Hurricane Milton live updates: Thousands flee Category 5 storm that could be ‘most destructive’ in Florida history
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and state officials pleaded with residents to evacuate ahead of Wednesday’s projected landfall
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Milton restrengthened into a Category 5 hurricane late on Tuesday afternoon as it moved closer to western Florida.
Evacuations and other preparations should be completed today, the National Hurricane Center urged, warning that Milton could be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
Governor Ron DeSantis warned Floridians that “time is running out” for them to evacuate.
“You may have a window where it may be safe, but you may not,” he said. “So, use today as your day to finalise and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family.”
His warning comes after Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN on Monday that residents will die if they don’t evacuate as Milton races towards the state’s west coast.
Hurricane Helene, which recently devastated parts of the state, was a “wake-up call,” she said. Milton could be “literally catastrophic,” Castor added.
Milton has sustained winds 165mph. It is expected to be “a dangerous major hurricane” when it makes landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday night.
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Aircraft experiences major turbulence while flying through Hurricane Milton
Milton evacuees reportedly injured after crash into Tampa Bay
Fire officials said four passengers aboard a small airplane were trying to evacuate from Hurricane Milton when the aircraft crashed into Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Three of the four passengers on the Piper Cherokee were hospitalized after the crash, Ashlie Handy, a spokesperson for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, reportedly said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: Milton’s storm surge could turn a house into ‘the coffin that you’re in’
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor stressed Tuesday that storm surge from Hurricane Milton could turn houses into “the coffin that you’re in.”
“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in,” she said, according to The Associated Press.
“You want to pick a fight with Mother Nature? She’s winning 100 percent of the time,” Castor said.
Disney World and Universal Orlando remain open ahead of Hurricane Milton
Major theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal remained open Tuesday ahead of Hurricane Milton ’s expected hit as a major storm in Florida even as other parts of Orlando’s tourism machine shut down.
Disney said it was operating under normal conditions and planned, for now, only to close its campgrounds and rental cabins in wooded areas.
Both theme parks said they would continue monitoring the weather and adjust accordingly.
Meanwhile, other parts of Orlando were shutting down — including Orlando International Airport, which said it would cease operations Wednesday morning. The airport is the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked.
The Independent’s Mike Schneider has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/disney-world-ap-orlando-universal-orlando-united-states-b2625975.html
Live: Florida braces for ‘extremely dangerous’ category 4 Hurricane Milton
‘Exposed, inexperienced’ Tampa in the eye of the hurricane for first time in more than a century
Hurricane Milton, the monster Category 5 storm raging in the Gulf of Mexico will bring its fury to western Florida and threaten a city that has typically escaped widespread damage from hurricanes.
Despite its location, Tampa has been lucky to avoid the worst of the hurricanes that slam into the Sunshine State each year. The last time the eye of a large storm passed through Tampa was more than 100 years ago.
Unlike in 1921, Tampa is now home to more than 3 million people, and the climate crisis is in full swing, creating the conditions for more storms and worse flooding. Hurricane Milton’s projected path is currently right through the city.
The Independent’s Graig Graziosi has the latest: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/tampa-hurricane-milton-eye-first-time-b2625928.html
Meteorologist breaks down live on air over Hurricane Milton
A veteran news meteorologist visibly broke down live on air over Hurricane Milton, as the monster Category 4 storm charts a potentially deadly path towards Florida.
John Morales was reporting on the hurricane on NBC affiliate WTVJ on Monday, breaking down the magnitude of the storm which has come off the back of Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier.
Madeline Sherratt has the full story.
Florida meteorologist breaks down live on air while reporting on Hurricane Milton
‘I apologize – this is just horrific,’ NBC affiliate WTVJ’s John Morales choked
Florida college football game rescheduled for Saturday afternoon
The American Athletic Conference announced that a game between USF and Memphis at Raymond James Stadium has been pushed back from Friday to Saturday, due to Hurricane Milton.
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