Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified into a Category 3 and hurricane and storm surge watches are now posted along Florida’s western Gulf Coast, where the storm poses threats of life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall by midweek.
“Milton will be a historic storm for the west coast of Florida,” the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay said in a briefing Monday morning.
If you are in an area prone to storm surge, follow the advice of local officials and evacuate if ordered to do so. This is a serious situation with the National Hurricane Center forecasting a storm surge as much as 8 to 12 feet above ground level along the western Florida Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, if the peak surge arrives at high tide.
Here’s where hurricane and storm surge alerts are in effect: A hurricane watch is in effect along much of the western Gulf Coast of Florida from Chokoloskee northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay. This means hurricane (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
Tropical storm watches extend north and south of the hurricane watch into Florida’s Big Bend and along the southwest Florida coast.
A storm surge watch stretches from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. This means a life-threatening water rise from storm surge is possible in the area, generally within 48 hours.