Tight on time? This story is for you. It's an abbreviated, text view at what's happening with Hurricane Milton, which is a major hurricane prior to making landfall along Florida's West Coast, possibly Wednesday night.Click here for more details.
Is there a hurricane coming to Florida?
Yes. Hurricane Milton currently is in the Gulf of Mexico and is moving toward Florida's West Coast.
Where is Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall?
Landfall is expected Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.
AccuWeather is predicting landfall at 2 a.m. Thursday as a Category 3 storm along the west-central Florida Peninsula with a inland track roughly along Interstate 4.
Don't relax if you live on Florida's East Coast. Milton is expected to still be a hurricane after crossing the state and moving into the Atlantic.
➤Spaghetti models for Hurricane Milton
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When is Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall?
The National Hurricane Center is predicting Hurricane Milton will make landfall Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
AccuWeather is predicting landfall at 2 a.m. Thursday.
How strong is Hurricane Milton?
At 8 p.m., Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with 165-mph winds.
A Category 5 hurricane has winds of at least 157 mph.
How big is Hurricane Milton?
At 8 p.m., hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.
The Hurricane Center said Milton may double in size before it makes landfall.
Watches, warnings issued for Florida
As of 8 p.m. watches and warnings issued include:
Hurricane warning:
- Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay
- Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach
Hurricane watch:
- Dry Tortugas
- Lake Okeechobee
- Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach
- Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the St. Marys River
- Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to the Palm Beach/Martin County Line
Storm surge warning:
- Florida west coast from Flamingo northward to Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
- Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the St. Johns River
Storm surge watch:
- None in effect for Florida
Tropical storm warning:
- Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay
- Lake Okeechobee
- Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
- Florida west coast from north of Suwanee River to Indian Pass
- Florida east coast south of the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to Flamingo
- North of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia
Tropical storm watch:
- None in effect for Florida
➤ Live updates: Get the latest news around Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches
What impacts will Hurricane Milton have on Florida?
Expected impacts include:
- Storm surge of 10-15 feet for Tampa Bay and the Anclote River to Englewood. See other areas under storm surge threat.
- Rainfall amounts of 5 to 12 inches, with localized totals up to 18 inches. AccuWeather predicted up to 30 inches in some isolated locations.
- Damaging winds.
- Tornadoes over central and southern Florida beginning late tonight and continuing through Wednesday night.
- Dangerous surf and rip currents.
- Power outages.
Do not focus on the cone!
The cone you see from the National Hurricane Center shows a consensus based on models on where the center could be over the next several days.
While the National Hurricane Center is predicting a landfall along the west-central coast of Florida, track forecasts can be off by an average of 60 to 70 miles.
Gov. DeSantis issues state of emergency for most of Florida
Of Florida's 67 counties, 51 are under a state of emergency: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.
What should you do if you live in Florida?
- Tuesday is the last full day to finish your preparations, including taking care of your home restocking food and water, putting gas in the car, charging your phone. Today is the last full day to finish preparations.
- If you don't know your evacuation zone is, here's how to find out.
- If you're going to evacuate, or you live in an flood zone, time is running out to leave. You do not want to be stuck on the highway in the middle of a hurricane. If you're told to evacuate, please leave!
- Several schools have already announced they'll be closed. Here's how to find the status of yours, from Florida Department of Education.
- Prepare for power/cell outages.
Keep an eye on weather updates. and make sure you monitor the latest conditions.
(This story was updated to add new information and to add video.)
