DeSantis says Hurricane Milton mobilization is largest in state's history

(The Center Square) – Mobilization for hurricane is larger for Milton than any previous in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said from Lake City on Wednesday.

State officials say 6,000 Florida National Guard soldiers and 3,000 from other states await storm rescue and recovery efforts, along with 34 search and rescue aircraft and 500 tactical vehicles. Hurricane Milton is forecast for landfall Wednesday night into Thursday.

The National Hurricane Center says the storm, at 2 p.m. still a Category 4 in strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with sustained maximum winds of 130 mph, is headed south of Tampa Bay in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The 2 p.m. advisory placed it about 130 miles west of Fort Myers, and 150 southwest of Tampa.

Forecasters predict the storm will scoot across the peninsula as a weaker hurricane and be in the Atlantic by Thursday night before weakening into an extratropical storm.

According to the Hurricane Center, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 250 miles, especially to the north.

"I've seen great sources of inspiration throughout the state of Florida with our first responders, with people who are working around the clock to help their fellow Floridians," DeSantis said. "And you can count on us. We're going to be in this all the way till the end. So please make sure you're doing what you need to do to protect yourself."

The two-term Republican governor says there are 150 shelters with 30,000 individuals; capacity is for 200,000.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said residents in flood zones under mandatory evacuation orders could face "life-threatening storm surge" and to go one of the shelters.

"Your home, belongings can be replaced, but unfortunately, you can not," Guthrie said. "And neither can your family."

He also said there were 2.3 million power outages during Hurricane Helene, which brushed the Gulf Coast before making landfall Sept. 26 in the Big Bend. He predicts more outages due to the storm's track.

DeSantis said there are 50,000 linemen, many from other states as far away as California, waiting for the storm to pass so they can start restoring power for Floridians.

Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said the Sunshine Skyway and the Howard Franklin bridges in Tampa Bay were closed due to high winds, along with the Courtney, Campbell and Gandy causeways that connect Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

He said the use of the left shoulder to facilitate evacuations on Interstates 75 and 4 had been discontinued. Perdue said Florida Department of Transportation bridge inspectors, damage assessment teams and heavy equipment are ready once the storm passes to get roads open as quickly as possible.