Powerful Hurricane Milton hits Category 5 status on path to Florida: Live updates

[RandySF]

Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 powerhouse Monday, driving sustained winds of 160 mph as it rolled across the Gulf of Mexico bound for what could be a devastating crash along Florida's already storm-battered western coast sometime Wednesday.

The storm has rapidly intensified, strengthening from Category 2 to 5 in just a few hours. By Tuesday, Milton's intensity "should be dictated by any eyewall replacement cycles, which will likely cause the system to gradually weaken but grow larger," the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

The hurricane center has issued hurricane watches across portions of Florida and warned that parts of the state could be overwhelmed by life-threatening storm surge, flooding rain and damaging winds.

Milton is forecast to remain an "extremely dangerous" hurricane for the next couple of days. Some weakening is forecast before the hurricane reaches the coast, but Milton "is still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida," hurricane center specialist Jack Beven wrote in an advisory.


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/07/hurricane-milton-live-updates-florida/75552024007/

[DFW]

1. Ted Cruz is headed for Fiji and Rick Scott is headed for Tahiti.

Cancún is too close for comfort this time.

[jimfields33]

5. Which would be dumb as they are in DC or should be.

They need to get to work passing bills.

[DFW]

7. Being extremist right wing Republicans

They would not be passing bills. They would be there voting against them.

[jimfields33]

8. Since they are in the senate, they can complain they can't

do crap since they are minority. Go sit in the corner Ted.

[DFW]

11. Since there have been bills jointly sponsored by Senators of both parties since like forever

That particular complaint rings hollow as one made by a Senator who wants to grandstand instead of do his job.

[TheBlackAdder]

21. The House brain child has spoken.

Quick: Is this a real MTG quote or one that was made up?

[Shermann]

2. I hope they are correct about it weakening before landfall

The forecasts have missed the mark on the intensity thus far, I don't recall a prediction of Category 4 let alone 5.

That said, Category 3 is nothing to take lightly.

[RandySF]

3. Katrina was a 3 at landfall.

[catbyte]

9. It would help some with wind damage, but won't do much to mitigate the storm surge.

So, whoever is unlucky enough to be just south of the eye will be deluged by about 15 feet of water. The storm will have too much momentum for the surge and waves to diminish appreciably before landfall.

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. I got a post from my goddaughter in Tampa

that she and her boyfriend are evacuating. I hope they are going somewhere safe. Her family was just impacted by Helene, FFS! I haven't heard yet from my daughter's friend Audrey, who lives in St. Petersburg. She has MS so it will be more difficult for her.

[jimfields33]

6. The traffic is a nightmare. Luckily they only need to be about an hour out of Tampa.

They’d still have hurricane effects, but nothing like Tampa.

[Skittles]

14. good, good

take no chances....

[Native]

10. I don't know if it's better or worse when it makes landfall at night

[TheBlackAdder]

15. Hopefully, it will be low tide. IDK, might be better to see what your options are.

[Native]

16. We're being asked to stay put. Our house is built to the latest codes. Tampa Int'l Airport is closing tomorrow at 9 am,

and the roads are already crazy. We are about 15 miles from the coast, and we aren't in a low lying area, so we should be good flood-wise. We will just have to ride out the winds and will likely lose power. Fortunately, the weather through the weekend is supposed to be in the low 80's, so at least we won't have to deal with sweltering, dangerous heat.

[TheBlackAdder]

19. Best wishes for your safety. I'm sure, no matter how many storms hit, it's quite unnerving.

[Native]

20. Thank you!

[Traildogbob]

12. Damn

Not good Florida.
Hope all fair well, except for MARDI LARDO, I hope it’s goes as far away as Dorothy’s Kansas home.
And Milton is a pretty common Jewish name. How apropos. Imagine MTG rants about a Jewish generated Cat 5 sent to harm trumps candidacy.
Can Space lasers do that with storms?
Hunker down Florida. We feel your anxiety up here in WNC. I do wish you safety and quick response from Biden’s caring, very competent administration.
The fool in white rubber boots ain’t gonna help you.

[Shermann]

13. Time for the Magic Sharpie to redirect the storm to Alabama! nt

[Native]

17. One of my favorite photos of our Governor...

Link to tweet

[Traildogbob]

18. Never fails

To make me belly laugh so hard I pull an abdominal muscle.