TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Milton is a strong Category 3 storm as it tracks toward Florida's Gulf Coast. Florida started to see conditions deteriorating late in the morning on Wednesday ahead of landfall.
WHEN MIGHT MILTON MAKE LANDFALL
Hurricane Milton is working its way toward the Tampa Bay area right now, just slightly weakening to a Category 3 storm.
The eye of the storm is expected to first touch Florida's west coast Wednesday night, then likely won't finish its path through the state until early Thursday morning.
As of the latest advisory, the storm is about 60 miles west-southwest of Sarasota with maximum sustained winds at 120 mph. It is moving northeast at 17 mph.
"While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida," the NHC previously said.
The Tampa Bay area has the potential to see 10 to 15 feet of storm surge, but this is highly dependent on the track. A slight shift in the landfall south of Tampa Bay would result in lower surge totals.
Rainfall from Milton is expected to range between 5-12 inches with localized totals up to 18 inches across portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys through Wednesday night. That rainfall will bring risks of flash, urban and areal flooding along with minor to moderate river flooding, according to NHC.
With a front sinking in from the north, the areas prone to seeing most of the rain will exist along and south of I-4. Coastal areas should pay close attention to the forecast and have a way to receive alerts in case a flash flood warning is to be issued.
A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area within 36 hours.
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations.
A hurricane warning means sustained winds of 74 mph or higher associated with a hurricane are expected within 36 hours. A hurricane warning can remain in effect when dangerously high water or a combination of dangerously high water and exceptionally high waves continue, even though winds may be less than hurricane force.
A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area within 48 hours.
