It is expected to hit Florida as an 'extremely dangerous' Category 4 when it reaches the Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Wednesday morning to a Category 4 after briefly regaining strength to a Category 5 storm Tuesday afternoon., Milton was about 190 miles southwest of Tampa and had winds of 145 mph as of Wednesday afternoon. It is expected to hit Florida as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 when it reaches the Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
Milton’s outer rainbands had already reached Florida and were expected to dump as much as 18 inches of rain while heading toward the Atlantic Ocean, the NHC said. Evacuations were sent out in the state on Monday and there has been a 150% increase in traffic on Florida highways, he added. It was also noted that tolls will be suspended to make it easier for those evacuating.
“Florida will not stand for looting. We will come after you and we will not stop if anyone takes advantage of our citizens in need,” said Mark Glass, commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Around 37,000 linemen are either in Florida or headed to the state to help with power outages, DeSantis announced Tuesday.
Tampa Category 4 Evacuation Storm Surge National Guard FEMA Traffic
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