Hurricane Milton strengthens to Category 4 as Florida prepares evacuation zones

Hurricane Milton has intensified into a Category 4 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported on Monday morning. Maximum sustained winds are estimated to be around 150 mph.

According to the Associated Press, about 7 million people are now being urged to evacuate Florida, which is still recovering from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene last week. Milton's projected path suggests it could make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday evening and remain a hurricane as it continues moving northeastward across the state.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the White House said that President Biden had been briefed on the situation — including the hurricane's "potential impacts" on the Florida Gulf Coast and the work the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is doing in advance of the storm.

The Mexican government has issued a hurricane watch for the coast of Mexico from Celestún to Cabo Catoche, along with a tropical storm warning from Celestún to Cancun, according to the NHC. Residents in the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, and the northwestern Bahamas are also being urged to monitor the storm's progress.

As of Monday at 8 a.m. ET, Milton was located around 165 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 745 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and was moving east-southeast at 8 mph.

The NHC warned Monday morning of "an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday." They added, "Residents in that area should follow any advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so." Portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Florida Keys can expect rainfall of 5 to 10 inches, with localized totals up to 15 inches through Wednesday night, bringing "the risk of considerable flash, urban and areal flooding, along with the potential for moderate to major river flooding," meteorologists warned. Meanwhile, portions of the northern Yucatan Peninsula can expect 2 to 4 inches of rainfall.

In other hurricane news, Hurricane Kirk has diminished to a Category 1 hurricane. As of Monday morning, Kirk was approximately 765 miles from the Azores, moving north-northeastward at 23 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect, according to the NHC.

Milton comes days after Helene

Hurricane Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone. After making landfall with 140 mph winds, the storm moved inland across the Southeast, leaving more than 200 people dead and widespread destruction in its wake. Following the storm,

Florida's infrastructure and emergency services have been stretched thin. As of 5:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, over 350,000 utility customers were still without power in Florida.

Hurricane season

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, but the peak of heightened activity is usually from August through October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” hurricane season in the Atlantic will usually see around 14 named storms, “of which seven become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes.” As of early October, eight hurricanes have formed in the Atlantic, with Milton becoming the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is running ahead of the expected schedule, as the 13th storm typically wouldn’t occur until at least Oct. 25.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that FEMA did not have the funds to make it through the season. President Biden stated that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill in the coming months to help fund states’ recovery efforts.