(CNN) — Hurricane Milton has strengthened to Category 3 and continues to intensify two days before it’s due to strike Florida’s Gulf Coast, where communities now are rushing cleanup from catastrophic Hurricane Helene.
Ahead of what could be the state’s largest storm exodus in seven years, officials are ramping up evacuation orders, closing schools and issuing dire warnings of storm surge and widespread power failures.
Milton boasts top sustained wind speeds of 120 mph, the National Hurricane Center said at 7 a.m. Monday, when the storm was about 750 miles west-southwest of Tampa, moving at 8 mph.
It is expected to reach Category 4 strength by Tuesday and make landfall Wednesday evening as a destructive and life-threatening Category 3 storm with 120-mph winds. It is due to hit between Cedar Key and Naples, which includes the Tampa area.
With very low vertical wind shear and incredibly warm sea-surface temperatures, Milton will be able to gain steady to rapid strength over the next few days. Already, its top sustained wind speed more than doubled from Sunday to Monday morning, far outpacing the definition of rapid intensification: an increase of 35 mph in 24 hours.
Miami, Orlando and Tampa are forecast to get 2 to 8 inches of rain through Thursday, and some parts of the state could see more than 15 inches of rainfall, the hurricane center said.
There is a hurricane warning for the northern part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, from Celestun to Rio Lagartos. Cancun, and other cities are under a tropical storm warning.
Hurricane and storm surge watches are in place in Florida, including Tampa Bay. Flood watches have been issued for more than 15 million people across southern and central Florida through Thursday morning.
Florida will contend with Milton even as it is clearing debris from Helene — which hit Florida’sits Big Bend on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 232 people across the Southeast and creating a 500-mile path of destruction with catastrophic flooding and damaging winds.
Milton formed in the western Gulf on Saturday morning, just hours after it became a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said in a special alert. The 13th named storm of the season doesn’t usually occur until October 25.
Officials prepare for impacts, evacuations
Just over a week since Helene slammed Florida, officials across the state are asking residents – many still in recovery mode – to prepare for another potentially life-threatening storm.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Sunday for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, up from 35 on Saturday.
The state’s Division of Emergency Management is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017, Director Kevin Guthrie said Sunday at a news conference with DeSantis.
“I urge Floridians to finalize your storm preparations now, enact your plan. I highly encourage you to evacuate,” Guthrie said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has visited residents to encourage them to evacuate, she told CNN.
“Just go now,” Castor warns. “Beat the traffic and go now, and just go to higher ground.”
Indeed, residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders should take steps to help authorities identify them if they perish, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at a different news conference.
“You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards,” Moody said.
Manatee County’s Anna Maria Island announced a mandatory evacuation order for its residents starting Monday at noon. County officials will begin evacuations for areas A and B at 2 p.m. ET. And more than 500,000 people in Pinellas County could be ordered to evacuate Monday.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri indicated officials plan to be “more assertive” about enforcing evacuation orders in the wake of Helene, which killed 12 people in the county and prompted more than 1,500 calls for help after it was too late for authorities to respond.
“In the past, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued, and bars stay open, restaurants stay open, people are just going about their business in stores,” he said. “That’s not going to happen this time, and we’re going to shut you down, because we can’t have the tragedy that we had a week and a half ago.”
The county had already ordered evacuations at care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes on Sunday.
Authorities anticipate Milton could cause widespread power outages, DeSantis said.
“This is something that potentially would be greater power outages than what we just saw with Hurricane Helene,” the governor said, noting residents still have a couple of days to get ready. “So, Floridians should just be prepared for that. Know if you’re anywhere near that cone, certainly you should prepare to have power interruptions.”
Milton could also cause greater storm surge in the Tampa Bay area than was caused by Helene, DeSantis added, describing efforts to deploy hundreds of feet of flood protection systems.
The town of Fort Myers Beach warned residents to be prepared, offering sandbags for pickup at the town hall. “Do not wait until it is too late” to evacuate, it added. Later it ordered an evacuation of the island’s 5,000 residents.
“Here we go again,” said the police department in Naples, adding that heavy rain and flooding concerns will increase starting Sunday through the middle of next week. Authorities urged residents not to drive on streets with water over them.
The city of Sanibel warned residents and business owners to begin preparing for impacts from the storm “as soon as possible,” a news release Saturday states. Since Helene hit, crews have worked on the island to clear storm drains and debris and manage weirs, a type of waterway barrier, to increase storm water storage capacity, the city said. Sanibel officials encouraged residents to clear debris from drainage areas near their homes or businesses before any heavy rainfall.
Florida rushes Helene cleanup before Milton
DeSantis has also ordered all disaster management sites to stay open 24/7 as the state rushes to remove debris left in the wake of Helene.
State personnel and assets — including the Department of Transportation, the National Guard and the State Guard — have been directed to work around the clock to assist local efforts to clean up and dispose of the debris, which could pose a hazard in the event Milton hits the state, DeSantis said Sunday.
“I’ve seen progress just by going around and visiting, but you also have some areas where there’s a lot of debris that’s there,” the governor said. “So, you get hit with a major hurricane, what’s going to happen to that debris? It’s going to increase the damage dramatically.”
More than 800 guardsmen are deployed for debris removal, and soon up to 4,000 will be available, DeSantis said. Assets deployed to assist with Helene recovery in Tennessee and North Carolina have also been ordered back to Florida, DeSantis said.
President Joe Biden has also been briefed on the storm, according to a statement issued Sunday.
“As these communities brace for potentially yet another catastrophic storm, and as part of my Administration’s solemn obligation to stand with impacted communities as they rebuild their lives, we will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes,” Biden said.
Tampa area schools announce closures
Some schools in the Tampa area have announced they are closing close ahead of Milton’s expected arrival.
Schools in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and Pasco County will be closed and other activities canceled through Wednesday as a precaution. Hillsborough County Schools said the decision allows the county to convert its schools into evacuation shelters.
“Given the recent impact of Hurricane Helene, many in our community are still recovering and may find it unsafe to remain in their homes. Additionally, we anticipate an influx of evacuees from coastal areas. If you are in an evacuation zone, please consider using one of our school shelters,” the district said in a statement.
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