As Hurricane Milton heads toward the state’s west coast, Florida’s mayor has issued a stern warning: “If we don’t evacuate, people will die.”
The potentially “once in a lifetime” storm rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane on Monday, with sustained wind speeds of more than 180 mph, before slowing to a Category 4 on Tuesday.
of National Hurricane Center warns Milton is expected to regain strength and grow in size, making landfall in Florida and slamming into densely populated Tampa Bay by Wednesday evening, potentially posing “additional hazards,” it said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN that if residents “choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, they will die.” Hurricane Helen, which devastated parts of the Sunshine State about two weeks ago, was a “wake-up call,” she said, adding that Milton could be “literally devastating” afterward.
president approved by joe biden It declared a state of emergency on Monday after pledging a day earlier to “secure lifesaving resources ahead of the storm.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday that Florida is stockpiling millions of gallons of fuel, truckloads of food, water, medical supplies, Starlink and flood protection systems to protect “critical infrastructure.” announced.
K-12 schools closed in 43 Florida counties ahead of Hurricane Milton
K-12 schools in 43 of Florida’s 46 counties are scheduled to close Wednesday in anticipation of Hurricane Milton making landfall on the state’s west coast.
Ten of those schools are scheduled to reopen Thursday after the storm hit Tampa on Wednesday night. Other facilities will remain closed for the remainder of the week.
“The Florida Department of Education works closely with school districts before, during, and after natural disasters to ensure they have the resources they need to resume normal operations as quickly as possible. We continue to provide guidance to school districts. We will continue to work with them to address any questions that may arise,” a statement on the Florida Department of Education’s website reads.
james riddellOctober 8, 2024 15:45
DeSantis and Harris get into an argument over hurricane relief and say, “Kamala, that’s not about you!”
Julia MustoOctober 8, 2024 15:30
Hurricane Milton brings strong winds and rain to Mexico
Julia MustoOctober 8, 2024 15:20
Mapping: Wind, Rain, Storm Surge, Flash Floods
james riddellOctober 8, 2024 15:16
Holmes Beach Police Chief Tokaiger: Milton will be ‘gut-wrenched’
“This is devastating,” he told FOX 13 Tampa. “This is heartbreaking for everyone here who has worked so hard to repair our homes and get them ready to rebuild.”
Julia MustoOctober 8, 2024 15:00
Photo: Chompers, the porcupine among the animals at the Tampa Zoo, moved to a safe place
james riddellOctober 8, 2024 14:46
Power company warns Florida residents of power outages that could affect millions
“Customers should expect widespread and prolonged outages,” said TECO’s Mary Lou Kahn.
Julia MustoOctober 8, 2024 14:30
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warns residents now is the time to heed evacuation warnings
Julia MustoOctober 8, 2024 14:25
Should I evacuate before Hurricane Milton makes landfall?
The Florida Department of Emergency Management has created a map of evacuation zones across the Sunshine State.
As Hurricane Milton hurtles toward Tampa, scheduled to make landfall Wednesday night, residents may be wondering whether to leave their homes or stay put. Hundreds of thousands of Floridians have been ordered to evacuate.
“If you are in an evacuation zone or flood zone where your local government has issued an evacuation order, you should evacuate no matter what,” the agency advises in the FAQ section of its website.
FDEM has developed a “Know Your Zone” list of areas and buildings from local officials most likely to be evacuated. Find out more, here.
james riddellOctober 8, 2024 14:05
