Tampa mayor Jane Castor tells those in single story homes who haven’t left that they will “ultimately be in a coffin”
Storm surge will hit “immediately” for Floridians, especially in Tampa and surrounding areas. ABC’s Good Morning America today aired a clip of the city’s mayor, Jane Castor, issuing a sobering warning to those who haven’t evacuated: “If you’re in a single story house and we get a 15ft surge, which means that water comes in immediately, there’s nowhere to go. That home that you’re in ultimately will be a coffin.”
Yesterday, Castor also bluntly told residents that if they’re remain in an evacuation area, “you’re going to die.”
Key events
The National Weather Service in Miami has reported a tornado on the ground in the region on the Florida State Road 80, just west of Clewiston, Florida.
“SEEK SHELTER NOW!” the service said.
In a post on X, the weather service posted a photograph of the tornado, adding: “this is a very favorable environment for quick-moving and dangerous Tornadoes.”
Earlier this morning, the National Weather Service in Miami also posted another photo of a tornado crossing I-75.
Hurricane Milton is expected to deliver life-threatening storm surges to much of the Florida coast, with the west coast expected to receive up to 15ft of storm surge in some areas.
The areas in the path of the Hurricane will also experience strong winds, flooding and in some areas, the potential of tornadoes.
While Hurricane Milton will be making landfall later on Wednesday, the National Weather Service has warned that that does not meant that parts of Florida won’t begin to see the effects before then.
“Be READY and be prepared” the National Weather Service said.
In parts of the state, rainfall and wind started to pick up on Wednesday morning, as several tornado warnings were issued.
In a new update from the National Hurricane Center, forecasters said that Hurricane Milton is now 150 miles from Fort Myers, and about 175 miles from Tampa.
The Hurricane’s maximum sustained winds are at 145 miles per hour, according to the center.
“Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings” the center warned.
Maya Yang
My colleague Maya Yang has more on the tornado warnings in Florida:
As of 11am ET, three tornado warnings are also in effect. A tornado watch is issued when a tornado is possible, while a tornado warning is issued when a tornado is happening or about to happen, per the NWS.
Videos and pictures posted online showed several of the spotted tornadoes growing in size as they move across south Florida.
The agency also warned that isolated hail up to a 0.5in size is possible, along with isolated gusts of wind traveling up to 70mph (112km/h). Approximately 12.6 million residents face potential exposure to the tornadoes, in addition to 2,424 schools and 170 hospitals.
Astronauts have been monitoring Hurricane Milton from space as it advances towards Florida. On Wednesday, the team onboard the Dragon Endeavor supplied the latest birds-eye view of the storm as it barrels towards Tampa.
From his perch on the International Space Station, Nasa astronaut Matthew Dominick got a view of Hurricane Milton as it churned across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida’s west coast.
‘Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window,’ he posted:
Hurricane Milton: where we are so far today
As we near midday on the US east coast, here’s a recap of the key updates today so far:
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A tornado has touched down in the Everglades area of south Florida and the National Weather Service has warned anyone in the area to take shelter. The forecasters had warned that tornados are likely on Wednesday and a tornado watch is in place until 9pm ET.
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Hurricane Milton now expected to make landfall late Wednesday. That’s according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, which says the storm will make landfall along the center of Florida’s west coast. The hurricane center had previously said landfall could come late Wednesday or early Thursday. Milton was set to be a category 4 storm with 130 mph winds upon landfall.
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Florida governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Wednesday morning where he said Hurricane Milton would “pack a major, major punch and do a lot of damage”. He denied there were fuel shortage despite some gas stations running out. He added: “We are prepared and we will respond.”
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Tampa mayor Jane Castor issued a dire warning on ABC’s Good Morning America, telling anyone in a single-story home who is not evacuating that the “that home that you’re in ultimately will be a coffin.” Castor also bluntly told residents that if they’re remain in an evacuation area, “you’re going to die”.
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More than half of Florida’s school districts are closed in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. State education officials say some school buildings will be used as shelters for the storm throughout the affected region. Among those closed is the Hillsborough County school district, where Tampa.
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Colleges and universities also canceled classes, with some saying they would switch to remote learning later this week if they’re able to resume classes. Some schools outside the storm’s path, including the University of Miami, planned to take precautions by shifting to remote learning through Thursday.
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Airports in Florida were halting flights on Wednesday as the hurricane neared.
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Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane’s center.
A storm surge of 2ft to 4ft was forecast for Georgia communities including St Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.
“Tampa has long been regarded as the most vulnerable metropolitan area in the United States to storm surge flooding,” says Dr. Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards in Nottingham Trent University’s. School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences. “Much of it is low-lying and the relatively shallow water offshore makes it vulnerable.”
The last major hurricane to affect the Tampa Bay region made landfall in October 1921, bringing a similar storm surge. Godby says it’s worth noting that the population at that time was around 160,000 and has now swelled to over 3m.
“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,” he adds.
The Florida Health Department is urging people to avoid floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton to prevent exposure to Vibrio, a flesh-eating bacteria..
The department advises that “flood waters can be contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Avoid skin contact with flood waters especially if you have open cuts and wounds. Do not wade through standing water. If you do, wash your body and put on clean clothes. Avoid eating, drinking or touching anything contaminated with flood waters.”
Vibrio bacteria are commonly found in warm coastal waters and can cause illness when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water. After heavy rainfall and flooding, like that expected from Milton, the concentration of these bacteria may rise.
For anyone with compromised immune systems, liver disease or open wounds are at higher risk for Vibrio vulnificus, a life-threatening infection that can quickly lead to sepsis, shock and large, spreading blisters that destroy tissues.
Tornado touches down in Everglades area as Milton approaches
The National Weather Service says a tornado is on the ground in the lightly populated Everglades area of south Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches.
The service posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the I-75 highway on Wednesday morning.
Forecasters had warned that tornadoes were likely as the powerful hurricane approached. A tornado watch remains in effect for all of southern Florida until at least 9pm ET today.
Here’s another view of the tornado: