In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s recent devastation, Floridians faced a critical evacuation deadline on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton was upgraded to a Category 5 storm. This storm poses an imminent threat to the Gulf Coast, with forecasts predicting storm surges potentially exceeding those of Helene.
Residents had until late Wednesday to either evacuate or seek shelter as Milton approached, marking it as one of the most destructive storms anticipated in Florida’s history. More than 1 million people in coastal areas are under evacuation orders, creating traffic jams on highways and causing gas shortages at local stations, as many rushed to leave the area.
Milton is on a direct path toward the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, home to over 3 million residents. However, meteorologists caution that the storm’s trajectory may shift before landfall, expected late Wednesday or early Thursday morning.
The hurricane is moving in an unusual west-to-east direction across the Gulf of Mexico and is likely to generate a lethal storm surge of at least 10 feet (3 meters) along Florida’s coast. Officials, including President Joe Biden and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, have issued stern warnings to residents in evacuation zones about the dangers of staying behind.
Michael Tylenda, visiting family in Tampa, stressed the importance of evacuating when advised: “If anybody knows anything about Florida, when you don’t evacuate when you’re ordered to, you can pretty much die. It’s just not worth it. The house can be replaced; it’s better to get out of town.”
With maximum sustained winds reaching 160 mph (260 kph), Milton is currently the strongest storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Although wind speeds might decrease, the storm’s increasing size continues to threaten broader coastal regions.
As of 10 p.m. CDT (0300 GMT), the storm’s eye was situated 405 miles (650 km) southwest of Tampa, moving northeast at a speed of 12 mph (19 kph). Milton is expected to maintain its hurricane status as it crosses Florida, posing a risk for storm surges along the state’s Atlantic coastline as well.
Economically, Milton’s path endangers about 2.8% of the U.S. gross domestic product, impacting industries including airlines, energy firms, and major attractions like Universal Studios, which are halting operations in anticipation of disruptions.
Milton’s rapid intensification, from Category 1 to Category 5 in less than 24 hours, marks it as the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic. Climate scientist Daniel Gilford highlighted that “extremely warm sea surface temperatures provide the fuel necessary for such rapid intensification,” attributing these conditions to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued in over a dozen coastal counties, including Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. Pinellas County ordered the evacuation of more than 500,000 residents, while Lee County announced that 416,000 individuals live within mandatory evacuation zones. Vulnerable populations, including those in mobile homes, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities, are also required to evacuate.
In Fort Myers, residents like Jamie Watts sought safety in hotels after losing their trailer to Hurricane Ian in 2022. “We stayed during Ian and literally watched my roof tear off my house. This time, I’m going to be a little safer,” Watts noted.
As evacuation efforts intensified, traffic congestion around Tampa reached critical levels on Tuesday, with approximately 17% of Florida’s nearly 8,000 gas stations reported to be out of fuel, according to tracking service GasBuddy.
