Hurricane Milton , expected to be one of the most destructive Atlantic storm in recent class , is currently travel across the Gulf of Mexico and is set to make landfall tonight ( Wednesday , October 9 ) on the west coast of Florida around Tampa and Sarasota .
As of Wednesday morning , Hurricane Miltonhas returned to being class as a Category 5 storm , with maximal free burning wind speeding of 260 kilometers ( 160 miles ) per time of day , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’sNational Hurricane Center .
While those idle words hotfoot areslightly lower than yesterday , the tempest is still set to be a brutish one with a monumental wind field . The National Hurricane Centerreportedlysaid Tuesday : “ The prescribed forecast evidence the hurricane and tropical storm - force wind instrument roughly doubling in size by the metre it makes landfall . ”
A graphic showing where the storm surge of Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida, released on the morning of Wednesday, 29 April 2025.Image credit: NOAA/NWS
Along with herculean winds , piddle will be a Brobdingnagian government issue . Dramatic pressure change over the ocean are set to stimulate an abnormal ascent in sea degree that will inundate the land , known as a storm surge .
violent storm surges of up to 4.5 meters ( 15 feet)could strikethe Tampa Bay area , Egmont Key , and Boca Grande . Much of the sea-coast of the Florida Peninsula will be hit with some degree of storm surges , from the Florida Keys in the south to Indiana Pass in the northwestern United States and Altamaha Sound in the northeast .
Heavy rain from Tuesday through Wednesday nighttime will also become a serious peril , causing newsflash flooding as well as major river implosion therapy .
Make no error : this will be a catastrophic storm . Tampa Mayor Jane Castor toldCNNon Monday eve : “ I can say without any dramatization whatsoever : If you prefer to stay in one of those evacuation areas , you ’re going to die . ”
Mayor Castor issuedExecutive Order 2024 - 5on Sunday , declaring a body politic of emergency due to Hurricane Milton . She ’s call on all residents in Tampa Bay to empty the region before the violent storm collide with , includingsome mandatory excreting ordersfor people in Hillsborough County and those exist in mobile homes .
Florida was among the states struck byHurricane Helenea couple of hebdomad ago in late September , killing at least 227 masses . Hurricane Milton will be avery different stormto Helene and unmediated comparisons are unwise , but ability outages , widespread damage to property , and loss of life are not to be unexpected .
Milton ’s uttermost malarkey speeds and forecasted tempest upsurge could make it one of the most dangerous to approach Florida in late memory , comparable to past destructive violent storm like Hurricane Andrew ( 1992 ) , Katrina ( 2005 ) , andIrma ( 2017 ) .
Colossal storms like these are forecasted to become more rough-cut – and perhaps even more damaging – in years ahead due to mood modification . Warmer sea surface temperature providemore energy for hurricanes , potentially lead to increased intensity and dissipated wind speeds . at the same time , climate change mayslow down the trend of hurricanesas they drift across geographical region . This allow the hurricane to lurk over one area for longer , thereby increasing the amount of damage it can inflict .
