Hurricane Milton maintained category 4 strength early Wednesday as it takes aim on Florida’s central Gulf coast. It will make landfall late Wednesday night or in the wee hours of Thursday morning.
At 8 am, Milton was about 300 miles southwest of Tampa. Maximum sustained winds were 155 miles per hour. Milton was moving northeast at 16 miles per hour and is forecast to increase in forward speed today.
The extent of Milton’s damaging winds is forecast to expand greatly as the hurricane passes over Florida on Thursday. It appears that the wind field has already begun to expand.
Conditions in the hurricane warning area will deteriorate quickly, starting Wednesday morning. While the Naples area is not in the hurricane warning area, people there can expect tropical storm conditions to begin around midday on Wednesday.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for all of South Florida. The Collier County coast and mainland Monroe County are under a storm surge warning and could see 5 to 8 feet of storm surge. There is also a hurricane watch from Bonita Beach south to Chokoloskee, which includes the Naples area. There’s a flood watch for the Naples area. Isolated tornadoes are possible, and there has already been a tornado warning in extreme southern Miami-Dade early Wednesday morning — which has since expired.
Rush to conclude all preparations for Hurricane Milton this morning. It will quickly become too hazardous to travel.
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components
