Landfall for the disastrous Hurricane Milton is currently predicted for late Wednesday/early Thursday between Tampa and Fort Myers, areas which have had emergency evacuations all week. And though South Florida is not within the mapped forecast cone of the hurricane, all counties including Miami-Dade and Broward have been placed under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Milton’s outer bands have also brought tornadoes to the region, with two reportedly touching down along Alligator Alley and in Collier County this morning. The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for parts of Central and South Florida, with sporadic warnings expected throughout the day.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has encouraged residents to make sure they are fully prepared for the impacts of the storm, including putting up hurricane shutters and filling up gas tanks. Winds gusts could reach up to 45 mph, according to recent National Hurricane Center Predictions.
Florida’s West Coast, as well as Central Florida, are under a Hurricane Warning.
Walt Disney World — and other Orlando theme parks — have finally announced closures, a rare occurrence that has only happened 11 times in its history (and mostly due to hurricanes).
Milton initially went from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 12 hours, one of the fastest jumps in modern times, and while it has weakened to Category 4 strength as of Wednesday, it is expected to retain major hurricane status (Category 3 or higher) when it reaches landfall. Currently, it is one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded.
Earlier this week, Gov. DeSantis issued a State Of Emergency for 51 Florida counties, including Miami-Dade.
As information is constantly in flux, stay updated on the most recent warnings and watches through the National Weather Service: Miami and Miami-Dade County.