AccuWeather is wrapping up live coverage of Milton, which left more than a dozen dead and over 3 million without power in Florida. For additional coverage, stream AccuWeather NOW anytime on our website. Stay up to date on the latest weather in your area by downloading the AccuWeather mobile app and visiting AccuWeather.com. And keep an eye on weather news and forecasts by following AccuWeather on:
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Power outages across Florida dropped to around 2.5 million Friday morning, according to poweroutage.us. That's down from the approximately 3.3 million customers without power Thursday morning in the wake of Milton’s landfall in Siesta Key about 70 miles south of Tampa Wednesday evening as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. Many hard-hit counties, like Pinellas County, are coming off of outages after Hurricane Helene roared ashore two weeks ago and damaged the infrastructure on the barrier islands, in some cases sweeping away lines that were buried underground.

ENGLEWOOD, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 10: A man drags storm debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Englewood, Florida. Much of the debris was created by Hurricane Helene and then spread by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key area. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the death toll has risen to at least 15 people, according to CNN. The fatalities span multiple counties.

A house lies in ruins after sustaining tornado and flood damage from Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Matlacha, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

St. Lucie County, on Florida’s Atlantic coast, has confirmed six deaths, attributed to tornadoes that touched down during the storm, WPBF News reported. The violent twisters left a trail of destruction, resulting in the highest number of fatalities in a single county.

In St. Petersburg, police confirmed two storm-related deaths. City officials noted that one of the deaths was medical-related, while the other victim was found in a park. The cause of death for the second individual remains unknown, pending further investigation.

Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach, has also reported fatalities, with Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood confirming that four people died in his jurisdiction. The details surrounding these deaths have not been fully disclosed.

A Tampa woman in her late 70s was found under a large tree branch shortly Thursday morning and was pronounced dead, the city said in a news release. It appears the woman was working on “post-hurricane restoration efforts” when the branch fell. “Although the storm has passed, its devastation has tragically taken the life of one of our community members,” said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. “Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve their loved one.”

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, Walt Disney World theme parks remained closed Thursday as Florida began recovery efforts and the park assessed damage. But the park will reoepen Friday, October 11, according to an update posted on Disney’s website Thursday evening.

Disney Park closures are a rarity, occurring only under exceptional circumstances. A closure for two days in a row is exceptionally rare. Walt Disney World in Orlando, particularly vulnerable to hurricanes, saw its first hurricane closure in 1999 due to Hurricane Floyd. The year 2004 was notably challenging, with the park closing three times for Hurricane Charley, Hurricane Frances, and Hurricane Jeanne. In 2005, Hurricane Wilma prompted a brief morning shutdown. More recently, the parks were closed for a day during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, for two days during Hurricane Irma in 2017, for half a day due to Hurricane Dorian in 2019, and for two days during Hurricane Ian in 2022, followed by an early closure for Hurricane Nicole later that same year.

Grove City, Florida, located about 30 miles southeast of where Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, has been severely impacted by the storm’s intense winds and flooding storm surge. The coastal community has been left almost unrecognizable. Drone footage captured on Thursday morning reveals houses that were partially destroyed, with debris scattered in all directions. In one dramatic scene, a boat had collided with two homes and was left stranded onshore after the storm surge receded. Watch the incredible drone footage below:

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, the death toll has risen to at least 10 people as communities across Florida begin to assess the storm’s devastating impact. The fatalities span multiple counties, with the hardest-hit areas reporting significant loss of life due to both the storm itself and its spawned tornadoes.

St. Lucie County on Florida’s Atlantic coast has confirmed five deaths, attributed to tornadoes that touched down during the storm, WPBF News reported. The violent twisters left a trail of destruction, resulting in the highest number of fatalities in a single county.

In St. Petersburg, police confirmed two storm-related deaths. City officials noted that one of the deaths was medical-related, while the other victim was found in a park. The cause of death for the second individual remains unknown, pending further investigation.

Volusia County has also reported fatalities, with Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood confirming that three people died in his jurisdiction. The details surrounding these deaths have not been fully disclosed, but they add to the growing toll of Hurricane Milton’s wrath.

A water rescue boat moves in flood waters at an apartment complex in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Water rescues across Florida were underway Thursday morning after Hurricane Milton storm surge roared ashore overnight. Hillsborough County, where the city of Tampa is located, is grappling with severe flooding. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister and the Marine Unit made a dramatic rescue of a 14-year-old boy who was found submerged in floodwaters, clinging to debris.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office also evacuated 135 people from The Great American Assisted Living Facility in Tampa, where residents were found in waist-deep water, many of them wheelchair-bound.

(Image credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)

(Image credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)

More than 500,000 Hillsborough County customers are without power as of noon Thursday. County officials are urging residents to conserve water as crews work to monitor and repair water and wastewater systems. The city of Tampa created a webpage to inform residents of any travel restrictions or closures. For more information, click here.

Well before landfall Wednesday night, powerful Hurricane Milton unleashed high winds, heavy rain, and severe flooding across the Tampa Bay region, including the densely populated areas of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Fort Myers. 

The hurricane also spawned multiple tornadoes, particularly affecting St. Lucie County where four fatalities were reported. The St. Lucie County Medical Examiner confirmed that the fatalities occurred in a mobile home retirement community.

As many as 45 tornadoes were reported Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall. The destruction and deaths add to the region’s misery, already compounded by the damage from Hurricane Helene. As emergency services continue rescue and recovery efforts, the community is left grappling with the aftermath of back-to-back natural disasters.

Milton leaves trail of destruction across Florida

Milton made landfall in Florida early Wednesday night and tore across the state under the cover of darkness. With the sun rising and the storm moving off the coast, people are stepping outside to see scenes of destruction, ranging from limbs mangled in power lines to boats stranded on land.

In downtown Tampa, intense winds toppled a crane that was perched atop a building, slamming into the structure as it collapsed before landing the road below. “We will better understand the extent of the damage as the day progresses,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Tornadoes on Florida Department of Transportation traffic cameras on I-75 in the Everglades (left) and Fort Myers (right). (FLDOT)

As many as 45 tornadoes were reported Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. At a mobile home retirement community in St. Lucie County, Florida, four fatalities were reported when a tornado struck Wednesday afternoon. The county sheriff said hundreds of homes were demolished. Another tornado went through Fort Myers, ripping the roof off of a home. In Martin County, a dozen homes were damaged and several people were injured. That tornado, andat least two others, were captured on film by Department of Transportation cameras.

Hurricanes often spawn tornadoes, with Hurricane Beryl in 2023 resulting in 68 confirmed events, but the record holder is Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which spawned 120 twisters. A total of 126 tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service prior to Hurricane Milton's landfall Wednesday, but the true number will not be known until the NWS surveys the storm damage at each location where a tornado was reported.

A satellite image of Hurricane Milton on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)

Milton is now a shadow of its former self. Once a Category 5 hurricane, it has been torn apart by disruptive wind shear and its interaction with land after racing across Florida on Wednesday night. However, it remains a Category 1 hurricane, with strong winds still affecting Florida’s Atlantic coast. In Daytona Beach, winds on Thursday morning were reaching nearly 60 mph as Milton’s center swirled just off the shore.

Conditions are expected to gradually improve across Florida on Thursday morning as Milton moves out to sea. Residents should exercise caution when venturing outside in the aftermath of the hurricane. Debris and downed power lines can make travel dangerous, and flooding is likely to persist in low-lying areas long after Milton has passed.

In this aerial view, boats rest in a yard after they were washed ashore when Hurricane Milton passed through the area on October 10, 2024, in Punta Gorda, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The morning light is revealing some of the first scenes of widespread damage. In Punta Gorda, Florida, about 25 miles northwest of Fort Myers, boats were stranded on land after being carried inland amid the inundating storm surge and powerful winds. Other boats were seen sitting on damp roads, blocking some lanes of traffic.

More than half a million customers are without power in Hillsborough County alone, according to Poweroutage.us. Hard-hit Tampa is located in the county and crews are working to address power outages in order to keep its communications center running, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said, so residents can reach law enforcement if they need assistance during the storm.

“Post-storm recovery efforts have begun in some parts of our county,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post. “Please stay home, as we have received reports of downed trees and flooded streets. Your safety is our priority!”

Deputies are reporting significant flooding on the streets and in homes. “They had water coming in over their knees, highly frightened and you have someone here who struggles with medical conditions,” Plant City Sheriff Chad Chronister said while rescuing a group of people stranded at a hotel. Please remember, it’s NEVER safe to drive through standing water. You can’t be sure how deep it is, and it can pose serious risks.

A sinkhole in the county is also being reported and the sheriff’s office warned people to stay vigilant and be mindful as they assess damage as downed wires are everywhere.

Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Tampa Bay Rays. (Image credit: Brandon Clement/Wx Chasing)

Strong winds from Hurricane Milton tore through the roof of Tropicana Field, the home stadium of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays. Video footage captured the dramatic moments when pieces of the translucent roof began flapping in the wind. The devastation was widely shared on social media, with posts showing the gaping holes left behind.

Gov. Ron DeSantis previously said Tropicana Field would be converted into a 10,000-person base camp to support post-landfall responders.

Following the destruction of the roof, the governor’s spokesman confirmed on Thursday morning the staging area was moved to Jacksonville, according to The New York Times.

Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Tampa Bay Rays. (Image credit: Brandon Clement/Wx Chasing)

Hurricane Milton shredded the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Tampa Bay Rays. (Image credit: Brandon Clement/Wx Chasing)

According to the Rays’ media guide, Tropicana Field’s roof was designed to withstand winds of up to 115 miles per hour. Wind speeds of more than 100 mph were reported in St. Petersburg at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, just under the stadium’s wind resistance threshold.

Before Milton even made landfall, tornadoes were touching down across the state. The Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, was hit particularly hard, with homes destroyed and some residents killed.

“We have lost some life,” St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News, though he did not elaborate on exactly how many lives were lost.

Milton is creating the perfect environment for tornado activity today and into tonight. "This is one of those situations where we have a very dynamic storm with Milton itself,"  Guy Pearson, Accuweather Severe Weather Expert said. "Through its entire lifecycle, it has been very dynamic."

Pearson says Milton's tornadoes were being spun up from an outer band of the storm hitting the central and eastern parts of Florida.

About 125 homes were destroyed by tornadoes before the hurricane came ashore, The Associated Press reports, including mobile homes in senior citizen communities for senior citizens. Urgent warnings from officials to evacuate were issued repeatedly in advance of Hurricane Milton's landfall.

“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. “Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”

More than three million customers were without power across Florida Thursday morning in the wake of Milton’s landfall in Siesta Key about 70 miles south of Tampa Wednesday evening as a powerful Category 3 hurricane. Many hard-hit counties, like Pinellas County, just coming off of outages after Hurricane Helene roared ashore two weeks ago and damaged the infrastructure on the barrier islands, in some cases sweeping away lines that were buried underground.

“We have an unprecedented number of our customers who are without power,” Tampa Electric President and CEO Archie Collins told CNN Thursday morning, adding the full extent of damage is still unknown because it isn't safe for crews to travel.

Reporting from the dark in Punta Gorda late Wednesday night as a storm surge overtook roadways, Aaron Jayjack said, "We just lost power. Big power flashes are going on. The wind is still gusting 80-plus miles per hour. We've got big-time problems going on in Punta Gorda. This is a big-time surge event here!"

AccuWeather spoke with Melissa Seixas of Duke Energy Florida before landfall who said customers should expect extensive outages. “But we are prepared. We are mobilizing 16,000 resources right now, either here already in the state of Florida or on their way. That includes line personnel, vegetation management and damage assessment.”

See the full interview below:

Sarasota, Florida, is just miles north of where Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm early Wednesday night, but the wrath of the hurricane didn’t arrive in Sarasota until hours after landfall.

“In a matter of minutes it went from entirely calm conditions, and then the backside of this storm moving through Sarasota, the city is underwater,” Wadell said with uneasiness in his voice. “Flat out terrifying storm surge.” While describing the scene, a large van nearly became stranded in the flooded streets.

Wadell, who has been covering hurricanes, tornadoes and severe weather across the country for years, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this in person in my life.” Watch Wadell’s dramatic interview below:

Max Watts, of Buford, Ga., walks in the parking lot to check on a trailer parked outside the hotel where he is riding out Hurricane Milton with coworkers, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. Watts, who works for a towing company, was deployed with colleagues to Florida to aid in the aftermath of the storm. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

A tremendous amount of rain has doused the Tampa area over the past several hours as Hurricane Milton pummels central Florida. The National Weather Service has issued a rare flash flood emergency, declaring a “particularly dangerous situation” due to the life-threatening flooding that is ongoing across the area.

St. Petersburg, which is included in the emergency, has measured 16.38 inches of rain in 24 hours -- more than 7 times higher than the historical average rainfall for the entire month of October. It is also significantly more rain than fell in the city in all of last October, which was a particularly dry month with only 0.44 of an inch of rain falling.

The band of heavy rain that is causing widespread flooding in the Tampa area is slowly shifting toward Orlando and will likely reach the city later Wednesday night.

While all eyes are on Central Florida, where Milton made landfall and continues to track inland, the storm's effects have reverberated all across the state.

Case in point, some 80 miles south of where Milton made landfall, AccuWeather's Ali Reid reports from Fort Myers that power lines sparked during powerful winds from Milton and are now posing a serious fire threat. "A fire is starting to begin here in Fort Myers," Reid said.

Florida's signature palm trees might now serve as a catalyst for fires during Milton, as power will likely start to be affected in the area as well.

"We've been seeing so many power surges across this area here. That has been constant over the last few hours," Reid added, making sure she was a safe distance back from the crackling power lines.

Currently, nearly 1.3 million customers throughout the state are without power, per PowerOutage.us.

After Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, power outages across Florida began to soar, now eclipsing 1.2 million customers, according to PowerOutage.us.

In Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, more than 161,000 customers are without power, with the county just south of it, Manatee, currently reporting close to 162,000 without power, or 62% of all customers.

This number expected to rise as Milton continues inland, with Milton likely retaining hurricane status throughout its course across the state. Orlando's Orange County is not yet reporting major outages but this should change as Milton moves farther inland.

The eye of Hurricane Milton may be over land, but water is still rushing in from the Gulf of Mexico, including in Punta Gorda, located about 20 miles northwest of Fort Myers.

“Big time storm surge problems in Punta Gorda, Florida,” storm chaser Aaron Jayjack exclaimed before a power flash interrupted his live report from the coastal town. “We are in the Gulf of Mexico now.” Jayjack said the water level had risen over 5 feet in just 30 minutes, comparing the storm surge to a tsunami. Watch the heart-pounding report below:

Farther inland in DeLand near Orlando, Florida, the effects of Milton are being seen on eastern side of the state as well. Dashcam video provided by Orange County showcases a harrowing moment when a tree falls on a moving vehicle, completely smashing the car's windshield.

Though Milton has made landfall, the storm is far from over. As Milton continues to move inland, conditions will continue to deteriorate in Orlando and other areas as well.

Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack reported from rising floodwater in Punta Gorda, Florida, as Hurricane Milton slammed into the Florida coast. “The storm surge has started to spill down the streets of downtown Punta Gorda. As you can see, we’re well away from the coast...Water is making its way through the streets,” Jayjack shouted through roaring winds.

Watch his full report below:

For the fifth time this year, a hurricane has made landfall in the United States.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, at 8:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.

A satellite image of Hurricane Milton as it was making landfall in Florida on Oct. 9, 2024. (AccuWeather)

Storm surge poured ashore with roads and communities along Florida’s immediate coast underwater. Just north of where Milton made landfall, intense windswept rain was blasting the entire Tampa area. The eye may be over land, but Milton is far from over as wind, rain and storm surge will continue to pound Florida through Wednesday night.

When it comes to hurricane forecasting, where exactly the eye of the storm makes landfall matters. And for Milton, that's especially important when it comes to the devastating storm surge that threatens Tampa. "One thing I'm really noticing is the structure of the eyewall. Still very much intact right now coming on shore." said Accuweather's Alex DaSilva. "We're starting to see hurricane-force wind gusts in the Tampa-St. Pete area."

AccuWeather predicts that as Milton continues to the east northeast, it will land in the Longboat Key area. This may mean that most of the surge won't be shoved up into the Tampa Bay area, but instead towards Sarasota and Siesta Key.

Storm chaser Connor McCrorey reported live from Sarasota, Florida Wednesday evening, highlighting the escalating conditions as Milton approached the west coast of Florida.

"It's gotten pretty interesting here the last half an hour," McCrorey began, explaining that the storm had really picked up compared to when he was shooting video initially. He estimates wind gusts upward of 90 miles per hour. "Palm trees have been swaying and we've been bombarded by debris."

AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach being blasted by hurricane-force winds in Bradenton, Florida, as Milton started to make landfall on Oct. 9, 2024. (AccuWeather)

“This is a good gust. There goes a tree limb,” AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach said while reporting live from Bradenton, Florida on Wednesday evening as Hurricane Milton began to make landfall. Bradenton is 32 miles south of Tampa and is in position to be hit hard by the eye of Milton.

“We’ve had numerous power flashes kind of in all directions in the time that we’ve been here,” Laubach said. “We did see a lot of the larger limbs were blown across the road. So some of the roads were blocked by some of the debris.” Watch Laubach’s full report:

According to PowerOutage.us,nearly 400,000 customers are without power across Florida in advance of Milton's imminent landfall.

This number is expect to rise in the coming hours as Milton makes landfall, bringing with it devastating storm surge, high winds, and heavy rainfall.

As expected, the bulk of the outages are in the central part of the state from the west coast to the east coast in counties like Hillsborough, where Tampa is located, Indian River, and St. Lucie.

Tornadoes are neither uncommon in Florida, nor within the context of tropical systems, but the large, enduring wedge tornadoes spawning from Hurricane Milton today are making the scene look more like Oklahoma in the heart of tornado alley.

A wedge tornado is at least as wide as it is tall, the kind of spectacular and yet incredibly destructive twister you see in movies. Wedge tornadoes are also associated with producing potential EF4-EF5 tornadoes and covering more ground, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This type of tornado often forms when warm, humid air, usually from the Gulf of Mexico, collides with cold, dry air from Canada.

Some of the most notorious twisters in U.S. history were wedge tornadoes, including the EF5 that leveled Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011.

As of 530pm EDT, Three Florida NWS offices had issued some 133 tornado warnings associated with Hurricane Milton, with nearly 50 in Miami and Tampa each.

Milton is creating the perfect environment for tornado activity today and into tonight. "This is one of those situations where we have a very dynamic storm with Milton itself,"  Guy Pearson, Accuweather Severe Weather Expert said. "Through its entire lifecycle, it has been very dynamic."

Pearson says Milton's tornadoes were being spun up from an outer band of the storm hitting the central and eastern parts of Florida.

Here's one video of a tornado that whirled across a field in Lorida, Florida:

The entire Tampa area has been placed under an “extreme wind warning” as the strongest wind from Hurricane Milton begins to move over land. “Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!” the National Weather Service said when issuing the alert. The warning is in effect until 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Hurricane Milton remains a life-threatening Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph, but gusts can be locally higher. As the eye of Milton moves over land, winds may briefly calm down, but people should not let their guard down as winds will pick back up after the eye departs.

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, the number of power outages across the state is rapidly increasing, now affecting nearly 270,000 customers, according to Poweroutage.us.

Significant outages have been reported, particularly on the east coast, where Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties are experiencing disruptions due to Milton’s massive wind field. As the hurricane continues its path through Florida, the situation is expected to worsen, leaving many without electricity and complicating emergency response efforts.

AccuWeather hurricane experts say wind gusts reaching the strength of a Category 4 hurricane (130-156 mph) will cause extensive damage and destruction to older homes and buildings that have never been tested before. Loose objects and piles of debris will become projectiles.

Widespread tree and power line damage will occur, with millions likely to be without power, meteorologists say. Some of the power outages may last many days to weeks in the hardest-hit areas, especially since some of the distant utility crews that would typically assist for Milton are still working on restoring power in the wake of Helene over northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Storm chaser Aaron Rigsby reported live from Venice, Florida, on Thursday evening as winds began picking up while Milton was still hours away from landfall.

Telling AccuWeather broadcasters Milton has one of the widest wind fields he has experienced as a storm chaser, Rigsby said the winds are gusting up to tropical storm force. “Some reports of 45 mph and it’s still almost 100 miles offshore. This is going to be one of the areas that are going to see the most significant storm surge associated with Milton, so we’re hunkered up high, and we are bracing for impact,” he added.

Jayjack expressed concern for some of the homes in the area, many of which are low to the ground. “I hope these folks in these mobile homes and these low-lying areas have left the area because it’s not going to look pretty in the morning.”

Storm chaser Aaron Jayjack provided a live report on the AccuWeather Network from North Port, Florida, Wednesday evening detailing the intensifying situation. 

Jayjack described encountering significant winds, now reaching tropical storm-force levels and noted that the heavy rainfall is already causing road flooding and overflowing creeks. “We are going to have the surge problems here shortly. The storm is getting close to the coast and we’re expecting that wall of water to start impacting points in our area here and further to the south; The Punta Gorda area, Fort Myers as well, all the way up north to Tampa.”

Watch his full report:

As Hurricane Milton speeds toward Florida, its rain and winds have begun to lash the state’s west coast. Storm chaser Connor McCrorey reported live from downtown Sarasota Wednesday evening where he is experiencing the first hurricane-force winds from the massive storm, and streets are beginning to flood.

Approximately 70 miles down the coast in Fort Myers, the situation is similarly dire. The city has already sustained widespread damage from tornadoes spawned ahead of Milton’s arrival, and water is now starting to flood the streets.

AccuWeather experts have been forecasting that Hurricane Milton will make landfall near Anna Maria Island on the far southern part of Tampa Bay at around 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday evening. The storm is expected to bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet, posing a significant threat to coastal communities.

As of 4:30 p.m. EDT, AccuWeather experts are forecasting a landfall of Hurricane Milton near Anna Maria Island, Florida around 9 p.m. EDT. Hurricane Milton, now a Category 3 storm, is moving quickly toward the west coast of Florida.

"Over the last several hours, the storm has been moving more to the north than it has to the east, which is enabling the storm to gain latitude and draw closer to Tampa Bay. Over the coming hours, the storm can take a turn more toward the east, as the storm approaches the coast. The location at which the storm moves to the east is extremely critical in terms of defining where the worst of the devastating storm surge occurs," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter.

"Conversely, should an eastward motion occur sooner, the storm surge could be greatly reduced in Tampa Bay, with increased storm surge impacts further south along the coast from Bradenton and Sarasota toward Venice," he added.

Milton's historic track into the Tampa Bay region means that different parts of the region can see damaging storm surge as the wind direction shifts. This includes tidal flooding in places where it has not flooded before in residents' lifetimes.

"Even as the storm moves away from Tampa, strong northwesterly winds behind Milton can produce damaging storm surge on the southeastern part of the Bay," Porter explained.

A family in Fort Myers, Florida, experienced the terrifying force of a tornado just ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall. The tornado ripped the roof off their home while they were inside. “I saw the tornado coming and I called my wife... It started to hit trees and we all started going for the hallway, we didn’t even make it there on time. I heard glass break and it sucked the whole roof off. I grabbed my wife and kid and hunkered down,” a Fort Myers resident recounted to AccuWeather’s Ali Reid, standing in front of the wreckage that was once their home.

AccuWeather meteorologists say Milton is just hours away from a 9 p.m. landfall as a Category 3 or 4 storm within a dozen miles of the islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay along the west-central coast of Florida.

At 2:30 p.m. EDT, 15 tornado warnings were in effect for central Florida as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the state. Damage has been reported at at least 10 locations across the state today, including Fort Myers where AccuWeather's Ali Reid reported this afternoon.

Social media videos also showed a large tornado in the St. Lucie area, on Florida's east coast, opposite Fort Myers. Earlier Wednesday, a tornado was sighted at Clewiston on the southwest side of Lake Okeechobee, and two tornadoes were recorded on Department of Transportation cameras in the Everglades.

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida’s west coast and neighborhoods have gone eerily quiet, many residents faced a difficult decision: Evacuate or stay put. Although nearly 7.3 million Floridians are under mandatory evacuation orders across 15 counties, a significant number are opting to remain in their homes.

“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County. "Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”

“Where you are now is where you are going to be during the duration of Milton,” Manatee County Chief of Emergency Management Matt Myers said. “The conditions are rapidly getting worse.”

Still, Vivienne Marran from St. Petersburg isn't evacuating and shared her perspective with CNN on Wednesday morning. “The alternatives weren’t too inviting, you know?” she said from her condo just off Tampa Bay.

Two weeks ago, Marran rode out Hurricane Helene, which left 20 Floridians dead and caused widespread destruction. “I mean, they tell us we’ve only got to go 20 miles inland,” she continued. “But because of the last storm, there’s nowhere to go, really. I mean, I guess they’ve got evacuation places, but we’ve been through a lot of these, and it’s a concrete building, and I just feel safer here than elsewhere.”

Despite the urgent pleas from officials, including Tampa Fire Rescue’s chief who said, “You need to help us by evacuating,” and added, “I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude,” many residents are choosing to stay. Factors such as gas availability, the cost of inland hotels, and the potential hassle of returning to possibly flooded properties have influenced their decisions. For many, the thought of another evacuation so soon after Hurricane Helene, especially deep into the 2024 hurricane season, is overwhelming.

“It’s, like, PTSD,” said Holly Speckhart, who plans to weather Hurricane Milton with Marran in their five-story building. They intend to pass the time watching Tampa Bay Rays baseball, sipping a Modelo, and resting on inflatable mattresses in an interior hallway. If necessary, they will seek refuge in an interior stairwell. “All my friends are mad at me from Ohio,” added Speckhart, originally from Cincinnati. “They keep calling me, saying, ’You’re gonna die.’”

Speckhart said she feels safe in spite of the potential storm surge of 15-20 feet. “Our building’s top floors are much higher than that, and some units have hurricane shutters and windows.”

As Hurricane Milton looms closer with landfall expected late tonight, conditions in Sarasota are rapidly deteriorating. AccuWeather’s Bill Wadell reported from Sarasota, Florida, on Wednesday afternoon, noting that torrential rain has significantly picked up in intensity. “We’re near low tide at one o’clock today, but the tides will be rising all afternoon and evening with high tide at 4 a.m. This is not good news because the later that we see a landfall into the evening and overnight hours, the closer we are gonna be to high tide, which means Hurricane Milton will have the potential to push even more catastrophic storm surge into places like Sarasota,” Wadell explained.

In response to the impending storm, officials have closed the bridges to the barrier islands, and Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert is urgently pleading with holdouts to evacuate. “You do not want to try and survive a 15-20 foot storm surge. It’s not survivable. It will be dangerous, there could be electrical wires in there,” Mayor Alpert warned. Despite the grim outlook, she remained optimistic, adding, “We’ll get through this and we’ll build back better.”

As the wind and rain continue to intensify in Sarasota, residents are urged to take all necessary precautions and heed evacuation orders to ensure their safety.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida late tonight at 11 p.m. EDT as a formidable Category 4 hurricane, AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Alex Da Silva said at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Milton is poised to roar ashore within a dozen miles of the islands at the mouth of Tampa Bay along the west-central coast of Florida. A life-threatening and highly destructive storm surge from 15 to 20 feet is expected at the point of landfall.

Additionally, flooding rainfall and damaging wind gusts will impact many areas of the Florida Peninsula, with hurricane conditions anticipated throughout the I-4 corridor.

As the storm approaches, it remains a powerful and potentially deadly and destructive force. AccuWeather experts continue to warn residents to take all necessary precautions and remain vigilant.

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, conditions are deteriorating, particularly along the state’s west coast. CNN Newsource correspondent  Ivan Rodriguez reported from Tampa, noting the worsening situation that is expected to intensify as the hurricane makes landfall.

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno informed Rodriguez just before noon EDT on Wednesday that wind gusts near the city had already reached approximately 30 mph. Rayno also highlighted the presence of incoming rain and strong thunderstorms just offshore and said the water will "start piling up soon," further signaling the severe weather that Florida residents will need to brace for in the coming hours.

Watch the full report:

(Photo Credit: The Associated Press)

Many Waffle Houses in the path of Hurricane Milton have closed, including all restaurants located in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and many in the Fort Myers area. 

The "Waffle House Index" was invented by Craig Fugate, FEMA director, more than 13 years ago after the 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado. Originally, it was a way to gauge storm damage after a storm had passed through. Because of its reputation for staying open during disasters, Waffle Houses that were closed were assumed to be destroyed or heavily damaged.

Today, the index is not as relevant, as there are many real-time sources of national and local power outages and road closures that illustrate storm damage better. The index, which once had its own website, now only exists today as a hashtag.

In the years since the index was invented, the policy has evolved to preemptively close restaurants ahead of major storms rather than trying to stay open until the last minute. This information, in theory, could be used to gauge the severity of a storm—but it probably shouldn't, as there are many meteorological measures now that measure a storm's severity, including AccuWeather’s RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.

Waffle House is known for its effective handling of disasters. It has a limited menu prepared for times of food shortages and power outages. It also assembles "Waffle House jump teams" who can quickly reopen the restaurant after a disaster as soon as it is safe to do so. Other franchises, such as Lowe's, Walmart, and Home Depot, have similar policies.

Rain and wind is picking up along Florida’s Gulf Coast, including in Sarasota, which could take a direct hit from Hurricane Milton. “It’s starting to look real,” Sarasota, Florida, Mayor Liz Alpert told AccuWeather in an interview on Wednesday morning. It was raining in Sarasota on Wednesday morning, but not too windy yet. However, once the winds reach 40 mph, conditions become too dangerous for emergency crews and first responders to be dispatched. “So please, before it gets to that point, get out and get somewhere where you can be safe,” Alpert said.

Two large tornadoes crossed Interstate 75 in the Florida Everglades around 10 a.m. EDT, moving north between the towns of Miles City and Andytown, Florida. The tornado shown here was east of the first tornado and closer to Andytown. 

The first tornado warning was upgraded to a "particularly dangerous tornado warning" as it moved north towards Lake Okeechobee at 10:15 a.m. EDT. More tornadoes are possible across Florida as Hurricane Milton blasts across the state.

Wind and waves from Hurricane Milton will push water well inland, with the storm surge predicted to approach 20 feet in the hardest-hit areas around Tampa and Sarasota, Florida. In response, the city of Tampa has opened several parking garages and made parking free of charge to help residents in surge-prone areas keep their cars dry and safe. “Our goal is to help all residents, especially electric vehicle owners, avoid the dangers associated with flooding,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “Parking in the upper levels of our garages can help reduce the likelihood of water damage, and we encourage residents to take advantage of this opportunity.”

However, some residents are opting for different methods to protect their vehicles from floodwaters.

The parking lot at a Target in Fort Myers, Florida, is packed with cars, boats, and RVs, as it is one of the higher elevation spots in the city. Some people have even parked their vehicles on the shoulders of tall bridges to keep them above the anticipated flooding.

Electric vehicles are particularly vulnerable to damage from storm surge flooding, as saltwater can harm the battery and potentially spark an electrical fire that is difficult to extinguish. In 2022, multiple fires were reported across Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian when the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles burst into flames days after the storm had passed.

Over a million people have fled Florida due to significant risks to lives and property. Among them are Tampa residents Brett Cassidy and Corrieanne Stein, who began their evacuation to Georgia at 4:45 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. “The moment we got on I-75 in Florida, traffic was bumper to bumper almost all the way to Atlanta,” Cassidy said.

Typically, the trip from Tampa to Atlanta takes the couple about 6 hours, but on Tuesday, the evacuation traffic stretched their journey to over 12 hours. Adding to the stress, they were traveling with their three cats. Despite the challenges, they reported “settling in great” to their temporary home in Atlanta. Watch the couple describe their last-minute evacuation from Milton:

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida Wednesday morning, the first of what will likely be many tornado watches was issued by the NWS Storm Prediction Center at 8:15 a.m. EDT. Covering southern Florida from Tampa to Palm Bay and southward, the watch is in effect until 9 p.m. EDT. Tornado watches are issued when widespread tornado activity is possible.

Eight tornado warnings have been issued in the last 24 hours over the southern part of the state. As Milton tracks into Florida, the risk will spread north, with the greatest risk overall being from Tampa and Orlando southward to the Florida Keys and up to Port St. Lucie.

Storm chasers are stationed across Florida, ready for Hurricane Milton to make landfall, and some are at a loss for words as they report from regions already devastated by multiple hurricanes in recent years. “You can’t tell what’s damage from what, because there’s just so much debris,” Storm Chaser Mike Scantlin said while reporting from Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday morning. The area has been bombarded by several hurricanes in the past two years, including Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Hurricane Debby and Hurricane Helene earlier this year.

“It’s just, there are no words to describe the feeling in the atmosphere and the feeling of me personally standing here again, seeing what’s about, what’s about to take place again,” Scantlin added. “There are no words for it.” Watch Scantlin’s report below:

Milton is closing in on Florida with life-threatening conditions, including dangerous storm surge, intense wind that can cause widespread power outages and more than a month’s worth of rain. Here’s the latest on the dangerous storm:

•Milton is a Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 155 mph.
•Rain and gusty winds have already arrived in Florida with conditions expected to deteriorate throughout the day
•Landfall is expected between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. EDT Thursday near the Tampa area
•Milton has been upgraded to a 5 on AccuWeather’s RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes due to the significant impacts expected from the “once-in-a-lifetime” storm. Other historic hurricanes that have been rated as a 5 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale include Sandy, Katrina and Harvey.

AccuWeather is providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage of Milton’s landfall with a dedicated team of expert meteorologists, reporters, and storm chasers strategically positioned across Florida.

Our team is working around the clock to deliver real-time updates, in-depth analysis, and the latest storm developments. From the initial impact to the aftermath, AccuWeather’s comprehensive reporting ensures you stay informed and prepared during this critical weather event.

You can also tune into the AccuWeather Network and AccuWeather NOW for live coverage featuring hurricane experts and reports from the field. The AccuWeather Network is accessible via cable TV, while AccuWeather NOW offers comprehensive live streaming available on AccuWeather.com, Roku, Zumo, STIRR, LG, and Plex.

Click here for the latest Florida evacuation orders including a list and a map.

Click here to read the forecast: Central Florida braces for life-threatening impacts from Hurricane Milton landfall as a major hurricane

There are just a few hours left for residents of Pinellas County, Florida to evacuate. AccuWeather Correspondent Leslie Hudson reported from Madeira Beach, Florida, where the urgency to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton is mounting.Residents have been ordered to leave by Tuesday evening as they make last-minute preparations for the impending storm. Hudson said the police presence is very heavy. Every car is being stopped and checked before being allowed to go onto the barrier islands there.

“Unless you’re an emergency worker or official personnel they are turning cars around. And everybody - emergency personnel, hotel staff…residents will have to leave this area no later than 7:00 p.m. tonight,” Hudson told AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno.

Time is running out for those who wish to evacuate safely, and authorities are urging everyone to act swiftly to avoid the life-threatening impacts of the hurricane.

Watch the full report:

Tampa General Hospital has been using a so-called aquafence to help protect patients and staff from storm surge, allowing the building to continue normal operations during major storms. This is now the fourth year the hospital is using the device - but they probably didn't expect to be using it back-to-back storms within a few weeks.

This is the same aquafence that Dustin Pasteur, VP of facilities and construction at Tampa General, just helped put up a few weeks ago for Helene. Now the crew is at it again, getting ready for Milton.

Pasteur explained to Accuweather's Leslie Hudson that these fences were built to withstand up to 130 mph winds and are nine feet tall. Last year with Idalia, Hudson says the area around the hospital got a storm surge of around 4-7 feet.

With a potential for up to a 15 foot storm surge with Milton, though, there's a question of if the fence will hold, as Terrence Concannon in Tampa observed on TikTok, noting that he saw about 40-50 people working to get the aquafence back up and secured. "I think the wind might be the worst part... I really hope it holds."

The International Space Station flew directly over Hurricane Milton on Tuesday, and NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick took the opportunity to photograph the storm from a unique perspective. From 260 miles above the storm, Dominick captured a timelapse as the ISS flew over Milton, which was still spinning over the Gulf of Mexico. In the foreground was a SpaceX capsule docked to the station. The mesmerizing scene came less than a day after Dominick looked out the same window to see the Aurora Borealis dance over the Earth.

FILE - In this March 16, 2020, file photo, the entrance to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is closed in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Squeezed by limits on attendance at its theme parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, it planned to lay off 28,000 workers in its parks division in California and Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

After Floridians and tourists around the world were wondering when Disney World would officially shut down for Milton, news finally broke earlier today.

Disney shared in a statement that "on Wednesday, October 9, our theme parks and Disney Springs will be closed in phases beginning at 1:00 PM."

This is only the 11th closure in the park's 53-year history. Unsurprisingly, nine of the previous closures were also because of hurricanes.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will close at 1 p.m. EDT on Oct. 9. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs will close at 2 p.m. EDT on Oct. 9. Theme parks will likely remain closed on Thursday, Oct. 10

As for refunds, pre-paid bookable experiences will be automatically refunded within 7 to 10 business days.

Milton regains Cat 5 status

After losing some wind intensity, Milton strengthened back at category 5 hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson scale at 5 p.m. EDT. Milton was expected to re-intensify as it makes its way over warm waters, but according to AccuWeather forecasters, it will likely be a Category 4 on its final approach to the Florida coast. Regardless of its category, Milton will arrive on Florida's west coast as a major storm, with high winds and devastating storm surge not to be taken lightly.

“This is an unusual and extremely concerning forecast track for a hurricane approaching the west-central Florida coast and the Tampa Bay area,” warned AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter, "For many, Milton may be a once-in-a-lifetime hurricane in terms of severity." 

AccuWeather meteorologists say Hurricane Milton will strike Florida with the impacts of a 5 on AccuWeather's RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes, which takes into account storm surge, flooding rainfall, the population affected, and economic impacts above and beyond the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based solely on maximum sustained winds.

The RealImpact of 5 has only been designated for storms such as Sandy, Katrina, and Harvey, so this truly will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for the millions of people in the Tampa-St.Petersburg-Sarasota area.

"A life-threatening, catastrophic storm surge will be inundating Tampa Bay, Bradenton, and Sarasota. Destructive winds and flooding will go well inland," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. "We are expecting days to many weeks of widespread power outages in central Florida."

As the wind powers inland, even to Orlando, Porter said people will need to treat this storm as if it was a tornado. Stay inside your house and away from where trees might fall.

Police issue evacuation orders to residence of the Lincolnshire Mobile Estates community on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 in Largo, Fla. (Megan Santo/Largo Police via AP)

The time to evacuate is almost over, and more than 1 million people in the path of Milton have fled to safety, including residents of Lincolnshire Estates in Largo, Florida. The Tampa area community is largely comprised of single-story buildings and mobile homes, which are particularly susceptible to the effects of powerful hurricanes. Because of this, mandatory evacuations have been issued for everyone who lives in a mobile home in Largo, which is located in Pinellas County.

Florida has opened storm shelters across the state to accommodate people who are evacuating before rain and wind from Milton arrives. People who have pets are encouraged to check with a shelter before arriving to make sure that they accept animals, such as dogs or cats.

People leave the Epcot center, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6, 2016. (Photo by Gregg Newton / AFP) (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Walt Disney World theme parks are currently operating as usual, but they have suspended the ability to make park reservations for Tuesday, October 8, and Wednesday, October 9.

According to Florida Today, the world famous park has made the following adjustments based on Milton’s projected path:

•Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (including dining and recreation locations), the Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will temporarily close beginning at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
•Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are likely to remain closed until Sunday, Oct. 13.
•The Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will likely reopen on Friday, Oct. 11.

Walt Disney World Resort’s website says it will provide refunds in the event of a hurricane. This applies if the National Hurricane Center issues a warning for either the Orlando area or the visitor’s place of residence within seven days of their scheduled arrival date, provided the tickets and reservations were booked directly through Disney.

People walk in and out of a boarded-up 7-11 store as the state prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Milton on October 08, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Highways have been jammed over the past 48 hours as over a million people evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton, and time is running out before it’s too late to escape to safety. “Over a million” people are under evacuation orders, Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management told AccuWeather on Tuesday morning. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in parts of more than a dozen Florida counties. “We have more than enough shelters ready,” Guthrie said, adding that people can visit FloridaDisaster.org to find out where shelters are open in their neighborhood.

As Hurricane Milton closes in on landfall in Florida and people decide where they will ride out the storm, it’s important to make final preparations for the storm. AccuWeather has you covered.

CLICK HERE for a list of open shelters in Florida, evacuation orders issued and other useful links about road closures, open gas stations, Red Cross information as well as preparation and safety tips. If you have a question, you can likely find the answer on our Hurricane Milton essential information page.

Massive piles of debris and sand still litter many Florida roads in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s landfall last week. While rushing to clean up, many residents in the Tampa-St. Pete Beach area are facing the reality that Milton could be significantly worse and the debris could become dangerous. Reporting from Treasure Island, Leslie Hudson said dump trucks are working around the clock to get rid of as much debris as possible before Milton arrives.

“There is a significant amount of debris they have hauled away but there is a ton left. So there is the big concern that this could become projectiles, this could become life-threatening debris during a storm surge. This is heavy stuff. There’s refrigerators, there’s treadmills, there’s ovens, entire houses that have been gutted.”

Debris from homes flooded in Hurricane Helene sits curbside as Hurricane Milton approaches on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

AccuWeather’s Bill Wadell said it’s going to be a complicated response once Milton has moved through.

“People who choose not to evacuate and stay behind - right after the storm they are likely going to be dealing with a lot more debris on the roads, a lot more hazards, a lot more flat tires. It’s just going to make things a lot more difficult.”

AccuWeather hurricane experts add that winds reaching the strength of a Category 3 hurricane (111-129 mph) with gusts of 140-160 mph will cause extensive damage and destruction to older homes and buildings and loose objects and piles of debris will become projectiles.

On Oct. 25, 1921, a Category 3 hurricane made landfall near Tarpon Springs, Florida, just north of Tampa Bay. For storm surge, it was a worst-case scenario. Winds swept a 12-foot storm surge northeastward into the bay. Most of the city was flooded and eight people were killed. AccuWeather's forecast for Hurricane Milton's storm surge in Tampa Bay is 15 to 20 feet.

For the next 100 years, the Tampa-St. Petersburg area escaped a direct hit from a hurricane. Some residents believe that was because of the burial mounds from the Tacobaga tribe, which survived hurricanes in the 1800s and 1921. When the hurricane hit in 1921, the population of the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area was about 100,000 people. Today, over 3.3 million people live in the coastal area.

Tampa's 100-year lucky streak led to studies about the effects if a major hurricane hit today. A direct hit of a Category 4 hurricane in the same spot today could submerge nearly half a million homes, a study said in 2016. That number exceeds the number of homes in any metro area on the coast except Miami and New York. Another report from 2015 said that could lead to more than $175 billion in damage.

Many residents are scrambling to purchase gasoline in preparation for Hurricane Milton. Some want to have a supply to power generators in the case of widespread outages, others need it to evacuate to safer locations to ride out the storm.

In a press conference Tuesday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said there is no fuel shortage. “Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida by port and what we’re doing to bring it in on the ground. But lines at gas stations have been long. Gas stations are running out quicker than they otherwise would and that is causing the state of Florida to help assist with the mission to be able to get fuel to the gas stations.”

In a live report Tuesday morning from Sarasota, AccuWeather’s Bill Wadell said Floridians have been preparing since before dawn on Tuesday to stock up on sandbags and gasoline before evacuating. The availability of gas is a huge factor in where people are choosing to go.

Gas pumps are covered at a station Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Clearwater Beach, Fla., ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

“The Miami, West Palm Beach area seems like the place to go. I certainly wouldn’t want to go north because I don’t know how easy it would be to get back and then gas is a situation there,” Sarasota County resident Lewis Rosove, told Wadell.

In Central Florida, residents have reported experiencing long waits at gas stations, only to find that many are running out of fuel. Floridians can use the GasBuddy app or access their interactive map to locate stations in their area that have both fuel, although, according to the map, several stations in Central Florida currently have “limited fuel options.”

The average price for a gallon of gas in Florida stands at $3.10

Employees move an African porcupine named Chompers to a pet carrier at Zoo Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in the middle of this week on October 7, 2024 in Florida. "We hope they suffer as little stress as possible, that's always our goal," Tiffany Burns explains. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

Everyone in the Tampa area is hunkering down ahead of Milton, including the animals at ZooTampa. On Monday, zookeepers began to move animals to safety well before the arrival of rain and wind from Milton. “The Zoo has a comprehensive severe weather plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members and will take all precautions as conditions warrant,” the zoo said in an update on Monday evening. The zoo will be closed through at least Thursday due to the hurricane.

ZooTampa has hurricane-proof buildings where animals and team members can ride out the storm. The popular Tampa-area attraction is home to over 1,000 animals of all shapes and sizes, including elephants, penguins, rhinos, orangutans and tigers.

As Florida’s Gulf Coast braces for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet, life-threatening conditions are anticipated to extend further inland. In Orlando, conditions will start to deteriorate on Wednesday as rain and wind intensify, with the most severe weather persisting through Wednesday night. Wind gusts in the city and surrounding areas could exceed 100 mph, which is strong enough to topple trees, blow down power lines, damage buildings, and send debris flying.

Orlando may receive 8 to 12 inches of rain from Hurricane Milton, nearly three times the historical average for the entire month of October. This tropical deluge is expected to cause flooding in parts of the city, rendering some roads impassable until the floodwaters recede. Additionally, AccuWeather forecasters are warning of a risk of tornadoes across Florida, particularly on the hurricane’s eastern side. For a detailed breakdown of the forecast for Hurricane Milton, read the full report from AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.

People across Florida are still picking up the pieces following Hurricane Helene, but now find themselves bracing for another disaster as Milton is on a collision course with the state, set to make landfall as a major hurricane later this week. “There are a lot of people here that are just kind of in a daze,” Leslie Hudson said while reporting for AccuWeather from Tampa, Florida.

As residents race to finish preparations, some businesses are doing what they can to help those still reeling from Helene. “The hotel that I was in last night, they actually had a table for free items, toiletries, clothing, cleaning utensils,” Hudson said. “A lot of the people that are in these hotels are refugees from Helene.”

Watch Hudson’s full report from Tampa:

Over 9 million people in Florida are under a hurricane warning as Hurricane Milton approaches, posing a dangerous, life-threatening threat. The warning encompasses some of Florida's most populated cities, including Tampa, Orlando, and St. Petersburg, as well as coastal communities from Cedar Key to Cape Coral.

Time is quickly running out for people to prepare or evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton, with rain, wind, and storm surge expected to arrive on Tuesday night and intensify throughout Wednesday. Although the storm may lose some wind intensity before making landfall, AccuWeather hurricane experts urgently caution Floridians not to be lulled into a false sense of security. The storm will be expanding as it approaches the coast, increasing the areas impacted by life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds, and flooding rainfall.

All eyes are on Tampa and the rest of Florida as Milton, a category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph, makes its way toward the Florida coast to arrive later in the week. Right now, AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting the worst conditions in Tampa from Wednesday from 8AM through Thursday at 2AM. There could be a total of 8-12 inches of rainfall, with wind gusts approaching 140 miles per hour and 10-15 feet of devastating storm surge. Some of this impact will come well after sunset, making conditions all the more harrowing.

Orlando, meanwhile, should feel the brunt of the storm from 12PM on Wednesday to 6AM on Thursday, with wind gusts approaching 120 miles per hour and 8-12 inches of rain.

To the north in Jacksonville, do not underestimate Milton either. Expect the worst conditions later on Wednesday into Thursday, with gusts still topping out at 60 mph.

There are two ways to measure the strength of hurricanes.

One is the estimated wind speed from the National Hurricane Center. With 180 mph sustained winds at 8 p.m. EDT Monday, Milton ties several storms for the third-highest winds, and only eight storms have achieved higher winds. The hurricane with the highest winds was Hurricane Allen in 1980, which clocked in at 190 mph.

Central pressure is another way to measure strength. At 26.49 inches of mercury (897 mb), Hurricane Milton is in fifth place—only four storms were estimated to have lower pressure. The deepest pressure measured in an Atlantic hurricane was Wilma in 2005, which dropped to 26.05 inches of mercury (882 mb). For storms in the Gulf of Mexico, Milton is the second-strongest storm on record, beaten only by Hurricane Rita in 2005.

With Milton making landfall on Florida's west coast as a powerful hurricane, Tampa International Airport announced that it would suspend all commercial and cargo operations beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton.

But deeper into Florida, other cities and their airports are also preparing for the devastating storm, including in Orlando. Currently, Disney World has made no announcements about suspending operations. But earlier in the day, Orlando International Airport announced that it would shut down commercial operations on Wednesday morning, in advance of Milton and will resume normal commercial operations as soon as it is safe to do so.

A resident boards up his windows in Palm Harbor, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected mid-week landfall on October 6, 2024. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

As Milton rapidly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico from a category 1 to a category 5 storm within hours, some Floridians responded by evacuating by road before the storm makes landfall later in the week.

The I-75 north was already backed up in the Bushnell area north of Tampa, with other major traffic jams as many Floridas attempt to leave the west coast of the state. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge (I-275) between St. Petersburg and Bradenton was also active and will likely close at some point before Milton gets closer.

Earlier in the day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mentioned that the state would be suspending tolls and opening up emergency shoulder use to help facilitate the flow of traffic for those evacuating.

A map showing all hurricanes that have tracked within 100 miles of Tampa, Florida, between 1960 & 2023.

Helene was a large storm that brought a deadly 6-foot storm surge to the Tampa area, and is a tempest that Tampa residents won't soon forget. But it could have been worse. For more than 100 years, the city has avoided a direct hit from a hurricane.

Earlier this year, Hurricane Debby was forecast to threaten Tampa, but it too went north. Two years ago, Category 5 Hurricane Ian threatened Tampa at one point in the forecast. Ultimately, Ian made landfall farther south near Cape Coral, very close to where Hurricane Charley made landfall in 2004, another last-minute miss for Tampa.

Large burial mounds remaining from the Tocobaga civilization are still present today, with the oldest one located overlooking Old Tampa Bay. Many locals think the mounds could be providing supernatural protection from hurricanes.

Less than two weeks since Helene made landfall as a major Category 4 storm, impacting Florida and then many other states in the southeast up through Ohio, Milton is on its way to deliver another serious blow to the region.

Veteran storm chaser Aaron Jayjack reported from Treasure Island, one of many communities in Florida that still wears the evidence of the storm that just rolled through the region. "You can see behind me, piles and piles of debris on the road. And this is the scene all across Treasure Island," he said, adding that homes and businesses are still gutted out from Helene.

But now just days before Milton's landfall, this community south and west of Tampa is bracing for another round of high winds and dangerous storm surge from a major hurricane.

Jayjack, who has been chasing storms for years, puts the succession of storms — Helene and now Milton — into context. "I've never seen, in all my years of chasing, a scene like this where devastation has occurred recently, and yet another major hurricane is making its way to this location."

With large and heavy debris still peppered all across Treasure Island and many other towns, this debris will be kicked up again and driven in all directions by Milton, adding to the devastation.

A resident boards up his windows in Palm Harbor, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected mid-week landfall on October 6, 2024. (Photo by BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images)

“This is not a good situation. I can tell you there’s a lot of anxiety and a lot of nerves,” AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell said on Monday morning while in Siesta Key, Florida, located about 50 miles southwest of downtown Tampa. “What we’re all dealing with right now is overlapping disasters.”

Wadell added that some residents are “heartbroken” to know that some resources in western North Carolina could be redirected to Florida, knowing how catastrophic the flooding was in the Southern Appalachians due to Helene. Watch Wadell’s full report from Florida:

Gas pumps are covered at a station Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Clearwater Beach, Fla., ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Food and water is flying off the shelves and gas stations are running dry and boarding up as Floridians rush to prepare for Hurricane Milton. “Hurricane Helene [is] still fresh in everybody’s mind,” AccuWeather storm chaser Aaron Rigsby said on Monday while reporting from Tampa, Florida. He added that hardware stores are also busy as people start to board up their windows. Watch the full report below:

“Milton may be a historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. “Milton has the potential to become one of Florida’s most damaging and costly hurricanes,” he added, in part due to the extreme storm surge expected around and south of Tampa Bay.

AccuWeather is forecasting a storm surge of 10 to 15 feet from just north of Tampa through fort Myers. The worst storm surge is expected around Sarasota and along Longboat Key, where the surge may approach 20 feet, which is taller than most single-story homes. “Should an intense Milton track just north of Tampa, storm surges of 20 feet could occur in parts of Tampa Bay, resulting in widespread, catastrophic damage not seen in this part of Tampa Bay in modern history,” Porter added.

Additionally, some areas along Florida’s Gulf Coast are at an increased vulnerability to storm surge after Helene damaged or washed away protective sand dunes and barriers just two weeks ago.

People around Tampa, Florida, who are evacuating ahead of Milton are running out of time to fly out of the area as airports are preparing to shut down. “Tampa International Airport will suspend all commercial and cargo operations beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton,” the airport announced on Monday. “The three other public airports managed by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority – Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City Airports – will also close in a similar timeframe.” It is unclear when the airports will reopen.

Pasco County evacuees await the opening of the shelter at River Ridge High School in preparation for Hurricane Milton on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in New Port Richey, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Storm shelters have already opened across the Tampa area for residents who have to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton. Before traveling to a shelter, experts recommend gathering important documents and any medicine that may be needed. Additionally, people who have pets should contact a shelter to ensure they accept animals before evacuating.

With winds of 160 mph, Milton has strengthened into the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Hurricane Beryl was the first storm to reach Category 5 status, doing so while it was traversing the Caribbean Sea in early July.

Milton was only a tropical storm on Sunday morning, but winds ramped up at a tremendous pace, spiking from 60 mph to 160 mph in just 28 hours. Additionally, an abundance of lighting has been flashing around the eye of Milton, an indication that it could still be strengthening.

A satellite image of Hurricane Milton late Monday morning over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)

AccuWeather meteorologists predict that while Hurricane Milton will lose some wind intensity as it approaches Florida, it will still be a life-threatening storm. The storm is expected to produce significant storm surges -- potentially worse than those from Hurricane Helene in some areas -- and strong winds that could cause widespread power outages.

Time is running out for Floridians to prepare for Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane on Wednesday evening. Stores across central Florida, including those in Orlando, are already running out of bottled water and other essential supplies.

A Target in Orlando, Florida, was sold out of bottled water on Sunday, Oct. 6, as residents prepared for Hurricane Milton. (AccuWeather)

“We are preparing ... for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said, according to The Associated Press. In addition to all of Fort Myers Beach, mandatory evacuations have been issued for all mobile and manufactured homes in areas near Tampa Bay. AccuWeather is predicting storm surge will reach 10 to 15 feet along a long area of the Florida coast surrounding Tampa Bay.

On Sunday, AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell was in Florida where gas stations were jammed with vehicles and people packing stores to re-stock their hurricane supplies. “Officials say they’re scrambling to clean up as much storm debris from Helene as possible. There [are] concerns that this flooded out furniture and belongings waiting for pickup after Helene could turn into airborne missiles or float away if there is more flooding,” Wadell added. Watch the full interview below:

Hurricane watches have been issued for over 6 million people in west-central Florida, including the entire Tampa area, ahead of Hurricane Milton. Additionally, tropical storm watches are in effect for much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, including the Big Bend area, which was struck by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago, as well as the Florida Keys.

Meanwhile, Milton continues to rapidly intensify at an alarming rate. At 8 a.m. EDT, Milton was a Category 3 with winds of 125 mph, but just one hour later, Hurricane Hunters flying through the heart of the storm determined it was a powerhouse Category 4 with winds of 150 mph -- just 7 mph shy of Category 5 status.

“Milton can bring a variety of life-threatening dangers, including an extreme storm surge of 10-15 feet along and near the coast, including in the Tampa Bay area, destructive winds and major flooding to one of the most densely populated parts of Florida, the I-4 corridor, especially from Tampa toward Orlando,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. 

A satellite image of Hurricane Milton on Monday morning as a formidable Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph. (AccuWeather)

On Sunday morning, Milton was a tropical storm with winds of 60 mph, but was primed to rapidly intensify into a large, dangerous storm. “Rapid intensification is a term meteorologists use to define tropical storms and hurricanes that quickly gain strength. The threshold is at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski explained.

Milton shattered this barrier in 24 hours, with winds on Monday morning topping out at 125 mph, increasing by a staggering 65 mph, making it a major Category 3 storm. And it is forecast to get even stronger.

AccuWeather forecasters say Milton will intensify into a Category 4 hurricane in short order, with winds of at least 130 mph. It could even make a run at Category 5 status, which would require winds to ramp up to at least 157 mph. The only hurricane to reach Category 5 strength this season was Beryl while it was tracking across the Caribbean Sea at the start of July.

Residents and officials along Florida’s Gulf Coast are taking haste ahead of Hurricane Milton, including Fort Myer Beach, Florida. “The Town of Fort Myers Beach has issued a mandatory evacuation for the entire Island. For the safety of you and your family, the Town urges residents to evacuate safely by 3:00pm on Monday, October 7, 2024,” officials announced on Sunday. “Do not wait until it is too late.”

Fort Myers Beach is near where Hurricane Ian blasted ashore as a deadly Category 4 storm on Sept. 28, 2022, leaving widespread destruction. Just two weeks ago, part of Fort Myers Beach was underwater as storm surge flooding from Helene inundated the coastal community.

Florida has already been struck by two hurricanes this season, Hurricane Debby in early August and Hurricane Helene at the end of September. But Milton is on a course unlike any other hurricane in the past century. “The last hurricane that formed in a similar area as Milton and tracked into Tampa Bay was in 1859,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. “Adding to the dangers that Milton may present in the coming days in the Tampa Bay Area because it hasn’t happened in generations, former Hurricane Helene’s blow and storm surge flooding have significantly compromised area beaches and dunes that provide crucial protection from incoming water.”

A satellite image of Hurricane Milton on Sunday afternoon swirling over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)

Forecasters warn residents not to focus on the center of Milton’s projected path, as the powerful hurricane will have much more far-reaching impacts beyond where it makes landfall on Wednesday.

Officials and residents and Florida are acting fast to prepare for Milton, which is forecast to become a major hurricane before striking the state at midweek. On Saturday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 35 counties. “We’ve mobilized state assets to supplement local governments in an unprecedented debris removal mission for areas that suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and are currently in the projected path of Milton,” DeSantis said in a statement on Sunday. “Local debris sites must be open 24/7, and we have hundreds of personnel on the ground assisting in removal.”

Wind and rain from Hurricane Milton are expected to arrive in Florida on Tuesday night with conditions deteriorating throughout Wednesday leading up to landfall. People in the path of the storm should have all preparations and evacuations complete before Tuesday night before the onset of the strong winds and heavy rain. Due to catastrophic rainfall, destructive winds and life-threatening storm surge, Milton is a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in the United States. A 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes warns of widespread catastrophic flooding, flooding that may last days to weeks, widespread power outages, structural damage to many buildings and severe coastal inundation.