More than five million Floridians were at risk Tuesday as Hurricane Milton neared the Tampa Bay area. Many heeded evacuation warnings and took to their cars, flooding major highways, exhausting fuel supplies and raising questions about where they would all end up.
“If you’re going to get out,” Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents at a news conference, “get out now.” Waiting until the last minute, as many longtime Floridians do, could be a fatal mistake, he warned.
The Category 5 storm was packing winds of up to 165 miles per hour and was expected to create a storm surge that would be "unsurvivable," as some meteorologists put it.
The National Hurricane Center warned of storm surges of 10 feet or more, what it called "an extremely life-threatening situation." Devastating hurricane-force winds accompanied by urban flooding and long-term power outages were expected to make life miserable for the days and weeks to come.
Special centers were set up for disabled people and the chronically ill who need fulltime supervision. Animal rescue groups moved in to find and provide shelter for abandoned pets and to provide pet drop-off services for evacuating families.
Amusement parks, airports and many hotels closed as the storm approached, with no word on when they would reopen. Hospitals went to emergency staffing and some erected portable floodwalls hoping to hold back the sea.
Across the state in Jacksonville, the mayor urged residents to remain vigilant as the storm makes its way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean and finally out to sea.
While no one knows what the exact situation will be by Thursday morning, it's likely to be similar to that endured last week as a consequence of Hurricane Helene.
Here is some of the advice issued after Helene that may be useful for those hit by Milton:
- Where homeowners can go for help rebuilding their lives.
- Most flooded homes lack flood insurance.
- Insurers warn of contractor fraud.
- Latest storm information from the National Hurricane Center.
This is a developing story. Check back for later details.