Milton upgraded to a hurricane; Florida preps for a major hurricane by mid week

Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) Storm Center | By Irene Sans, Leslie Hudson

The Air Force hurricane hunters have been flying reconnaissance missions inside Milton most of the day today. And they have found Milton to be rapidly intensifying. As of 2 p.m. this afternoon, Milton has been upgraded to a hurricane.

NHC: "AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND MILTON RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING INTO A HURRICANE" pic.twitter.com/iztiuQe7Ko

— Bill McBride (@calculatedrisk) October 6, 2024

Millions of people across Florida are on alert as Hurricane Milton is forecast to hit the western central coast in about 3 days. Milton is expected to bring a potentially life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and torrential rains to the State.

If Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, it will be the third to do so this season following the landfalls of Debby in August and Helene in September, in the Big Bend area of Florida.

The Tampa/St. Pete barrier islands sustained substantial storm surge damage from Hurricane Helene and crews are working around the clock to remove debris ahead of Milton.

For all asking. Extra debris management teams and the Florida National Guard are in town now helping with debris removal. The city is working on getting as much debris removed as possible before the next storm. pic.twitter.com/gnCB2JotxA

— Treasure Island, FL (@TresIslandFL) October 6, 2024

Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches will likely issued for portions of Florida this afternoon.

Florida residents should have their hurricane plan in place, and follow subsequent forecasts and official notices or evacuations. This is an evolving weather situation. Make sure to keep up with the forecast over the weekend and make sure your family’s hurricane plan is up to date.

In preparation for Hurricane #Milton you should sign up for the Special Needs Registry if:

– You're medically dependent on power
– You need transportation to evacuate
– You need assistance in accessing medication during a disaster
Register -> https://t.co/aJmbHITUcX pic.twitter.com/LGQuTtpqG6

— FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) October 6, 2024

A full update with a new forecast path will come from the National Hurricane Center at 5 p.m. today.