The Florida Keys will also be affected by Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton is anything but a friendly visit from Uncle Miltie. On Monday, this tropical cyclone rapidly intensified, escalating from a Category 1 hurricane to a near-record Category 5 storm, boasting winds of 180 mph (290 km/h) and a central pressure of just 897 millibars.
Currently, Milton has slightly weakened to a Category 4 hurricane as it moves along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The National Hurricane Center has warned that Milton will remain an “extremely dangerous hurricane” as it approaches landfall on Florida’s west coast.
Travel disruptions are already taking their toll due to Milton. Airports in the region have announced they have stopped or will soon suspend operations as the storm draws near.
Even as a Category 4 storm, Milton poses significant dangers.
“Milton has intensified into a major hurricane and is expected to hit the West Coast of the Florida Peninsula early Thursday morning,” stated the National Weather Service in an early Tuesday morning update. “Hurricane, Tropical Storm, and Storm Surge warnings are in effect. Heavy rainfall associated with Milton will likely lead to widespread flash flooding across central Florida on Wednesday, with life-threatening and catastrophic flooding expected.”
The weather service highlighted the risk of “structural damage to even well-built structures, including complete roof and wall failures,” and added that “[c]omplete destruction of mobile homes” could occur, exacerbated by large airborne debris.
The potential for widespread destruction has been further confirmed by the National Hurricane Center in a Tuesday statement.
“The combination of a dangerous storm surge and high tide may result in flooding of typically dry coastal areas due to rising waters moving inland,” the agency warned, indicating that water levels could reach as high as 15 feet (4.6 meters) above ground in affected areas if the peak surge coincides with high tide.
“It is critical to understand the severity of this situation. Residents in Florida must closely adhere to directives from local emergency management officials,” the NHC emphasized in a warning released on Tuesday. “Milton has the potential to be among the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded for west-central Florida.”
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
