Masses evacuate Florida as Hurricane Milton nears

Counties throughout Florida opened shelters to house residents fleeing the incoming storm surge from Hurricane Milton. Officials in coastal areas issued mandatory evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of people, and the National Hurricane Center urged residents to heed those local warnings. 

Milton on Wednesday morning was a Category 5 hurricane expected to deluge the Tampa area with rain, as well as bring a storm surge up to 15 feet. It was expected to make landfall overnight Wednesday. Milton was poised to become one of the strongest storms to hit Florida in recent years.

What else do Floridians need to know before the storm? The Florida Department of Transportation is allowing people to drive on emergency shoulders of key interstates to help move traffic away from evacuation zones quickly. However, those who are leaving for safer areas should expect slow moving traffic and congestion, said Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie. The Florida Division of Emergency Management partnered with Uber to offer free rides to and from shelters in the storm’s path. Tampa International Airport closed Tuesday morning ahead of the storm. Meanwhile, hundreds of emergency responders prepared to move as soon as the storm passed, and 30,000 linemen headed to Florida to help restore power, wrote Gov. Ron DeSantis in a statement.

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