Hurricane Milton hit Florida’s west coast on October 9, 2024. This dangerous storm, which began as a Category 4 hurricane prompted mass evacuations, especially in the Tampa Bay area, where authorities warned of a potential storm surge of up to 15 feet. Emergency crews raced to clear debris from Hurricane Helene before Milton arrived. As of this Thursday, October 10th Milton weakened to a Category 1 storm. Nonetheless, heavy floods and damage were reported across multiple counties, leaving thousands without power.

How It Started

Hurricane Milton developed rapidly last Tuesday, October 8th, intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane within 24 hours, fueled by unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Climate experts highlighted rising ocean temperatures as the key factor in Milton’s rapid growth, a pattern seen in other recent storms due to climate change. Though it later weakened to a Category 4, Milton remained a powerful force, with wind speeds reaching 155 mph. Its rapid intensification drew comparisons to past hurricanes like Wilma (2005) and Felix (2007), which intensified under similar conditions.

Affected Areas

Milton's path targeted Tampa and Central Florida, regions already vulnerable after Hurricane Helena struck just a few weeks prior, leaving debris and weakened infrastructure in its wake. These areas prepared for heavy rainfall, life-threatening storm surges, tornadoes, and destructive winds. Authorities declared states of emergency across many counties, warning that storm-force winds would extend beyond the hurricane’s core. Millions of Florida residents were ordered to evacuate due to the storm's catastrophic conditions, with the heavily populated Tampa Bay area facing significant threats. Estimates suggest that over 6 million people were expected to evacuate, similar to the large-scale evacuations seen during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Coastal areas endured severe flooding, with some regions submerged under several feet of water. This compounded the recovery challenges from Hurricane Helena, further straining local resources. Authorities had urged residents to stay indoors and avoid flooded streets, while rescue teams worked tirelessly to reach those stranded in the hardest-hit areas. Power outages, road closures, and damaged infrastructure, already impacted by the previous hurricane, further complicated recovery efforts following Milton's destruction.

Latest Updates

Meteorologists had predicted landfall near Tampa Bay as a Category 3 hurricane late Wednesday or early Thursday, which indeed occurred as Hurricane Milton hit the region. By October 10, 2024, around 3:30 AM EST, it was downgraded to a Category 2 storm after landfall. St. Petersburg and Tampa experienced waist-deep water due to flooding, and Milton accelerated east-northeastward, moving toward the Atlantic. The storm continued to weaken as it crossed Florida, but life-threatening storm surges remained a threat along the coastlines of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. More than 2.6 million homes and businesses were left without power, and 125 homes, many of them mobile, were destroyed.

Currently, emergency responders are conducting search and rescue operations, particularly in areas hardest hit by the flooding. Shelters have been opened across multiple counties, and officials are urging residents to avoid returning to evacuated areas until it is deemed safe. Recovery efforts are expected to be slow, as road closures and power outages continue to hamper response efforts across the state.