Storm surge from Hurricane Milton could reach 15 feet, the National Hurricane Center forecasts. (Graphic via National Hurricane Center)
Florida’s Tampa Bay region is expected to face 10-15 feet of peak storm surge from Hurricane Milton, projected to make landfall Wednesday night.
The storm was a “very strong Category 5” Monday before dropping to a Category 4 overnight. Forecasts project the hurricane will continue to weaken before it hits Florida, but remain a hurricane during its rip through the peninsula.
The 10-15 feet storm surge is expected from the Pasco-Pinellas county line to Manatee and Sarasota counties, Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a briefing on the storm Tuesday morning.
“A lot of the places on the west coast of Florida that did receive significant storm surge for Hurricane Helene is projected to have even more storm surge from Hurricane Milton,” DeSantis said.
A hurricane warning extends across central Florida and a tropical storm warning is in effect above and below the hurricane warning, National Hurricane Center forecasts indicate.
The area shaded red represents hurricane warnings as of Tuesday morning. The shaded blue area represents tropical storm warnings, and the pink and blue stripes indicate a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning are in effect. The yellow shading indicates a tropical storm watch. (Graphic via National Hurricane Center)
The National Hurricane Center urged Floridians to “use today to prepare for Milton’s arrival and evacuate if told to do so by local officials.”
The storm surge could be the highest recorded in a coastal spot DeSantis said is a “vulnerable area to the surge.” DeSantis grew up in Pinellas County.
Evacuation orders are in effect for Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Desoto, Glades, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Sumter, and Volusia counties. The zones and extent of evacuations can be viewed on the Florida Division of Emergency Management website.
The federal government has granted everything Florida has asked for, DeSantis said Monday and Tuesday.
The governor said he spoke over the phone with President Joe Biden Monday evening, and the president told him to call or send a letter if there is more the federal government can do.
Director of Emergency Management Kevin Guthrie said he will send a letter Tuesday asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a waiver to offer guaranteed daily rates to attract debris haulers from far away to assist after Milton hits.
The governor and Guthrie voiced concern that pay rates for contracted debris haulers would not be enough to draw haulers who would have to drive long distances, delaying recovery efforts from two major hurricanes.
DeSantis again threatened those who loot following disasters, calling Florida a “Second Amendment state.”
“If you think you’re going to go in and loot, you got another thing coming,” DeSantis said. “You go into somebody’s house after the storm passes, think that you’re going to be able to commit crimes, you’re going to get in really serious trouble and, quite frankly, you don’t know what’s behind that door in a second amendment state.”
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