10:22 a.m.
Officials stated that about 5,300 people have taken shelter at facilities in Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Of that, about 4,100 are in Sarasota County Schools buildings - along with about 700 pets.
“We do not want you staying in your home if you are anywhere near a body of water,” Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said.
Time is starting to run low, but open shelters include:
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
• Babcock Ranch School Field House, 43281 Cypress Parkway, Babcock Ranch
• Kingsway Elementary School, 23300 Quasar Blvd., Port Charlotte
• Harold Avenue Recreation Center, 23400 Harold Ave., Port Charlotte
"Charlotte County Transit provides free rides to the four shelters now open," it stated.
To get a ride, people must call by noon today at 941-833-4000.
DeSOTO COUNTY
• DeSoto County Middle School, 420 E Gibson St, Arcadia,
SARASOTA COUNTY
• Atwater Elementary School, 4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port.
• Booker High School, 3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota
• Brookside Middle School, 3636 South Shade Ave., Sarasota.
• Fruitville Elementary School, 601 Honore Ave., Sarasota.
• Gulf Gate Elementary School, 6500 S. Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota.
• Heron Creek Middle School, 6501 W. Price Blvd., North Port.
• North Port High School, 6400 West Price Blvd North Port.
• Phillippi Shores Elementary, 4747 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota.
• Southside Elementary School, 1901 Webber St., Sarasota
Taylor Ranch is no longer available. The nearest shelter to Taylor Ranch is North Port High School or Heron Creek Middle School. The high school is at 6400 West Price Blvd., North Port. Heron Creek is at 6501 W. Price Blvd., North Port.
10 a.m.
The city of Venice announces that it will be shutting down all city potable water on Wednesday.
"The water will be kept on as long as safely possible," a city announcement stated. "If you are sheltering in place, finish making all water storage preparations now. Know it may be several days until water service is restored.
"Anyone choosing to shelter in place should prepare accordingly and collect and store as much water as possible, including bottled water, plastic holding jugs, filling your bathtub, etc.," it said.
8:12 a.m.
A Hurricane Warning was officially sent out at 8:09 a.m. from the National Weather Service out of Ruskin.
"Milton remains a powerful and very dangerous major hurricane moving northeast into the eastern Gulf of Mexico this morning, and will bring devastating to life-threatening impacts across parts of West Central and Southwest Florida beginning later today and continuing through early Thursday," it stated.
The warning is for all of the region, including Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. People are being urged to find a shelter or evacuate to a safe facility or home.
"Extremely life-threatening, catastrophic storm surge impacts are expected along the coast with destructive winds extending from the coast to inland locations along with heavy rainfall with possible flash flooding along with the threat of tornadoes."
8:09 a.m.
At the 8 a.m. forecast, Hurricane Milton was described as a Category 4 hurricane with speeds of 155 mph.
7:25 a.m.
The latest National Weather Service forecast for Hurricane Milton has it as a Category 5 storm that will make landfall as a Category 4.
According to the forecast, Hurricane Milton is moving northeast at 14 mph with top sustained winds of 160 mph.
"On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean Thursday afternoon," it stated. "Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida."
Various tracks and spaghetti models having the eyewall crossing Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota County. All of those would mean the region would have to deal with huge storm surge in the middle of the night - and there are already storm surge predictions of 10-15 feet for all of Sarasota County, including Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, Englewood and South Venice.
Charlotte Harbor is looking at 8-12 feet of storm surge.
Rainfall will also be an issue.
"Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches, with localized totals up to 18 inches, are expected across central to northern portions of the Florida Peninsula through Thursday," he stated. This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding."
This story will be updated.
EARLIER
Thousands of people took to Interstate 75 on Tuesday; thousands more took to local storm shelters in DeSoto, Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
Different thoughts on the same mindset: Getting out of the way of Hurricane Milton, which, as of 6 p.m. Tuesday, was forecast to strike as a major hurricane late Wednesday somewhere between Sarasota County and Tampa Bay.
While residents have spent the last few days preparing and buttoning up, officials are doing their final checks now in the final hours before the anticipated punch.
And it may be a devastating punch.
Almost everyone in the region was told to evacuate. Everyone in A, B and C zones were told they should leave — with mandatory evacuations for A and B in Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center have shifted the projected path of Hurricane Milton, to the south, possibly posing a greater danger to resident of Sarasota and Charlotte counties.
Milton, a dangerous storm now in the Gulf of Mexico, has returned to Category 5 strength after recycling its eye wall earlier Tuesday.
It’s been projected to strike Florida’s west coast for several days. For most of the past 24 hours, the cone showing the projection has included Charlotte Harbor to the south, but was centered near the mouth of Tampa Bay.
That southern shift was part of the Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. update.
“Milton wobbled a bit to the southeast today, but the longer-term 12-hour motion is east-northeastward,” the center reported.
“Because of the wobble, the track guidance has been initialized a bit to the south of where many of the raw model fields think the hurricane was centered … and this has caused the entire guidance envelope to shift a bit south on this cycle.
“It is still critical to remember that even at 36 hours (around the time of potential landfall), NHC’s track forecasts can be off by an average of 60 (miles), which means we still can’t pinpoint an exact landfall location, especially if additional wobbles occur in the short term,” the center reported.
The southern shift also pushes south the Peak Surge prediction, would be more dangerous to the Charlotte Harbor area.
The Peak Surge from the Anclote River north of Tampa to the Sarasota County portion of Englewood is predicted at 10-15 feet. The stretch of coast from Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor, is 8-12 feet.
Sarasota County officials have ordered the evacuation of anyone living in Zone A, B or C.
As of 6 p.m. Charlotte County has ordered evacuations for Zone A, B and added C Zone, meaning thousands of residents have been told to leave.
DeSoto County has also ordered Zone A and B evacuations.
These evacuations also include anyone living in a mobile home or a home that is not suitable for hurricane-force winds.
Shelters have been opened in all three counties.
At 5 p.m., the storm was 480 miles southwest of Tampa with highest sustained winds at 165 miles per hour, and was moving east-northeast at 9 mph.
“This is a very serious situation and residents in Florida should closely follow orders from their local emergency management officials. Evacuations and other preparations should be completed today. Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” the center states.
Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis told the Sarasota County Board of Commissioners that Milton “might be the worst natural disaster the county has ever seen.”
Evacuation orders aren’t issued lightly, he said, adding the best way for the public to help prepare for Milton is to comply with them.
The county also announced that access to the barrier islands, including Casey Key and Manasota Key, were cut off to travel at 7 p.m. Tuesday. People would be allowed to leave the islands but not return.
Punta Gorda is also looking at a possible worst-case scenario for Hurricane Milton.
According to Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith, there were more than 300 emergency calls with 77 rescues of more than 100 people after Hurricane Helene.
“Some of those rescues involved vehicles that got stuck because they couldn’t turn around,” she said. “Please stay out of flood waters.”
Many of the last minute situations were taking place. Charlotte County Transit provides free rides to the two shelters now and will do so until Hurricane Milton is nearby. For a ride, people can call 941-833-4000 24 hours a day.
Charlotte County has opened two general population shelters on Tuesday.
The open shelters are:
• Kingsway Elementary School, 23300 Quasar Blvd., Port Charlotte
• Harold Avenue Recreation Center, 23400 Harold Ave., Port Charlotte
Anyone who goes to a shelter needs to bring supplies for each family member and pets. All Charlotte County shelters are pet friendly.
Sarasota County shelters Sarasota County Evacuation Centers opened Tuesday.
All are general population evacuation centers and all are pet-friendly.
The shelters include:
• Atwater Elementary School, 4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port.
• Booker High School, 3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota
• Brookside Middle School, 3636 South Shade Ave., Sarasota.
• Fruitville Elementary School, 601 Honore Ave., Sarasota.
• Gulf Gate Elementary School, 6500 S. Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota.
• Heron Creek Middle School, 6501 W. Price Blvd., North Port.
• North Port High School, 6400 W. Price Blvd., North Port.
• Phillippi Shores Elementary, 4747 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.
• Southside Elementary School, 1901 Webber St., Sarasota
• Taylor Ranch Elementary, 2500 Taylor Ranch Trail, Venice.
For any questions, call 311 or 941-861-5000.
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