC also highlighted concerns about inundation levels exceeding 10 feet in certain areas.
Tampa was preparing for what could be an unprecedented storm surge of up to 15 feet, potentially overcoming defenses such as the AquaFence installed around Tampa General Hospital. This scenario poses a real threat to a city already recognized as highly susceptible to flood damage; experts have estimated that Tampa could face up to $175 billion in damages from a significant storm event.
In addition to flood risks, authorities warned that winds exceeding 110 mph could pose dangers through toppling construction cranes in densely populated areas like Tampa and St. Petersburg. Residents living close to these cranes were advised either to relocate temporarily or seek shelter in parts of their homes away from windows.
"This could be the most powerful hurricane Tampa Bay has seen in over a century," stated meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Tampa. They underscored that no one currently living in the area has experienced a hurricane of this magnitude before.
The expected combination of surging waters, high winds, and flooding poses serious risks not only to infrastructure but also could render areas uninhabitable for extended periods post-storm. An evacuation order or advisory affected approximately 5.5 million people across Florida, particularly targeting those in vulnerable coastal regions such as the Tampa metro area which is home to around 3.5 million people.
As residents heeded evacuation orders, shortages began emerging with almost half of gas stations in the Tampa metro running out of fuel by Tuesday evening—a situation mirrored across Florida where about 17 percent of gas stations reported depleted fuel supplies.
Although much focus was on metro Tampa's immediate danger from Hurricane Milton's landfall, inland areas like Orlando also braced for severe weather conditions with forecasts predicting up to 15 inches of rainfall and substantial flooding risks.
Meteorologist Brooks Garner likened the potential impact on regions along Hurricane Milton's path through central Florida to previous storms such as Hurricane Ian in 2022, emphasizing that significant flooding was anticipated which could disrupt travel and affect homes.
Amidst these preparations and warnings stood FEMA at a critical juncture; severely limited resources remained after responding to earlier disasters such as Hurricane Helene’s devastation across southeastern states. With only about nine percent of its disaster workforce available for deployment following Tuesday’s report from FEMA’s daily operations briefing—indicating stretched capacities just as Hurricane Milton threatened further havoc—response efforts appeared dauntingly challenged ahead.
As of early Wednesday morning, Milton had reached Category 5 status with winds reaching up to 160 mph, according to updates from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Forecasters predicted that Milton would make landfall near Tampa and Sarasota as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing with it catastrophic flooding, powerful winds, extensive storm surges, and possibly even tornadoes. The NHC also highlighted concerns about inundation levels exceeding 10 feet in certain areas.
Tampa was preparing for what could be an unprecedented storm surge of up to 15 feet, potentially overcoming defenses such as the AquaFence installed around Tampa General Hospital. This scenario poses a real threat to a city already recognized as highly susceptible to flood damage; experts have estimated that Tampa could face up to $175 billion in damages from a significant storm event.
In addition to flood risks, authorities warned that winds exceeding 110 mph could pose dangers through toppling construction cranes in densely populated areas like Tampa and St. Petersburg. Residents living close to these cranes were advised either to relocate temporarily or seek shelter in parts of their homes away from windows.
"This could be the most powerful hurricane Tampa Bay has seen in over a century," stated meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Tampa. They underscored that no one currently living in the area has experienced a hurricane of this magnitude before.
The expected combination of surging waters, high winds, and flooding poses serious risks not only to infrastructure but also could render areas uninhabitable for extended periods post-storm. An evacuation order or advisory affected approximately 5.5 million people across Florida, particularly targeting those in vulnerable coastal regions such as the Tampa metro area which is home to around 3.5 million people.
As residents heeded evacuation orders, shortages began emerging with almost half of gas stations in the Tampa metro running out of fuel by Tuesday evening—a situation mirrored across Florida where about 17 percent of gas stations reported depleted fuel supplies.
Although much focus was on metro Tampa's immediate danger from Hurricane Milton's landfall, inland areas like Orlando also braced for severe weather conditions with forecasts predicting up to 15 inches of rainfall and substantial flooding risks.
Meteorologist Brooks Garner likened the potential impact on regions along Hurricane Milton's path through central Florida to previous storms such as Hurricane Ian in 2022, emphasizing that significant flooding was anticipated which could disrupt travel and affect homes.
Amidst these preparations and warnings stood FEMA at a critical juncture; severely limited resources remained after responding to earlier disasters such as Hurricane Helene’s devastation across southeastern states. With only about nine percent of its disaster workforce available for deployment following Tuesday’s report from FEMA’s daily operations briefing—indicating stretched capacities just as Hurricane Milton threatened further havoc—response efforts appeared dauntingly challenged ahead.
