Milton strengthens to a Category 5 hurricane
UPDATE (12:31 PM): Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen over the southern Gulf of Mexico and is now a powerful Category 5 storm.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the storm first strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane by 7:00am Eastern and by 9:00am Eastern, it rapidly intensified into a Category 4, adding that data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicated Milton since strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds at an estimated 160 miles per hour.
Life-threatening storm surges are expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast with the arrival of Hurricane Milton on Wednesday.
As many as 15 million people are under flood watches across the Florida Peninsula and 11 million are at risk for tropical tornadoes Tuesday and Wednesday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, during a news conference Sunday, that an around-the-clock operation to clear debris and fallen trees from helene was underway ahead of Milton's arrival. He also pre-emptively issued an emergency declarations for 51 counties.
UPDATE (6:52 AM): Milton is now a Category 4 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 150 miles-per-hour, the National Hurricane Center said, making widespread evacuation orders likely across Florida.
As of 9:00am Eastern, Milton was about 150 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 750 miles west-southwest of Tampa, with maximum sustained wind speeds of near 150 MPH with higher gusts.
(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Life-threatening storm surges are due to hit Florida's Gulf Coast this week with the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which is strengthening over the southern Gulf of Mexico and set to make landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm on Wednesday.
Milton is now a Category 3 storm with sustained wind speeds of 120 miles-per-hour (MPH), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, making widespread evacuation orders likely across Florida.
The storm is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday evening in Florida, which along with the wider southeastern United States continues to recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene.
The NHC issued a storm surge warning early Monday for Florida's Gulf Coast from Flamingo on the southern tip to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay.
A hurricane watch is in place along the same coastline, from Chokoloskee near Everglades City, to the Suwannee River, while a tropical storm watch is in place further west to Indian Pass.
As of 7:00am Eastern, Milton was about 180 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 750 miles west-southwest of Tampa, with maximum sustained wind speeds of near 120 MPH with higher gusts.
