Hurricane Milton Strengthened Back To Category-5

Post Photo for Hurricane Milton Strengthened Back To Category-5

Posted: October 9, 2024 at 6:23 am

Hurricane Milton is currently a Category-5 storm as it barrels toward Florida.

The storm strengthened back to a Category-5 on Tuesday after briefly dropping to a Category-4. More than 1 million people across 16 counties in Florida were ordered to evacuate. The National Hurricane Center says “life-threatening” storm surges of up to 15 feet are expected in some parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast when Milton makes landfall just south of Tampa. A specialist with the NHC said, “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.” Parts of Florida are expecting to see localized total rainfall amounts up to 18 inches in some places. Disney World, Universal Orlando and multiple airports in the state have already announced closures.

President Joe Biden emphasized the fact that Milton could be one of the worst storms to hit Florida in a century. He said it’s a “matter of life and death” that people evacuate if ordered to do so. On Tuesday night, Milton was 440 miles southwest of Tampa and heading east-northeast at about 10 miles per hour. (USA Today)

Longtime meteorologist John Morales is going viral after he appeared choked up on air while discussing the “horrific” path expected from the dangerous storm. (NY Times)

Photo Credit: Mission Space Education via X