Florida is on high alert for what may be the grandest evacuation effort in seven years as the menacing Hurricane Milton gains strength over the Gulf's balmy waters.
Destined for densely-inhabited areas like Tampa and Orlando, residents are on edge. Recalling the chaotic retreat faced by Floridians in 2017 when Hurricane Irma loomed, nearly 7 million people were encouraged to leave their homes, which led to clogged highways, and endless waits for gasoline.
Early Monday, the National Hurricane Center described Hurricane Milton's path as "moving erratically eastward through the southern Gulf of Mexico" with predictions of escalating into a formidable hurricane as the day progresses.
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Positioned approximately 220 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and way off at 770 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Milton brandishes powerful winds reaching speeds of 90 mph while edging eastward at a crawl of 6 mph, according to the hurricane center's latest data.
Although forecast trajectories differ significantly, the consensus hints that Milton might roar ashore near the Tampa Bay region by Wednesday and could continue as a hurricane through central Florida before exiting into the Atlantic. Such a route would largely bypass other southeast locales recently hammered by Hurricane Helene, which wreaked havoc from Florida up towards the Appalachian Mountains, noting a grim increase in fatalities to at least 230 individuals by Sunday.
Residents across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, and the northwestern Bahamas are on alert as the hurricane center advises close monitoring of the approaching system. With heavy rainfall anticipated for Sunday, Floridians are bracing for potential flooding, with forecasts predicting up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain in some areas by Wednesday night.
Drawing from past experiences with storms like Irma, Florida officials are proactively preparing, positioning emergency fuel and electric vehicle charging stations along evacuation routes, according to Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, during 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 stated.
As Hurricane Milton gains strength rapidly, it is expected to become a major hurricane before making landfall on the already battered Gulf Coast around midweek. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned on Sunday that the trajectory of Hurricane Milton is still uncertain, but the severity of its impact on the state is not. "I don't think there's any scenario where we don't have major impacts at this point," DeSantis declared.
"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 advised. "If you're on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just assume you'll be asked to leave."
In a first, Milton has achieved hurricane status, marking the first instance of three simultaneous hurricanes in the Atlantic post-September, as per Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach. August and September have previously seen four concurrent hurricanes.
The St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still grappling with extensive damage from Helene and its powerful storm surge. Helene's wrath claimed twelve lives as it swamped the coast, causing the most destruction along the narrow, 20-mile (32-kilometer) string of barrier islands extending from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.
On Sunday, DeSantis extended his state of emergency declaration to 51 counties, urging Floridians to brace for more power outages and disruption. He emphasized the need for a week's supply of food and water and readiness to evacuate.
"We are preparing ... for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma," Guthrie revealed. Guthrie further suggested that those residing in homes built after Florida strengthened codes in 2004, who don't rely on constant electricity and who aren't in evacuation zones should ideally avoid the roads.
Schools and activities in St. Petersburg's Pinellas County battened down the hatches, shutting doors from Monday to Wednesday as Milton loomed large.
In anticipation of what Milton might bring, up to 4,000 National Guard troops are pitching in with state squads to clear the clutter, according to DeSantis. And in a quick-change of plans, he rerouted Florida's own relief team initially sent post-Helene to North Carolina back home to bolster preparations.
"All available state assets ... are being marshaled to help remove debris," declared DeSantis, signaling the massive round-the-clock cleanup operation unfolding. "We're going 24-7 ... it's all hands on deck."
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