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Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall in Florida late Wednesday night.
ByKevin Shalvey and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: October 8, 2024, 11:45 PM EDT
Hurricane Milton, which re-strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane Tuesday afternoon, is taking aim at Florida's west coast. Landfall is expected late Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane.
Milton is closing in as Floridians are still recovering from the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene.
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Here's how the news is developing.
Oct 8, 11:45 pm
Tracking Milton: Latest forecast
Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.
Milton is forecast to weaken as it approaches Florida, but is expected to be a strong Category 3 hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday near Tampa and Sarasota.
The Tampa area is bracing for a potentially record-breaking storm surge up to 15 feet. This would shatter the record-breaking storm surge set just two weeks ago from Hurricane Helene.
Storm surge could reach 12 feet in Fort Myers.
Because of Milton’s large size, tropical storm-force winds are expected across nearly all of Florida. These winds will likely cause widespread damage to property and trees and leave millions without power for days to weeks.
The highest rain totals are expected from Tampa to Orlando to Daytona, where an extreme flash flood risk -- the highest level -- is in effect.
Five to 12 inches of rain is in the forecast; locally up to 18 inches is expected.
-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin
Oct 08, 2024, 8:23 PM EDT
St. Petersburg issues safety advisory for downtown tower cranes
Officials in St. Petersburg issued a public safety advisory Tuesday for residents and businesses near tower cranes ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida.
Due to anticipated wind gusts from the storm exceeding 100 mph, the high winds could potentially exceed the safe operational limits for tower cranes and pose a risk of malfunction, the city said in a press release.
"Lowering or securing a tower crane is scheduled weeks in advance and is not a feasible option within the timeframe of an approaching storm due to the rapid intensification and forecasted path," the city said.
The four construction sites of "particular concern" are 400 Central Ave. (downtown), 275 1st Ave. S (downtown) 1000 1st Ave. N (downtown) and 101 Main St. N (Carillon), according to the city.
Oct 08, 2024, 7:07 PM EDT
Bradenton mayor says, 'We can replace your home, we can't replace your life'
Ahead of Hurricane Milton's impact, the mayor of Bradenton, Florida, joined ABC News Live Tuesday to issue a grave warning to residents who are not planning to evacuate.
"Get out of these areas because we can replace your home, we can't replace your life," Mayor Gene Brown said. "And we don't want to be finding bodies floating in rivers -- and we've seen that before," he added.
Bradenton lies on the west coast of Florida, sitting in the middle of the forecast path for Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
Brown added that a local sheriff is advising those who do not evacuate to "Write your name on your arm so we can identify you. We're all talking the same way," Brown said.
Oct 08, 2024, 6:36 PM EDT
Jacksonville mayor urges residents to shelter, stay off roads
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan urged residents to prepare for Hurricane Milton's impact in a press conference Tuesday.
Deegan asked residents to "batten down the hatches" and hunker down until conditions improve.
"We are expecting river flooding at the height of the storm, with peak tides carrying into Thursday evening," said Deegan. "We're asking everyone to stay off the roads. If you haven't already decided where you'll shelter, please do so now and stay there."
-ABC News' Jason Volack
Oct 08, 2024, 6:05 PM EDT
Timelapse video shows Hurricane Milton as seen from space
In stunning video footage taken by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, Hurricane Milton is seen from space as it makes its way toward landfall.
Dominick shared the video on X, which he captured through the window of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which is docked at the International Space Station (ISS).
0:41
Timelapse video shows Hurricane Milton as seen from space
Timelapse footage captured by NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shows Hurricane Milton as the powerful storm churned through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.
ABCNews.com
Related Topics
- Hurricane Milton
