Tampa Bay braces for hurricane Milton’s growing storm surge: Here's what you need to know

Hurricane Milton has rapidly strengthened in the southern Gulf of Mexico as it approaches Florida. It transitioned from a tropical storm on Sunday morning to a powerful Category 5 hurricane within 24 hours.

Each time the National Hurricane Center issues a public advisory, the predicted path of the storm is updated. Milton's projected track currently targets Florida's western coast, but the exact location of the storm's center, or "eye," will greatly influence the potential damage, particularly for the Tampa Bay region.

As Milton strengthened to a major hurricane with wind speeds exceeding 180 mph, the storm surge predictions for all coastal areas, including Florida's Gulf Coast, became more severe. The eastern side of the eye, often called the storm's "dirty side," typically experiences the strongest winds. As the forecast shifts north, this dangerous side of the storm is expected to impact Tampa Bay, increasing the storm surge threat in the area.

Additionally, the shallow waters on Florida's Gulf Coast compared to the Atlantic side could exacerbate the effects of the storm surge, making it more destructive for communities along the Gulf.

The National Hurricane Center has raised the peak storm surge forecast from 8-12 feet to 10-15 feet of flooding for the area between the Anclote River and Tampa Bay. This escalation reflects the hurricane's increasing power as its maximum sustained winds intensify.

"The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the south of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves," the NHC said in a Monday afternoon advisory. "Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances."

In another advisory Monday evening, NHC stated, "While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida."

All residents and visitors along the coast are strongly encouraged to follow evacuation orders issued by local authorities.