At a Glance
- Airports in Tampa, Orlando and St. Petersburg are closing.
- Parts of multiple counties in the Tampa Bay area are under mandatory evacuation orders.
- School closures are being announced around the state.
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Florida is bracing for what could be a catastrophic hit from Hurricane Milton, with wide sections of the Tampa Bay area under evacuation orders, millions in the path of the storm and a state of emergency in nearly every county.
The storm could bring up to 15 feet of storm surge to Tampa Bay, including the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. The metro area has a population of more than 3 million people.
"If they have called for your evacuation order, I beg you, I implore you, to evacuate," state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said. "Drowning deaths due to storm surge are 100% preventable if you leave."
The message from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor was even more blunt.
"I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die,” Castor told CNN Monday night.
Residents weren't mincing words, either.
"We're scared. I mean, this is nothing that we've experienced before," Morgan Blackburn, who works the Center Of AMI in the Manatee County barrier island town of Holmes Beach, said in a phone interview. "We are just hoping that our island can take it."
Hurricane Helene struck the area less than two weeks ago, bringing destruction and loss of life.
(MORE: Hurricane Tracker Maps | Latest Forecast)
Here are our live updates as we tracked Milton Monday:
(6:41 p.m. ET) Here's What Milton Will Do Overnight
From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles:
Hurricane Milton is expected to be at its strongest through the overnight hours as it begins to gain latitude in the southern Gulf of Mexico and turns toward Florida. The storm will grow in size overnight and likely through the day on Tuesday. Tuesday is the final day to make preparations and evacuations if you're in Tampa Bay. It will be the last calm(er) day across the state as winds, water levels and rainfall will gradually pick up. Much of Wednesday will see conditions rapidly deteriorate.
(6:36 p.m. ET) Mass Exodus Of Residents
Evacuees hit bumper-to-traffic heading out of the Tampa Bay area. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for parts of several counties in the area, including Hillsborough and Pinellas.
Travelers on Interstate 75 also reported long traffic jams heading north toward Gainesville and points beyond.
(MORE: Watch Tampa Residents Evacuate As Milton Looms)
(5:59 p.m. ET) Milton Joins The 180 MPH Club
The storm is now packing maximum sustained winds estimated at 180 mph, according to the latest hurricane hunter flight. Only eight other hurricanes on record have ever reached sustained winds that high or higher in the Atlantic Basin. Here's a look at the others:
-Allen, in 1980, reached sustained wind speeds of 190 mph.
-The "Labor Day" hurricane in 1935, Gilbert in 1988, Wilma in 2005 and Dorian in 2019 all reached 185 mph.
-Mitch in 1998, Rita in 2005 and Irma in 2017 all reached 180 mph.
(MORE: The Most Intense Hurricanes On Record In The Atlantic Basin)
(5:49 p.m. ET) Small Island Towns Face Second Hurricane In Less Than Two Weeks
Derek Williams owns the Drift In AMI on Anna Maria Island, at the south side of Tampa Bay.
“Homes have been moved off of their foundations and ... businesses have actually just succumbed to all of the water and sand that was displaced from Hurricane Helene. Employees have lost their homes, people have lost their jobs,” Williams told us on the phone Sunday.
“Now, a second evacuation.”
The damage includes his business on Bridge Street in the town of Bradenton Beach. That stretch of the island is at most points barely a quarter-mile wide with the Intracoastal Waterway on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.
A tourist mecca, the town has just 900 permanent residents.
“We have 15 employees that are displaced and there are literally hundreds of employees that work on Bridge Street that are without work and, and a lot of them live on the island so they have other damages,” he said.
As he talked about Hurricane Milton, Williams filled out paperwork for federal disaster aid from Helene.
(5:25 p.m. ET) Tampa Mayor: 'We've Run Out Of Time' To Pick Up Yard Debris
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says the city won't be able to pick up all the debris from Helene before Milton hits.
"Unfortunately, we've run out of time and we won't be able to get the yard waste up, so do what you can to bring that into the garage. Secure it some way, whatever fashion you can," Castor told The Weather Channel
Castor also addressed the pre-hurricane rumor mill.
"There's a lot of misinformation going around ... information that TECO (Tampa Electric Company) is going to shut down the electricity, the city's shutting off the water," she said. "None of that is happening. So pay attention to the reliable sources of information."
(4:40 p.m. ET) Pinellas County Issues Mandatory Evacuation Order
A mandatory evacuation was just called for zones A, B and C in Pinellas County, as well as all mobile homes. That includes parts of the Tampa Bay cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as several towns on barrier islands. The order wasn't unexpected but was timed to allow other counties to begin evacuating first.
Pinellas sits on a peninsula surrounded by Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
(3:35 p.m. ET) Helene Debris A Major Issue
Areas of Florida’s west coast have barely had time to clean up after Hurricane Helene’s deadly blow. Debris from damaged homes and destroyed furniture and belongings were still lining the streets in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
“If this one does hit, it’s going to be flying missiles,” Belleair Beach resident Sarah Steslicki told the AP. “Stuff’s going to be floating and flying in the air.”
(2:49 p.m. ET) Hurricane Milton Seen From International Space Station
The space station's external cameras captured Milton from about 250 miles above Earth.
(2:38 p.m. ET) Is Disney Closing For Milton?
Walt Disney World in Orlando remains open under normal operations, at least for now.
"We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our guests and Cast Members," a notice on the Disney website says.
It's rare for all of the Disney attractions to close during a storm, but outdoor events and rides often close during a hurricane.
And with Milton a deadly threat to Florida, travelers should pay close attention to any closures and warnings.
(MORE: Hurricanes And Your Florida Theme Park Vacation)
(2:29 p.m. ET) Orlando, Tampa Airports Are Closing
Tampa International Airport is shutting down at 9 a.m. Tuesday until it is safe to resume operations.
Orlando International will close Wednesday morning, also until the storm passes and damage assessments are done.
Anyone traveling through Florida this week should check with their airline for the latest information.
(2:13 p.m. ET) 'Everything We Have Left Is In Two Cars'
Shannon Sayre and her partner, Lorrie Brown, live on the water near downtown St. Petersburg. Storm surge from Helene rose 30 inches into their home. Sayre talked to us yesterday while they loaded up to evacuate across the state.
"And so now we have Milton headed our way and I kinda want to say, you know, let's leave the doors open at this point," Sayre said.
"I was walking, you know, by a cabinet today and I saw some little dish towel that my grandmother had knitted or something and I looked at it like that's the most important thing to me in the world But when you lose everything in your whole house, it's so shocking that a dish towel is important."
Their belongings were washed away or ruined by the water - and some taken by looters.
"Everything we have left is in two cars," Sayre said.
(2:05 p.m. ET) Should There Be A Category 6 For Hurricanes?
We asked our meteorologists that question for a story last year. Here are some of their replies.
Linda Lam: One of the concerns I have with a Category 6 is that categories in general indicate wind speed and nothing about water hazards, which are typically the most important impact and the deadliest aspect of a tropical cyclone.
Chris Dolce: Setting apart the strongest Category 5 hurricanes into a separate Category 6 might be useful for scientists to track statistically in a warming world, but I'm not sure the public needs another layer to interpret. Category 5 rated hurricanes are described as producing catastrophic wind damage, which is already pretty dire wording for the public.
Advertisement
Jon Erdman: On one hand, there is an argument to be made that, for example, 215 mph Hurricane Patricia in 2015 seemed to have been in another realm from a 160 mph Cat. 5. However, as Chris pointed out, the NHC describes Cat. 5 wind damage as “catastrophic.” So, what would Cat. 6 wind damage be? How do you get more damaging than “catastrophic?”
You can read the full article here.
(1:55 p.m. ET) Mandatory Evacuations Issued In Hillsborough County, Including Parts Of Tampa
The list of areas with mandatory evacuations continues to grow and now includes parts of one of the largest cities in the state.
"Please prioritize your safety and evacuate. Don’t put our first responders at risk by ignoring this warning—once the storm arrives, it will be too late to leave," Tampa Police said in a social media post.
Recent additions include:
-Hillsborough County, zones A and B, starting at 2:30 p.m.
-Citrus County, starting at 8 a.m. tomorrow, for anyone in housing not strong enough to withstand winds up to 110 mph.
-Lee County, zones A and B.
Please follow your local emergency management agency for the latest updates.
(1:32 p.m. ET) ‘All Hands On Deck’ In Tampa
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor spoke a few minutes ago with The Weather Channel. Here’s what she said:
“With hurricane Helene, I've been here 64 years in Tampa and I've never seen the damage that we had with that storm. We had 6 to 8 feet of storm surge all along our coastal areas, which is 126 miles of waterfront in the city of Tampa.
And just as we are recovering from that, here comes Milton.
So the most important issue for us right now is getting all of that household debris from Helene up off our streets.
So it doesn't become projectiles when Milton's here.
We certainly didn't expect a hurricane this quickly, but we are getting ready. We're all hands on deck.”
(1:05 p.m. ET) Georgia Provides Guidance To Florida Evacuees
The Georgia Department of Transportation posted on social media that evacuees were welcome in Albany, Columbus, Macon and Atlanta. Due to remaining storm damage from Hurricane Helene, not all Georgia counties are prepared to house evacuees, so the DOT urged people to call ahead to see what resources are available, especially in South Georgia.
(12:32 p.m. ET) Milton Could Be ‘The Worst Storm To Impact Tampa In Over 100 Years’
The National Weather Service Tampa Bay office posted on X that if Milton remains on its current track, “it will be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in over 100 years.”
They urged Florida residents to complete all preparations by Tuesday evening and to evacuate if told to do so.
(12:04 p.m. ET) Hurricane Milton Reaches Category 5 Status
Hurricane Milton intensified into a Category 5 hurricane late Monday morning. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 160 mph with gusts reaching higher speeds, according to the NWS National Hurricane Center in Miami.
(11:54 a.m. ET) ‘Everybody Needs To Go’
Emergency management officials aren’t mincing words.
“Basically, everybody needs to go. Nobody needs to try and stay here, nobody needs to try and ride this out,” Jeremi Roberts, a spokesperson for Florida Regional Incident Management Team 3 told us in a phone interview.
Roberts is stationed in Bradenton Beach, Florida, where nearly every building in town sustained at least some damage and 60% were heavily damaged or destroyed by Helene.
“There's a lot of structures that are already compromised that are not even safe, or questionably safe, to be in right now (even) without a storm,” he said.
The town is on Anna Maria Island on the south side of Tampa Bay in Manatee County. The entire island, as well as some other parts of the county, are under a mandatory evacuation order.
(MORE: Tampa Bay Braces For Hurricane Milton)
(11:43 a.m. ET) Tolls Suspended In West And Central Florida, Alligator Alley
Gov. DeSantis suspended all tolls in west and central Florida as well as Alligator Alley, starting 10:30 Monday in an effort to speed evacuation traffic. The tolls will remain suspended until it is deemed safe for evacuees to return home.
(11:34 a.m. ET) State Is Looking For More Shelters
Guthrie says the state is identifying vacant buildings and other property that could be used for shelters if needed. Typically, counties open shelters in public schools and there are concerns some could fill to capacity.
(11:21 a.m. ET) Florida School Districts Announce School Closures
Several public schools in central and southwest Florida have already closed their doors Monday, including in Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties.
An increasing amount plan to close Tuesday and Wednesday, such as Citrus, DeSoto, Hardee, Okeechobee and Polk county schools, with some extending closures into Thursday as well. Closures are listed on the Florida Department of Education website.
So far, Northeast Florida schools have not announced any closures.
Colleges throughout the state have announced closures as well, with Florida SouthWestern State College, St. Petersburg College and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, Florida A&M University, Florida State University Ringling Campus and others closing Monday. More plan to close as the week progresses.
(10:40 a.m. ET) Worst Surge Will Be South Of The Storm
From weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce:
Where that center crosses the coast is going to be critical for who sees the most damaging surge.
The worst-case scenario for Tampa Bay is if Milton makes landfall near or north of the area, especially if that happens closer to high tide which is Thursday morning.
Another factor in play is the size of the storm. While Milton won’t be as large as Helene, the storm will get bigger before it approaches Florida, so the breadth of the impacts will spread out.
(10:09 a.m. ET) St. Pete-Clearwater Airport Closing
St. Pete-Clearwater Airport announced that the terminal will close after Tuesday’s last flight and remain closed Wednesday and Thursday. The airport is located in a mandatory evacuation zone.
(9:57 a.m. ET) Evacuations Begin In Florida
Evacuation orders so far include:
-Sarasota County, levels A and B, manufactured communities and mobile and boat homes
-Pasco County, on the north side of the Tampa Bay area, beginning at 10 a.m. for zones A and B. The order also applies to anyone living in manufactured housing or an RV, as well as those low-lying or flood-prone areas.
-Manatee County, evacuations start at noon today on Anna Maria Island, in Manatee County on the south side of Tampa Bay, as well as other areas of the county in zone A and those in mobile homes
-City of Fort Myers Beach
-Pinellas County has issued a voluntary evacuation for anyone in zones A,B and C, ahead of what is expected to become a mandatory order.
(9:32 a.m. ET) Airlines Waiving Change Fees
Major airlines are issuing travel alerts and advisories and waiving change fees for travelers flying to and from some Florida airports this week. Customers should call their airlines or check with their airlines’ website for details on how to rebook.
Airports under alert or advisory with several airlines include:
-Fort Myers Southwest Florida International Airport
-Key West International Airport
-Miami International Airport
-Orlando International Airport
-Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
-Tampa International Airport
(9:25 a.m. ET) Milton's Now A Category 4 Storm
Hurricane Milton is currently packing sustained winds estimated at 150 mph, according to data from the most recent hurricane hunter flight into the storm.
"Its winds increased from 65 mph at 10 a.m. CDT on Sunday to 150 mph at 8:05 a.m. CDT Monday," weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce said. "That's more than double the criteria for rapid intensification."
(9:06 a.m. ET) Mass Evacuations Possible
Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie said on Sunday, “We are preparing … for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma.”
The state is staging emergency fuel and charging stations along evacuation routes to ease transit. About 7 million Florida residents were urged to evacuate ahead of Irma in 2017, leading to major traffic jams along freeways and long waits at gas stations.
