Hurricane Milton, ‘one of the most destructive storms’ poised to devastate Florida, US: 10 key developments

Hurricane Milton, that strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico to a category 5 storm has been downgraded to category 4 and is now well on its path towards Florida, expected to cause vast devastation. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) forecasters declared on Monday evening, “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.” The storm is driving sustained winds of 165 mph and bound for what could be a devastating crash along Florida's already storm-battered western coast.

The storm will bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian’s wrath two years ago.

Latest developments on Hurricane Milton

Here are the latest updates on the growing Hurricane Milton which threatens millions of lives and vast destruction to property

Hurricane Milton: second-strongest Gulf hurricane

Milton has become the second-strongest Gulf hurricane in recorded history after Hurricane Rita in 2005. Experts predict the storm to become even stronger as it approaches Florida, with winds at a shocking 180 mph. Heavy downpours are also expected.

The storm rapidly strengthened from Category 2 to 5 in just a few hours on Monday and by Tuesday its intensity "should be dictated by any eyewall replacement cycles, which will likely cause the system to gradually weaken but grow larger," the NHC said.

Hurricane Milton: Florida under threat

Hurricane Milton is expected to make its landfall in Florida on Wednesday and poses an extremely serious threat to the state. "Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday," the center said.

"A large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so."

Hurricane Milton: Tampa Bay to be hardest hit

The National Hurricane Centre stated the storm had maximum sustained winds of 270 kph and its centre is 1,015 km southwest of Tampa Bay. Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, ordered people to evacuate areas near Tampa Bay and all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday night.

Tampa could potentially witness a deadly storm surge of 10-15 feet alongwith other coastal communities.

Even though fuel continues to arrive in Florida, many gas stations in Fort Myers and Tampa ran out of it by Monday morning. Many vehicles were heading north on Interstate 75 toward the Florida Panhandle as residents followed evacuation orders.

Hurricane Milton: Tampa Bay Mayor issues dire warning

The mayor of Tampa Bay has issued a chilling warning to the residents ahead of Hurricane Milton. Announcing city-wide evacuations Mayor Jane Castor warned people, “If you choose to stay … you are going to die,” Castor said on CNN while talking about the dangers of the “literally catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane that is heading toward the Sunshine State’s coast. Read More

Hurricane Milton: Florida residents leave state

The southbound lanes in Florida were jammed with traffic for miles, as others travelled to Fort Lauderdale and Miami for safety on the opposite side of the state.

Vehicles were heading north toward the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 75, the main highway on the west side of the peninsula. This was after residents heeded evacuation orders. Traffic clogged the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.

Hurricane Milton: White House statement

The White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on preparations for Milton's arrival. "The Federal government is preparing to support affected communities wherever and whenever needed. Preparedness efforts are underway in conjunction with state and local partners. Together we stand ready to respond to any potential impacts on communities.

Hurricane Milton: White House says enough funds to respond to Hurricane Milton

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida and allowed FEMA to manage disaster relief.

“FEMA has sufficient funding to both support the response to Hurricane Milton and continue to support the response to Hurricane Helene– including funding to support first responders and provide immediate assistance to disaster survivors,” White House clarified.

Hurricane Milton: Airports and Transport services shutdown

Several airports have announced temporary closures ahead of landfall. Tampa International Airport will suspend operations beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and so will St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport. Read More

Hurricane Milton: Mexico begins mass evacuations

In Mexico, many tourists and residents lined up to board the evacuation ferry from Holbox Island which is a low-lying island and may be one of the first places Hurricane Milton affects before heading toward Florida.

With the storm knocking on the door, schools in, St. Petersburg, Pinellas County were converted into relief shelters while the airports in the region and Orlando were shut down. Walt Disney, however, said they will be working the same for the time being.

Yucatan state Gov. Joaquín Díaz announced to drop the shutters on any non-essential activities in Mexico. Only grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies and gas stations are permitted to function like other days.

What is a Pinhole Eye in Hurricane Milton?

Experts believe a major reason behind Milton’s extremely fast intensification is its incredibly tiny “pinhole eye.”

Hurricanes with smaller eyes tend to be more intense because there is less space for the wind to lose kinetic energy. As a result, the winds continue to accelerate, strengthening the storm even further.

The record for the smallest eye belongs to Hurricane Wilma, with an eye spanning less than 2.5 miles. In Milton's case, its eye measured just 3 miles on Monday, and its air pressure dropped to 897 millibars, making it the fifth most intense storm ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.

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