Milton has so far swept across the Gulf of Mexico, and experts say it could bring life-threatening destruction to areas still reeling from devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene 12 days ago, as Florida braces for its arrival in the coming hours.
The Mayor of Tampa has bluntly warned residents refusing to leave that “your house will be your coffin”, adding “if you choose to stay… you are going to die”.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued ahead of the storm on Monday, and anyone who decides to stay has been told they should expect to cope on their own, with first responders not expected to risk their lives to rescue them at the height of the storm.
Follow our live blog and hurricane tracker below
‘Adrenaline loving’ Florida man plans to party through ‘once in a century storm’
A Florida man “who loves adrenaline” says his apartment is hurricane category 5 resistant and he plans to “party” through the storm.
Traffic has been thick as people have been fleeing the Tampa Bay area of Florida with Hurricane Milton looming. “We must be prepared for a major, major impact to the west coast of Florida,” said Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, while President Joe Biden, warned that it “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said that there could be a 4.5metre storm surge capable of swallowing a house, and warned: “So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in.”
‘Adrenaline loving’ Florida man plans to party through ‘once in a century storm’
Forecaster shares tornado warnings on social media
Hurricane Milton is set to lead to tornadoes across Florida.
A meteorologist has warned of at least two anticipated shortly to the west of Fort Lauderdale.
Watch Hurricane Milton live as Florida webcams stream Cat 5 storm wreaks havoc
Hurricane Milton continues to churn in the hot Gulf of Mexico waters, with windspeeds reaching 160mph on Wednesday morning.
It returned to a Category 5 storm on Tuesday night, with the Tampa Bay area most at risk of Milton’s destructive wrath. There could be a horrifying 15ft storm surge on Florida’s west coast, sparking widespread floods and dangerous projectiles.
There are a number of livestream webcams across the Floridian coast, including in Clearwater, Key West, and Tampa itself. You can follow all of the horrifying scenes across the state as Milton makes landfall from Wednesday night, until early Friday morning.
Watch Hurricane Milton live as Florida webcams stream Cat 5 storm wreaks havoc
Brit couple staying at Disney World say Hurricane Milton is a ‘bit worrying’
A Brit couple staying at Disney World has told how Hurricane Milton is a “bit worrying” as it is being described as a “life and death event”.
Terence Turner, from Basingstoke, is staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort in Orlando with his husband Cian. They have been told that all Disney Parks and Disney Springs would be shut from 2pm (7pm UK time) and likely remain closed throughout Thursday.
“It’s early, but it’s quiet,” Terence told Sky News.. “It’s raining quite a bit today, but at the moment it feels fairly normal for Orlando.” He continued: “It’s hard to know about the rest of the week until the storm hits and the damage becomes clearer. All the cast members at Disney have been very reassuring that Disney is one of the safest places to ride out a storm.
“One cast member told us that when the power goes out in Florida, the first place to get back online are the hospitals, the second place is Disney. The news over here is really talking about the storm as a life and death event, so it is a bit worrying, but we’re keeping positive and making the most of it.”
Fascinating new footage from Space shows Hurricane Milton battering Mexico
Nasa’s International space station has captured fascinating new footage of Hurricane Milton as it sweeps the Gulf of Mexico and heads straight for an Tampa, Florida, with an expected landfall in the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 10.
Hurricane Milton: ISS captures storm passing over Gulf of Mexico
Florida webcam livestream captures live storm chaos
Florida has descended into chaos as it braces for 180mph winds brought on by Hurricane Milton – and 15ft floodwater engulfing buildings across the region.
A livestream has captured eerie scenes across Florida as the state braces for what experts are calling the region’s most devastating storm in living memory. Dark clouds have formed across multiple deserted areas, with the impact of hurricane-force winds already causing some of the livestream’s cameras to aggresively shake.
Milton is ‘one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever form’
In his latest forecast on CNN, meteorologist Derek Van Dam said it was only a matter of time before water levels began to rise.
He warned: “We are only a matter of hours until we experience tropical storm force winds in this region, and it’s only a matter of hours before we start to see the water levels start to come up.
He then described Hurricane Milton as “one of the most powerful top ten Atlantic basin hurricanes to ever form.”
Storm downgraded to Category 4 but remains ‘extremely dangerous’
Hurricane Milton has been Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, but is “expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight,” the National Hurricane Center has said.
Supermarket shelves left empty as locals stock up on food
Empty shelves are seen in a store’s bread aisle in Fort Myers, Florida, as panicked locals stock up on food ahead of Milton’s arrival later today.
A supermarket in Fort Myers, Florida, on Tuesday October 8 (
Getty Images)
Tampa Mayor warns remaining residents nobody will ‘come and get you’
Mayor of Tampa Jane Castor urged locals who haven’t already evacuated to flee to safety immediately.
Speaking to NBC’s TODAY this morning, she said: “This isn’t a drill. This is the biggest storm that we have certainly seen here in the Tampa area in over a century.
“Whenever that storm surge comes and it’s 10 to 15 feet and people are trying to ride this out in single story structures — there’s no place to go. And when winds get up to hurricane speeds, there’s nobody to come and get you.”
Florida army checks for any remaining residents
Images show members of the Florida Army National Guard checking for any remaining residents in the almost deserted Bradenton Beach, where piles of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding still sits outside damaged homes ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
The Florida Army National Guard are checking for any remaining residents (
AP)
Milton set to be ‘dangerous major hurricane’ says US agency forecasters
National Hurricane Center forecasters warned that Milton is “expected to be a dangerous major hurricane” when it reaches the Florida coast.
Traffic has been thick today as people fled the Tampa area ahead of Milton. As they evacuated, emergency crews along the coast hurried to clear Helene’s debris so that Milton doesn’t turn it into dangerous projectiles.
As of Wednesday morning, the storm was about 300 miles southwest of Tampa with sustained winds of 160 mph. “A northeastward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected” through Wednesday night, the hurricane center said.
“We must be prepared for a major, major impact to the west coast of Florida,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. While President Joe Biden, who postponed an overseas trip so he could remain at the White House to monitor Milton, warning that it “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida.”
Hurricane Milton to be ‘the worst possible storm’, Laura Tobin says
Good Morning Britain meteorologist Laura Tobin says there are “so many things coming together” to make Hurricane Milton “the worst possible storm” as it moves towards Tampa Bay in Florida.
Hurricane Milton: Laura Tobin previews ‘worst possible storm’
Locals refusing to evacuate are warned ‘your house will be your coffin’
Millions in Florida have been ordered to evacuate their homes ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival in Tampa later tonight. The storm is set to be the most destructive the region has seen in over 100 years.
The city’s mayor has now bluntly warned residents refusing to leave that “your house will be your coffin” as up to 15ft of floodwater is set to engulf entire buildings across the region.
Mayor Jane Castor told her constituents: “If you choose to stay… you are going to die.”
Man refusing to leave worst hit area says ‘God has my back’
A man living in an area set to be the worst hit by Hurricane Milton has insisted he will not leave.
The resident, who goes by Lieutenant Dan on TikTok, lives on a 20ft sailboat anchored in Tampa Bay harbour. Authorities have urged him to leave, but in a series of videos posted to social media, he has vowed to stay, telling his followers “God has my back”
He says: “God sent me here… he told me to be right here, so I’m doing what he told me to do,” he said. Anybody that tries to get me out of here, they’re not of god because god told me this is where I’m supposed to be, and that’s why I’m doing it.
“I’m not worried. This is nothing compared to what I’ve been through. This is not even a minor inconvenience, because all that’s going to happen is everyone’s going to get wet but I’m going to be fine because I’m in a boat, that floats.
“The wind’s going to pick up but my anchor is tied to the dock so I’m not going to go anywhere… god has got my back.”
Aggressive turbulence hits storm hunters flying through Milton
A terrifying video shows storm hunters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) being hit with extreme turbulence whilst flying through Hurricane Milton on Tuesday.
In the clip, items can be seen flung around the aircraft as the men grip onto their seats.
Storm hunters experience turbulence after flying through Hurricane Milton
Meteorologist cries on air as he admits upcoming storm is ‘horrific’
A long-standing meteorologist at NBC news broke down live on air as he admitted the impact of Hurricane Milton would be astronomical.
Meteorologist John Morales was emotional during his broadcast
He is among several other experts who have stressed that the storm is likely to be the region’s most devastating in living memory.
Meteorologist John Morales first described the storm as an “incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane”. His voice then cracked as he struggled to compose himself whilst sharing further meteorological data. “I apologise. This is just horrific”, he added.
“The seas are just incredibly, incredibly hot. A record hot, as you might imagine. You know what’s driving that, I don’t need to tell you: global warming, climate change, leading to this and becoming an increasing threat.”
Map shows all mandatory evacuation zones in Florida
An infographic shows a number of areas across Florida which have a mandatory evacuation order, with thousands of residents having already fled.
Mandatory areas include Tampa and Fort Myers, while other areas, such as Miami and parts of Orlando, have a voluntary order in place.
An infographic shows Florida evacuation areas (
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Terrifying 15ft storm surge will swallow homes, mayor warns
A terrifying 15ft storm surge set to batter Florida later today will be powerful enough to swallow homes, a Tampa mayor has warned.
Milton is anticipating damage similar to that seen during Hurricane Helene (
Getty Images)
As the time to evacuate begins to run out, Tampa mayor Jane Castor said up to 15ft (4.5 metres) of storm surge forecast for her area would be deep enough to engulf an entire house.
She said: “So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in”
Those who don’t evacuate are ‘on their own’, sheriff says
The sheriff of the county that includes Tampa, where Milton is due to hit in hours, said those staying put in mandatory evacuation zones are “on their own.”
Sheriff Chad Chronister of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, told Top Story with Tom Llamas last night: “I don’t know why you’re gambling with your life or the life of your loved one, but realize this storm is going to be different.
“When these wind shear and wind speeds reach a certain speed, I can’t imagine a feeling when someone calls for help and there’s no one coming.”
Tampa hospital installs flood wall and vows to stay open
Tampa General Hospital has vowed to stay open despite being in the middle of Hurricane Milton’s deadly path.
An AquaFence flood wall has been put into place around Tampa General Hospital (
AFP via Getty Images)
It has erected a flood barrier around its Davis Islands campus, and stockpiled five days worth of food, linens and other supplies.
The hospital said: “As soon as the storm passes, and the roads are safe, additional providers and staff will return to work to relieve teams and continue supporting response and recovery efforts.”
Workers race to protect more than 1,000 animals in Tampa Zoo
Tampa Zoo has closed down as workers rush to protect more than a thousand animals before Hurricane Milton sweeps Florida’s western coast.
Animals are being moved to protected areas at Zoo Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton (
AFP via Getty Images)
The zoo said in a social media post on Monday: “The zoo has a comprehensive severe weather plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members and will take all precautions as conditions warrant.”
Larger animals, including elephants, giraffes, panthers and bears will be placed in hurricane-proof barns or night housing, while birds and smaller animals are being moved to kennels.
Footage shows horror mass evacuations as millions attempt to flee Florida
Horrifying footage has captured the moment a Florida highway is clogged up with cars as millions attempt to flee Hurricane Milton – with locals starkly told: “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
Aerial footage of a highway in St. Petersburg, Florida, shows panicked residents attempting to evacuate the storm in their cars as it begins to churns in the Gulf of Mexico. Milton, which comes on heels of the destructive Hurricane Helene, has been predicted by experts to bring even more danger as debris from Helene could see flying projectiles resulting in fatal injuries.
Milton could trigger several more tornadoes in its path
Hurricane Milton may spawn several tornadoes in its path, including those rated EF 2, which can bring winds of 135mph or higher.
The US Storm Prediction Center said: “As Hurricane Milton moves across the Florida Peninsula today, several tornadoes will be likely across parts of the central and southern Florida Peninsula, into the Florida Keys. A strong tornado or two could occur during the mid to late afternoon.”
The area from southern Florida to central Florida, home to 10 million people, has a risk for tornadoes (or Level 2 of 5). This includes Miami, Tampa and Orlando.
Last month, Hurricane Helene brought on more than 30 tornadoes in the Southeast, but Milton’s will likely be contained to Florida.
Walt Disney World closes several parks ahead of storm
Walt Disney World has closed down a number of theme parks today as Hurricane Milton is set to tear through Central Florida.
Walt Disney World announced it would close several of its attractions and transport connections in preparation of the impact. The update shared via its website said people would be refunded for their pre-paid booking expenses.
“It is likely the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday, October 10. We will consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings,” A Disney spokesperson said. “This includes the cancellation of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom park on Thursday, October 10. Event tickets will be refunded.”
Joe Biden says evacuating Florida is a matter of ‘life and death’
President Biden has warned residents of Florida who live in the path of Hurricane Milton to leave immediately as the storm is “a matter of life and death.”
Joe Biden has urged residents to flee (
Getty Images)
He said: “I’ve urged everyone, everyone currently located in Hurricane Milton’s path to listen local officials and follow safety instructions. If you’re under evacuation orders, you should evacuate now, now, you should have already evacuated. It’s a matter of life and death.”
The White House says Biden will be postponing a trip to Germany and Angola to monitor the storm response.
Residents stay put as ‘people are running out of gas on the highway’
A Florida resident says she will be staying in her Tampa home despite desperate calls for locals to evacuate as people are starting to run out of fuel in the middle of the highway while attempting to flee the region.
Chynna Perkins told the BBC that the decision to stay put was not an easy one, but her and her husband have two large dogs, and she feels safe in her newly built home.
She said: “I don’t think people really understand how much planning has to go into a decision like this. There’s so much traffic and barely any gas available right now. People are running out of gas on the highway.”
Where is Hurricane Milton right now?
Hurricane Milton is currently around 405 miles southwest of Tampa with sustained winds of 160mph.
The storm, which remains Category 5, is sweeping the northeast at 12mph and is set to make landfall along Florida’s central Gulf Coast by Wednesday night or possibly early Thursday.
Virgin Atlantic cancels 23 UK flights to and from Florida
23 flights from the UK to Florida and back have been cancelled by Virgin Atlantic due to adverse weather conditions brought on by Hurricane Milton.
The airline issued an update on its website during the early hours which reads: “Due to adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton, a state of emergency has been declared in Florida.
“Unfortunately, this has impacted Virgin Atlantic’s flying schedule, and services to and from Orlando and Tampa are subject to cancellations and delays.
“We ask that anyone travelling checks the status of their flights on www.virginatlantic.com for the latest information.”
Florida locals brace for impact as storm edges closer
Homes and businesses have been boarded up in Kissimmee, Florida, ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Milton this evening.
Residents of Orange County, Florida, have also collected free sandbags to prevent themselves and their belongings being swept away by the storm.
Employees of a local store board up glass doors in Kissimmee, Florida (
AFP via Getty Images)
Streets covered in floodwater as storm hits Mexico
Areas of Mexico have already been devastated by floods and heavy rain as Hurricane Milton hits the region ahead of its arrival in Florida.
A man has been pictured riding his bike through a flooded street off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico.
When is Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida?
The Category 5 storm is set to blast areas between Tampa and Fort Myers on Wednesday night, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Forecasters have anticipated it to be the worst storm to hit the area in around a century – bringing winds of up to 165mph, a storm surge of 10-15ft or over, and heavy rainfall of up to 1.5ft.
It is currently making its way northeast at 12mph towards Florida’s west-central coast.
Fascinating images show the hurricane from space
Hurricane Milton covers a large enough area for it to be seen from space.
NASA Astronaut and US Navy Commander Matthew Dominick was able to capture the scenes from the window of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour, where he is waiting to undock and return to Earth.
Milton rebounds to Category 5 storm bringing ‘complete devastation’
Milton was decreased to a Category 4 storm yesterday, but it has now strengthened back to Category 5 with winds set to reach 165mph, the National Hurricane Center advisory says.
Category 5 – the highest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane wind scale – sees wind speeds of 157mph or higher, as well as complete devastation, with entire buildings destroyed and life-threatening risks sweeping a region.
The National Hurricane Center says: “A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.”
As the force of hurricanes increase overtime due to the climate crisis, experts have even hinted at the introduction of a Category 6 to account for storms exceeding 192mph winds.
17% of Florida’s gas stations are without fuel
As residents rush to stock up on fuel ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, almost a fifth of Florida’s nearly 16,000 gas stations are without gas, a US tech company reports.
GasBuddy, which offers a fuel availability tracker to Florida residents, said that as of last night, 17.4% of the state’s 7,912 gas stations were without fuel, according to NBC News.
Fuel is even harder to find in Florida’s busiest cities, with Tampa and St. Petersburg reporting 43.06% of stations lacking fuel, Fort Myers and Naples, accounting for 27.79% of stations with no fuel, and the Orlando and Daytona Beach area, with 14.68% reporting no fuel, the tracking site says.
Public health emergency declared in Florida
Health officials in Florida are declaring a public health emergency before Hurricane Milton even makes landfall later today. Following the deadly devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene, this is the second public health warning in as many weeks.
Declaring the emergency allows the state to receive greater federal and statewide support at Florida’s already beleaguered hospitals, as well as to send in more first responders to deal with the aftermath of Milton’s forecast 175mph winds – the biggest storm to hit the state in decades.
US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told the public: “We will do all we can to assist Florida officials with responding to the health impacts of Hurricane Milton.
“We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
Hurricane Helene killed ‘at least 236 people’
Less than a fortnight ago, the second largest hurricane to hit the US in the last 50 years devastated wide swathes of the country’s southeast after making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region. Hurricane Helene was also the deadliest storm to strike the US since Hurricane Katrina claimed the lives of 1392 people in 2005.
Although many parts of Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and both North and South Carolina are still reckoning with the damage wrought by Helene, the latest estimate of people killed by Hurricane Helene has increased to 236. This number is expected to rise.
Helene’s deadly toll by state:
- North Carolina: 117 people
- South Carolina: 48 people
- Georgia: 33 people
- Florida: 20 people
- Tennessee: 16 people
- Virginia: 2 people
Many UK flights to Florida cancelled as Cat. 5 Milton puts state in shutdown
One of Florida and the US’ key tourist attractions, the Walt Disney World theme park and resort in Orland, has made the rare and late announcement that it will shut to visitors as Category 5 Hurricane Milton barrels towards the state.
State officials have warned residents and tourists in the path of the potentially 175mph hurricane to evacuate or they “will die,” as a result of the high winds and forecasted storm surges that follow.
But at Disney’s Orlando theme park, which pumps $40 billion into the local economy, the disruption from the life-threatening storm could even last less than 24 hours. Amid the high winds, the parks will start to close at 2pm local time on Wednesday, but could be open by the same time the next day, just hours after the storm is set to make landfall.
“It is likely the theme parks will remain closed on Thursday,” the company website said. “We will consider opening Disney Springs on Thursday in the late afternoon, with limited offerings.”
Major airlines have cancelled many of their direct flights to Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of the expected devastation from Hurricane Milton. The Foreign Office is warning Brits against travel to the state: “There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and high winds on the west coast, and heavy rainfall and high winds are expected to impact large parts of Florida.”
‘We’re as prepared as we know how to be’
Ten hospitals and thousands of patients have been evacuated, ahead of Hurricane Milton.
More than three hundred health care facilities, including 63 nursing homes and 169 assisted living facilities, have also evacuated their people.
Steve McCoy, chief of the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, said it is the state’s “largest evacuation ever.”
Several hospitals are planning on staying open, to help those in need.
David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, said: “I’ve lived on the Gulf Coast my entire life and in Sarasota for 20 years. I’ve never seen anything like this.
“Our anxieties are high, but we’re as prepared as we know how to be.”
Joe Biden warns airlines not to overcharge people fleeing Milton
President Joe Biden has warned airlines not to overcharge people attempting to flee Hurricane Milton.
He said in a briefing for companies to stay “on the level”.
He said: “I’m calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations, and not to engage in price gouging.
“Just do it on the level.”
Travel warning as Brits heading to the US must take urgent action
Brits either heading to Florida or already in the beleaguered US state have been warned to take urgent action ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
Officials have told their people to evacuate from the areas set to be hit hardest on Wednesday, with huge ten foot storm surges feared as well as 150mph winds. The storm’s wrath could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago and still recovering from Ian’s wrath two years ago.
It has now reached Mexico, and Florida is next.
Read more here Travel warning as Brits heading to the US must take urgent action
Hurricane Milton hits Mexico – and Florida is next
Category four Hurricane Milton has hot Mexico with the clock ticking down as to when it makes landfall in Florida.
Several airports are not shutting and the roads are clogged, meaning it is possibly too late for people to flee.
Instead, they will have to stay and bear the brunt of Milton’s fury.
Hurricane Milton warning issued as ‘life-threatening’ winds barrel toward Florida
Hurricane Milton is bringing “life-threatening” winds and storm surge to Florida’s coast, according to the latest update on the threat lingering in the Gulf.
The National Hurricane Center said in its latest update: “ A large area of destructive storm surge, with highest inundations of 10 ft or greater, is expected along a portion of the west-central coast of the Florida Peninsula.
“If you are in the Storm Surge Warning area, this is an extremely life-threatening situation, and you should evacuate today if ordered by local officials.”
Read more here
Theme parks remaining open as hurricane bears down
Several theme parks remain open in Florida, despite the imminent arrival of the hurricane.
Walt Disney World and Universal continue to operate, although the Mickey Mouse famed park said it has, for now, opted to only close its campgrounds and rental cabins in wooded areas.
Meanwhile, Orlando International Airport – the nation’s seventh busiest – said it would cease operations Wednesday morning.
Astronaut shares incredible storm pictures from Earth orbit
An astronaut has shared images of the approaching hurricane from the Earth’s orbit.
Matthew Dominick is aboard the Dragon Endeavour and captured incredible images of the category four storm as it prepares to make landfall in Florida.
He wrote on X: “We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago. Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window. Expect lots of images from this window as this is where I’m sleeping while we wait to undock and return to Earth.”
The astronaut has been in space for around six months as flight engineer aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting experiments.
We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago. Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window. Expect lots of images from this window as this is where I’m sleeping while we wait to undock and return to Earth.
Timelapse coming in a separate post.
1/6400 sec, f8, ISO 500 pic.twitter.com/zkhJdTlag7
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024
Pictures show Florida preparing for hurricane’s arrival
People in Florida are preparing for the arrival of the potentially catastrophic hurricane by putting up wodden panels against doors and windows.
A massive storm surge is expected to flood areas of Tampa Bay and other places.
Shelves emptied of supplies by panicking Florideans
Pictures from St Petersburg have shown shelves have been emptied of key supplies, such as bottled water and food.
Hurricane Milton is expected to touch down between there and Tampa Bay tomorrow.
Hurricane Milton a “once in a century” storm
Tampa Bay was last hit by the eye of a major storm in 1921 – when things were quite different.
Then, the city had a population of a few hundred thousand people. The city was drowned in 11ft of storm surge as boats and other vessels were dragged inland.
Today, more than three million people call it home – and many will be wondering what they will return to once Milton has left town.
Tourists trapped in Florida after ‘hell’ holiday
A pair of tourists are trapped in Florida after a series of unfortunate events.
John Fedor and his wife Laura lost their phone on a Caribbean cruise before missing their flight home to Philadelphia – and then missed the flight they rebooked as the bus to the Tampa airport was delayed.
They are now battening down in Florida.
Mr Fedor said: “It’s just been utter hell.
“We looked into driving home, taking the train home but nothing worked out.”
‘Hurricane Helene c**p will be missiles when Milton hits’
An expert has warned “c**p left behind by Hurricane Helene will turn deadly once Milton arrives.
The streets of Florida are still filled with sofas, mattresses and other large items dumped by the huge storm.
Expert Nick Szabo warned if it is all not removed in time, they could become dangerous once Hurricane Milton blows into town.
He said: “All this c**p is going to be missiles,” if they don’t haul it away ahead of Hurricane Milton. It’s like a spear coming at you.”
Hurricane Milton satellite pictures show sheer size of storm as it approaches Florida
New satellite pictures show the enormity of Hurricane Milton as it approaches Florida..
They were captured by U.S. government scientific weather forecasting authority National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Ahead of the hurricane, the state has declared a state of emergency, and residents were ordered to evacuate, leading to one of Florida’s largest evacuation procedures on record.
More here: Hurricane Milton satellite pictures show sheer size of storm as it approaches Florida
Major motorway shut as heavy flooding hits the road
Closer to home, the M5 in Somerset has been closed owing to flooding in the area.
The southbound carriageway is shut, causing a significant build up of traffic which is likely to get worse as we approach rush hour.
The #M5 is closed southbound between J14 #Falfield and J15 #(#M4).
This is for safety reason following heavy rain and subsequent flooding of the carriageway.
There are 20 minute delays at present but these will increase. pic.twitter.com/JDk8IJZYyk
— National Highways: South-West (@HighwaysSWEST) October 8, 2024
Chilling footage of storm surge re-emerges ahead of horror Hurricane Milton
Following growing fears of a major storm surge, Mark Elliot took to x (formerly Twitter) to show the devastating impacts this phenomenon can have.
“The Tampa area is facing a potential 15-foot storm surge with Hurricane Milton. Here’s video of a similar surge in Ft Myers during Hurricane Ian,” he captioned the horrific footage, and added: “Terrifying.”
Watch the video: What is a storm surge? Chilling footage re-emerges ahead of horror Hurricane Milton with 15ft surge
Experts slam bizarre hurricane conspiracy theories
Bizarre conspiracy theories have circulated online in recent days suggesting the government somehow aimed Hurricane Helene at Republican voters.
Some right-wing social media have even suggested that aeroplanes are being used to control the weather and impact certain areas.
Ahead of the Hurricane Milton, some meterologists have spoken out about what their job entails.
Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, said. “”If meteorologists could stop hurricanes, we would stop hurricanes.
“If we could control the weather, we would not want the kind of death and destruction that’s happened.”
What’s a storm surge?
Forecasters have warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay.
This is the highest ever predicted for the region and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, according to National Hurricane Centre spokesperson Maria Torres.
A storm surge is a change in sea level caused by a storm. This can lead to extensive flooding, and can be devastating for people living in coastal areas.
Ron DeSantis urges calm as drivers rush for fuel before evacuation
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has told residents evacuating their homes to escape the dangerous Hurricane Milton that there is enough petrol for them to fuel up and get out of harm’s way.
He said in a morning press briefing: “There is no fuel shortage. Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida”.
“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away. You can evacuate tens of miles; you do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”
Damage to buildings could make them ‘uninhabitable for weeks or months’
Emegency messages alerting residents of Pinellas, Manatee, Pasco, Charlotte, Citrus and Hillsborough counties in Florida of the incoming hurricane and storm surge have been sent out via email, text message and phone call.
The hurricane warning said the impacts of Milton could be “devastating to catastrophic.”
The alerts warned that sturdy buildings could suffer complete roof and wall collapses, and that damage could make some areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months.”
What is a category 4 Hurricane?
Hurricane Milton is being classified by US authorities as a Category 4 storm as it sweeps in from the Gulf of Mexico towards central Florida today.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been told to evacuate on the Gulf Coast as authorities stress the danger to life in the path of hurricane, and Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor told CNN: “I can say without any dramatisation whatsoever if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale defines wind strengths and their likely impacts between 1 and 5 in order of severity, with the highest number being the most dangerous.
Category 4 storms have a wind speed of 130-156 mph.
According to the Met Office, damage expected from a category 4 storm includes “signs and trees blown down with extensive damage to roofs”, while flat land in inland locations may be flooded.
Expert says flying Hurricane Helene debris could make new storm more dangerous
Dr Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University, has said that the arrival of Hurricane Milton so soon after Helene could cause more danger to life from flying projectiles.
At least 232 people died across six states, including Florida, when Hurricane Helene struck the US last week.
It became the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland in the past half-century.
Dr Godby told the Mirror: “Large numbers of homes, schools, government buildings and critical infrastructure are at risk of flooding and wind damage.
“Any debris left uncleared from Hurricane Helene two weeks ago may add to the risk by becoming projectiles in the severe winds forecast.
“The authorities having been stressing that people living along this coast have no living memory of this kind of storm, need to evacuate if instructed to do so and to be somewhere safe by Tuesday night. Wind damage, heavy rain and flooding are anticipated inland as Milton crosses the Florida peninsula.”
Almost all of West Coast under hurricane warning
Almost the entirety of Florida’s west coast is under a hurricane warning today, with the storm expected to hit within the next 24 hours.
US President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, while Florida congresswoman Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers are being mobilised to help the area.
UK Foreign Office issues new US travel warning
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued a new warning this morning for British nationals travelling to Florida.
It reads: “Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on the night of 9 October or morning of 10 October with tropical force winds affecting the west coast from the morning of 9 October.
“There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and high winds on the west coast and heavy rainfall and high winds are expected to impact large parts of Florida.
“You should:
- monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Center website
- follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders
- visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website for information on preparing for extreme weather and evacuating
- check with your airline or travel agent about possible disruption to flights or airport services and follow their advice
TUI cancels flights from UK to Florida
TUI has announced cancellations to multiple flights from the UK to Florida over the next 48 hours.
It comes after Melbourne Orlando International Airport announced it would close today and tomorrow due to the incoming Hurricane Milton.
In an update on its website, TUI said: ”As a result Melbourne International Airport is expected to be extremely disrupted, as will our flying programme.
“For customers due to travel to Florida: due to the closure of Melbourne International Airport on Wednesday and Thursday, and the adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the following flights:
- 09/10/24 – TOM070 from London Gatwick Airport
- 10/10/24 – TOM742 from Glasgow Airport
- 10/10/24 – TOM 664 from Birmingham Airport
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will contact customers directly with any updates.”