Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said.Watch live coverage from Orlando sister station WESH in the video player above.The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between categories 4 and 5 as it approached, but regardless of the distinction in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center said, it would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. “Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”In Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents in a Facebook video to finalize their plans: “My message is simple. We’re approaching that 11th hour. If you need to get someplace safe for whatever reason, the time to do so is now.”Here’s the latest on Milton as the storm approaches (all times eastern):1:20 p.m.An apparent tornado touched down in a Fort Myers neighborhood near Page Field Airport.It happened Wednesday afternoon, well in advance of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.Trees limbs were snapped off, the canopy from a gas station was torn to shreds and pieces of it littered the road, and and ice machine was thrown about 30 feet (9 meters).The neighborhood has branches from trees strewn across the road. The area remains in a tornado watch throughout the day.1:10 p.m.Four major bridges in the Tampa Bay area, including the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, have closed.The Skyway spans the mouth of Tampa Bay and links Pinellas and Manatee counties, carrying Interstate 275. It’s often closed when winds from any source reach a certain threshold.The other three bridges cross Tampa Bay, linking Tampa with cities such as Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Those are the Howard Frankland, which also carries I-275, the Gandy and the Courtney Campbell Causeway.1:05 p.m.A 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been enacted in Charlotte County, along southwestern Florida’s Gulf Coast, officials said on the county’s webpage.The curfew begins Wednesday night, is in place until further notice and prohibits the sale of alcohol in the county between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. until the curfew is lifted. Violating the curfew is a misdemeanor.“Although I recognize the frustrations that come with enacting a curfew, this is a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County during and following Hurricane Milton,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “As soon as it is safe, I will recommend the order be rescinded. Until that time, the only people who should be out on the roadways during those hours are essential workers as they strive to assess damage and provide assistance to those in need and people traveling to and from work.”The curfew will be strictly enforced in Punta Gorda, Police Chief Pam Smith added.“This curfew will allow emergency responders to focus on post-storm rescue and recovery efforts,” Smith said.1 p.m.As of 1 p.m. ET, The National Hurricane Center says Milton remains a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It is moving northeast at 17 mph and is 160 miles southwest of Tampa12:45 p.m.In Lee County, which includes Fort Myers about 95 miles southeast of Tampa, Public Safety Director Ben Abes said Wednesday that the county’s law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will not respond to calls beginning later Wednesday when the weather worsens.“Our area hospitals may also lock down, which would prevent access for … ambulances,” Abes said.Abes said tropical storm force winds were coming ashore and the time to evacuate has passed.“It is not safe to be out and it is not safe to return to your home if you have evacuated,” Abes said. “The time to shelter in place is now.”Abes said the county’s 13 shelters are housing more than 6,700 people.12:40 p.m. St. Petersburg officials warned residents Wednesday afternoon that regardless of where the storm hits, the city should prepare for extended power outages and the possible shutdown of its sewerage system.Mayor Ken Welch said residents should brace for a long recovery.“This is the reality of a direct hit from a powerful hurricane in our area. This is not a storm that we will recover from quickly. We have a long road ahead of us, but we will recover and we will rebuild,” Welch said. “But for the next several hours, our focus is to keep everyone safe, and we can do that.”12:30 p.m. Officials in Pasco County, home to more than 500,000 people in bedroom communities for Tampa and St. Petersburg, said they were getting ready to take buses off the roads.“This is your last chance if you need to get to a shelter,” the Pasco County Public Information Office said in a written statement. “After that, you’ll need to find a way to the shelter or be prepared to ride out the storm.”The county has six shelters open for anyone in mandatory evacuation zones.12:15 p.m.The Florida Highway Patrol said in an email Wednesday that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay is now closed to traffic as Hurricane Milton approaches.Officials had earlier said major bridges around Tampa Bay planned to close in the afternoon.The Skyway links Pinellas and Manatee counties and carries Interstate 275. It’s often closed when winds from any source reach a certain threshold.11:45 a.m. More than 12 million people in the state faced threat of tornadoes along with hail and wind, the service said.The city of Tampa was providing real-time flooding information via its website. However, city officials said it was past time for residents to evacuate or stay home.“Stay home today. By this time, you should be either evacuated or hunkering down,” the city said in a post X on Wednesday morning.The city was still working to gather debris from Hurricane Helene in advance of Milton’s arrival.11:30 a.m.State education officials say some school buildings will be used as shelters for the storm throughout the affected region.Among those closed is the Hillsborough County school district, where Tampa is located, which has about 224,000 students and is the nation’s seventh largest school district.Colleges and universities also canceled classes, with some saying they would switch to remote learning later this week if they’re able to resume classes. Some schools outside the storm’s path, including the University of Miami, planned to take precautions by shifting to remote learning through Thursday.11:20 a.m.A couple blocks from the Peace River, Ted Gjerde worked up a sweat Wednesday morning as he prepared his home for up to 12-feet of storm surge. His house sits on a 10-foot hill but that might not be enough protection.The retiree has spent his life dealing with water — 23 years in the Navy running boilers followed by 20 years working at a nearby state water plant — so he had a plan. He had piled sandbags in front of his garage and put plywood and caulk on the interior of his doors.“Hopefully, that should get me to 13 or 14 feet up,” he said before giving a mock, “Yay.”He would spend the storm at the treatment plant, 25-feet above sea level, with his wife and their two German shepherds. His 1967 Chevy Camaro was already there.Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge had unexpectedly gotten to the bottom of his garage door — a couple more feet and his classic car and his house would have been in trouble. Nearby homes that aren’t elevated got swamped.“We got lucky, real lucky,” Gjerde said.11 a.m.The National Hurricane Center says Milton is a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. The storm was about 160 miles west-southwest of Ft. Myers and 190 southwest of Tampa. It was moving northeast at 17 mph.10:30 a.m. FlightAware shows more than 1,800 flights have been canceled for Wednesday. 10:20 a.m.A tornado crossed Interstate 75 in Florida as Hurricane Milton approached the state, the National Weather Service in Miami said on social media.The service posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the highway Wednesday morning with the words: “TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!”10 a.m.At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.Watch live coverage from Fort Myers sister station WBBH in the video player above.When will Hurricane Milton hit Florida?While Milton has varied in speed and direction over the past few days, the latest advisory from the NHC forecasts Milton making landfall on the Gulf coast of Florida late Wednesday night.The NHC says landfall could be early Thursday morning depending on the speed of the system as it approaches the state. By Thursday afternoon, Milton is expected to move off the east coast of Florida and head out to the Atlantic.Where is Hurricane Milton right now?According to the NHC’s 11 a.m. advisory, Milton is currently 190 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 17 mph.The next NHC advisory is expected at 2 p.m.How strong is Hurricane Milton?Milton is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 931 mb, showing subtle signs of weakening from earlier advisories.This is in line with most model data that predicted the storm would slightly weaken from wind sheer during its approach. However, “Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida,” the NHC said.A storm surge as high as 12 feet is forecast for Tampa Bay and up to 15 feet for points farther south between Sarasota and Fort Myers as Hurricane Milton churns closer to the west coast of Florida.Watch live coverage from West Palm Beach sister station WPBF in the video player above.Watches & warningsA storm surge warning is in effect for:West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa BaySebastian Inlet, Florida to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, including the St. Johns RiverA hurricane warning is in effect for:Florida’s west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa BayFlorida’s east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County line northward to Ponte Vedra BeachMarion CountySeminole CountyOrange CountyLake CountyOsceola CountyPolk CountySumter CountyFlagler CountyVolusia CountyBrevard CountyA storm surge watch is in effect forNorth of Altamaha Sound, Georgia to Edisto Beach, South CarolinaA hurricane watch is in effect forDry TortugasLake OkeechobeeFlorida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita BeachFlorida’s east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the St. Mary’s RiverFlorida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County line to the Palm Beach/Martin County lineA tropical storm warning is in effect for:All of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida BayLake OkeechobeeFlorida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita BeachFlorida west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian PassFlorida east coast south of the St. Lucie/Martin County line to FlamingoNorth of the Ponte Vedra Beach to the Savannah RiverExtreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos and BiminiA tropical storm watch is in effect for :North of the Savannah River to South Santee River, South CarolinaThe Associated Press, WESH, WBBH, WPBF and CNN contributed to this story.
TAMPA, Fla. —
Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said.
Watch live coverage from Orlando sister station WESH in the video player above.
The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between categories 4 and 5 as it approached, but regardless of the distinction in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center said, it would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday.
“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. “Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.”
In Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located, Sheriff Chad Chronister urged residents in a Facebook video to finalize their plans: “My message is simple. We’re approaching that 11th hour. If you need to get someplace safe for whatever reason, the time to do so is now.”
Here’s the latest on Milton as the storm approaches (all times eastern):
1:10 p.m.
Four major bridges in the Tampa Bay area, including the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, have closed.
The Skyway spans the mouth of Tampa Bay and links Pinellas and Manatee counties, carrying Interstate 275. It’s often closed when winds from any source reach a certain threshold.
The other three bridges cross Tampa Bay, linking Tampa with cities such as Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Those are the Howard Frankland, which also carries I-275, the Gandy and the Courtney Campbell Causeway.
1:05 p.m.
A 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been enacted in Charlotte County, along southwestern Florida’s Gulf Coast, officials said on the county’s webpage.
The curfew begins Wednesday night, is in place until further notice and prohibits the sale of alcohol in the county between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. until the curfew is lifted. Violating the curfew is a misdemeanor.
“Although I recognize the frustrations that come with enacting a curfew, this is a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County during and following Hurricane Milton,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “As soon as it is safe, I will recommend the order be rescinded. Until that time, the only people who should be out on the roadways during those hours are essential workers as they strive to assess damage and provide assistance to those in need and people traveling to and from work.”
The curfew will be strictly enforced in Punta Gorda, Police Chief Pam Smith added.
“This curfew will allow emergency responders to focus on post-storm rescue and recovery efforts,” Smith said.
1 p.m.
As of 1 p.m. ET, The National Hurricane Center says Milton remains a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It is moving northeast at 17 mph and is 160 miles southwest of Tampa
12:45 p.m.
In Lee County, which includes Fort Myers about 95 miles southeast of Tampa, Public Safety Director Ben Abes said Wednesday that the county’s law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services will not respond to calls beginning later Wednesday when the weather worsens.
“Our area hospitals may also lock down, which would prevent access for … ambulances,” Abes said.
Abes said tropical storm force winds were coming ashore and the time to evacuate has passed.
“It is not safe to be out and it is not safe to return to your home if you have evacuated,” Abes said. “The time to shelter in place is now.”
Abes said the county’s 13 shelters are housing more than 6,700 people.
12:40 p.m.
St. Petersburg officials warned residents Wednesday afternoon that regardless of where the storm hits, the city should prepare for extended power outages and the possible shutdown of its sewerage system.
Mayor Ken Welch said residents should brace for a long recovery.
“This is the reality of a direct hit from a powerful hurricane in our area. This is not a storm that we will recover from quickly. We have a long road ahead of us, but we will recover and we will rebuild,” Welch said. “But for the next several hours, our focus is to keep everyone safe, and we can do that.”
12:30 p.m.
Officials in Pasco County, home to more than 500,000 people in bedroom communities for Tampa and St. Petersburg, said they were getting ready to take buses off the roads.
“This is your last chance if you need to get to a shelter,” the Pasco County Public Information Office said in a written statement. “After that, you’ll need to find a way to the shelter or be prepared to ride out the storm.”
The county has six shelters open for anyone in mandatory evacuation zones.
12:15 p.m.
The Florida Highway Patrol said in an email Wednesday that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay is now closed to traffic as Hurricane Milton approaches.
Officials had earlier said major bridges around Tampa Bay planned to close in the afternoon.
The Skyway links Pinellas and Manatee counties and carries Interstate 275. It’s often closed when winds from any source reach a certain threshold.
11:45 a.m.
More than 12 million people in the state faced threat of tornadoes along with hail and wind, the service said.
The city of Tampa was providing real-time flooding information via its website. However, city officials said it was past time for residents to evacuate or stay home.
“Stay home today. By this time, you should be either evacuated or hunkering down,” the city said in a post X on Wednesday morning.
The city was still working to gather debris from Hurricane Helene in advance of Milton’s arrival.
11:30 a.m.
State education officials say some school buildings will be used as shelters for the storm throughout the affected region.
Among those closed is the Hillsborough County school district, where Tampa is located, which has about 224,000 students and is the nation’s seventh largest school district.
Colleges and universities also canceled classes, with some saying they would switch to remote learning later this week if they’re able to resume classes. Some schools outside the storm’s path, including the University of Miami, planned to take precautions by shifting to remote learning through Thursday.
11:20 a.m.
A couple blocks from the Peace River, Ted Gjerde worked up a sweat Wednesday morning as he prepared his home for up to 12-feet of storm surge. His house sits on a 10-foot hill but that might not be enough protection.
The retiree has spent his life dealing with water — 23 years in the Navy running boilers followed by 20 years working at a nearby state water plant — so he had a plan. He had piled sandbags in front of his garage and put plywood and caulk on the interior of his doors.
“Hopefully, that should get me to 13 or 14 feet up,” he said before giving a mock, “Yay.”
He would spend the storm at the treatment plant, 25-feet above sea level, with his wife and their two German shepherds. His 1967 Chevy Camaro was already there.
Two weeks ago, Helene’s surge had unexpectedly gotten to the bottom of his garage door — a couple more feet and his classic car and his house would have been in trouble. Nearby homes that aren’t elevated got swamped.
“We got lucky, real lucky,” Gjerde said.
11 a.m.
The National Hurricane Center says Milton is a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. The storm was about 160 miles west-southwest of Ft. Myers and 190 southwest of Tampa. It was moving northeast at 17 mph.
10:30 a.m.
FlightAware shows more than 1,800 flights have been canceled for Wednesday.
10:20 a.m.
A tornado crossed Interstate 75 in Florida as Hurricane Milton approached the state, the National Weather Service in Miami said on social media.
The service posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the highway Wednesday morning with the words: “TORNADO crossing I-75 as we speak! Seek shelter NOW!”
10 a.m.
At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis described deployment of a wide range of resources, including 9,000 National Guard members from Florida and other states; over 50,000 utility workers from as far as California; and highway patrol cars with sirens to escort gasoline tankers to replenish supplies so people could fill up their tanks before evacuating.
Watch live coverage from Fort Myers sister station WBBH in the video player above.
When will Hurricane Milton hit Florida?
While Milton has varied in speed and direction over the past few days, the latest advisory from the NHC forecasts Milton making landfall on the Gulf coast of Florida late Wednesday night.
The NHC says landfall could be early Thursday morning depending on the speed of the system as it approaches the state. By Thursday afternoon, Milton is expected to move off the east coast of Florida and head out to the Atlantic.
Where is Hurricane Milton right now?
According to the NHC’s 11 a.m. advisory, Milton is currently 190 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 17 mph.
The next NHC advisory is expected at 2 p.m.
How strong is Hurricane Milton?
Milton is currently moving through the Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and a minimum central pressure of 931 mb, showing subtle signs of weakening from earlier advisories.
This is in line with most model data that predicted the storm would slightly weaken from wind sheer during its approach. However, “Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida,” the NHC said.
A storm surge as high as 12 feet is forecast for Tampa Bay and up to 15 feet for points farther south between Sarasota and Fort Myers as Hurricane Milton churns closer to the west coast of Florida.
Watch live coverage from West Palm Beach sister station WPBF in the video player above.
Watches & warnings
A storm surge warning is in effect for:
- West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
- Sebastian Inlet, Florida to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, including the St. Johns River
A hurricane warning is in effect for:
- Florida’s west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay
- Florida’s east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach
- Marion County
- Seminole County
- Orange County
- Lake County
- Osceola County
- Polk County
- Sumter County
- Flagler County
- Volusia County
- Brevard County
A storm surge watch is in effect for
- North of Altamaha Sound, Georgia to Edisto Beach, South Carolina
A hurricane watch is in effect for
- Dry Tortugas
- Lake Okeechobee
- Florida’s west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach
- Florida’s east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the St. Mary’s River
- Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County line to the Palm Beach/Martin County line
A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
- All of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay
- Lake Okeechobee
- Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
- Florida west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to Indian Pass
- Florida east coast south of the St. Lucie/Martin County line to Flamingo
- North of the Ponte Vedra Beach to the Savannah River
- Extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos and Bimini
A tropical storm watch is in effect for :
- North of the Savannah River to South Santee River, South Carolina
The Associated Press, WESH, WBBH, WPBF and CNN contributed to this story.
