US officials have warned of the threat to life posed by Hurricane Milton, which briefly became a category five storm before returning to category four as it heads towards Florida.
Milton is still packing ferocious winds of up to 155mph (250km/h) as it moves past the northern edge of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) say “potentially catastrophic” storm surges are possible along coastal areas.
The storm is expected to hit the heavily populated city of Tampa Bay with full force on Wednesday, less than two weeks after the state was hit by Hurricane Helene.
Floridians have been told to prepare for the state’s largest evacuation effort in years.
Warnings over Hurricane Milton come just 10 days after Hurricane Helene – the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005 – pummelled the US south-east, killing at least 225 people. Hundreds more are missing.
At least 14 of those deaths were in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.
“Unfortunately, some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm,” DeSantis said.
36 shelters are now open to those fleeing Hurricane Milton’s path – DeSantis published at 13:14 British Summer Time 13:14 BST
DeSantis once again urges residents to move away from low-lying areas and seek shelter if they live in mobile homes of RVs.
He says locals “have options” and moving to higher ground should make properties more likely to withstand the force of a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane.
Highways out of Florida are backed up for miles as panicked residents attempt to flee the state before Hurricane Miltonβs landfall later this week.
Hurricane Milton stands at a Category 5 now, the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is expected to have winds stronger than 157 miles per hour.
In Hillsborough County, home to nearly 1.5 million people in the Tampa Bay Area, residents are scrambling as local leadership orders the evacuation
βIf you remain there, you could die. My men and women could die trying to rescue you. They are heroes, but please do not put them in that situation.β
Supermarket shelves around Tampa Bay are barren as panicked evacuees grab what they can before hitting the road.
Wind speeds are currently 150mph (240km/h) with higher gusts, and the eye of the category four storm is moving across the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
It’s about 520 miles (835km) south west of Tampa, Florida and is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night.
LIVE! Hurricane Milton Live Tracker | CAT 5 CONFIRMED
