Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm

Some county officials along Florida’s west coast on Monday ordered people to evacuate as Milton gained momentum in the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane strengthened to a Category 5 storm Monday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds measured at 160 mph and even higher wind gusts. The storm was forecast to make landfall Wednesday around the Tampa Bay area, according to the National Hurricane Center. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday declared a state of emergency in 51 counties and state agencies began mobilizing emergency vehicles and personnel to respond to the storm. Milton is expected to bring heavy rain, damaging winds, and a life-threatening storm surge to the heavily populated coast while traveling northeast over the peninsula. Transportation officials prepared Monday to open highway shoulders to facilitate evacuations. Schools throughout the region are closed through Wednesday. “The entire peninsula, the entire west coast, has the potential to have major, major impact because of the storm surge,” DeSantis said Sunday.

Did Helene affect the forecasted impact zone? While Helene made landfall north of where Milton is expected to strike, communities along Florida’s western coast did record significant rainfall and flooding. Helene killed at least 12 people in Pinellas County, located on the west side of Tampa Bay, and flooded areas of nearby Hillsborough County. The Category 4 hurricane killed at least 230 people in six states just over one week ago.

Dig deeper: Read my report about ministries partnering with local churches to support communities rocked by Helene.