By Patricia Mazzei and Jacey Fortin
On Wednesday afternoon, Hurricane Milton’s outer bands rocked Florida, as nearly the entire state experienced the effects of a robust storm still hours away from making landfall. Residents hurried to secure their homes at the last moment, and those as far north as Tallahassee raced to find shelters. Tornado warnings were issued statewide.
By late afternoon, Milton’s winds had diminished enough to downgrade it to a Category 3 hurricane, but meteorologists cautioned that this shift in classification is unlikely to lessen its potentially catastrophic consequences. Even individuals on the state’s eastern coast, along the Atlantic, received warnings about the threat of harmful storm surges.
The storm’s center, among the most powerful ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, was anticipated to make landfall around midnight, although its exact location remains uncertain.
Here’s what you need to know:
— Path of the storm: Experts warned that determining Milton’s precise landing point—the location where the eye strikes land—is still “impossible to predict.” Currently, the storm’s trajectory appears to be slightly shifting south of Tampa toward Sarasota, where some residents opted to remain despite evacuation orders.
— Broad effects: For nearly all Florida residents on Wednesday afternoon, evading the influences of Milton seemed unlikely, with 51 out of 67 counties declaring a state of emergency.
— Fierce winds: Tornado-generating thunderstorms linked to Milton swept through southern Florida on Wednesday. Such occurrences are common as hurricanes approach land, but this situation seems particularly severe. A notably dangerous tornado developed in the Fort Myers region, with the potential for additional tornadoes to emerge.
— Relief efforts: President Joe Biden committed to providing full federal assistance; however, officials warned that misinformation and rumors circulating online regarding the government’s response were undermining relief efforts.
“We truly don’t know how much rain this storm will bring so I’m scared, but it’s too late to evacuate,” McKinstry expressed. “All we can do is hope for the best and pray.”
