Hurricane Milton, classified as category 5, is expected to hit Florida between Wednesday October 9 and Thursday October 10. The “major and dangerous” phenomenon could be one of the “worst storms” the United States has ever experienced, according to forecasts.
Hurricane Milton is approaching Florida and images of the meteorological phenomenon compared to a “monster” have people fearing the worst. “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded in west-central Florida,” said the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC), confirming the destructive force of the storm mass. Hurricane Milton, once downgraded to category 4, has regained strength to return to category 5, the highest, on the Saffir-Simpson scale. It is with this force that Milton should hit the west coast of the Florida peninsula during the night of Wednesday October 9 to Thursday October 10 according to weather forecast from the National Hurricane Center.
Milton is again category 5 with an extrapolated pressure at the center around 900 hPa.
The hurricane’s surface has warmed up and cleared up nicely in recent hours, with intensification occurring and winds measured at 160 kts at reconnaissance flight level pic.twitter.com/NkcMhy5spW— Keraunos (@KeraunosObs) October 8, 2024
“According to forecasts, the center of Milton [atterrira] along the west-central coast of Florida […] and will move off the east coast of Florida into the western Atlantic Ocean on Thursday afternoon. The entire west coast of Florida, United States, is expected to be affected. This is the region of Tampa Bay which should be the area exposed to the most violent weather, but the passage of Hurricane Milton promises to be “extremely dangerous” for a large area from Cedar Key in the north to Naples in the south. Maximum sustained winds remain close to 260 km/h with higher gusty values,” adds the meteorological center, which warns: “Milton is expected to remain an extremely major and dangerous hurricane area when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida.”
THE forecasts from the American weather channel, The Weather Channelpredicts that Hurricane Milton will be downgraded to Category 4 before it hits the Florida coast. According to the same forecasts modeled on a map, it could maintain its strength and weaken until it drops to category 1 once the eastern side of the State is reached.
Risks of “deadly” flooding
While these violent winds are extremely dangerous, other risks will arise with Hurricane Milton such as severe flooding. The hurricane combined with the tide “will cause flooding of normally dry areas near the coast and rising waters will move inland from the shore.” Water levels could reach as much as 10 to 15 feet above ground, or about 3 to 4.5 meters, in the worst affected areas, including Tampa Bay. The least affected areas could still see water rise up to 2 or 4 feet, or 60 to 120 centimeters.
Added to this will be rains bringing between 15 and 30 centimeters of additional water, and up to 45 centimeters in central and northern Florida. “This precipitation brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, as well as moderate to major riverine flooding,” warns the National Hurricane Center.
Dont try to outthink #Milton or make dangerous assumptions to convince yourself not to prepare or evacuate as told. Its eye might not go down middle of the cone. It might come ashore stronger than the forecast cat 3. Respond based on the warnings and evacuation instructions. pic.twitter.com/2BgH7laJ5a
— Dr. Rick Knabb (@DrRickKnabb) October 9, 2024
“The worst storm” of the century
“The entire Florida peninsula is under some form of either watch or alert,” said Ron DeSantis, the state’s governor, on Tuesday, October 8. Many precautions were taken and orders were given to the population to evacuate certain regions. “You must evacuate now, it’s a matter of life and death” even said President Joe Biden who warned of the hurricane which could be “the worst storm” to hit the Florida peninsula “in a century “. Meteorologists stand behind Joe Biden in warning of an “incredible” and “just atrocious” phenomenon. Hurricane Milton “is going to take lives. It’s going to destroy lives. You have to be concerned for the people who are in the path of the hurricane” insisted John Morales, an American meteorologist for the NBC channel. New York Times.
However, Florida has often found itself in the path of violent storms and other hurricanes. Some weather phenomena that have hit these coasts even appear in the list of the most destructive hurricanes in history. Several Category 5 hurricanes, like Milton, have impacted Florida in recent years and decades. The last major phenomenon only dates back to 2022 with Hurricane Ian which swept across Florida with gusts of up to 225 km/h. Ian having caused the deaths of 150 people in this American state alone and between 67 and 113 billion dollars in damages, it is one of the most destructive hurricanes that Florida has experienced in the last century.
Hurricane Ian even dethroned Hurricane Andrew of 1992 which caused more than 38 billion dollars in damage, but was more violent with gusts of up to 260, even 280 km/h. Hurricane Milton could surpass Ian and seriously compete with Andrew. Among the Category 5 hurricanes that hit Florida, the passages of Mitch in 1998 and Michael in 2018 can also be cited. Noted that the damage caused by Hurricane Michael had prompted the World Meteorological Organization to remove this name from the list of future hurricane names, leaving room for… Milton.
Most violent hurricanes in US history
Other even more powerful hurricanes have affected other territories in the United States over the last century, but without passing through Florida. Hurricane Camille and its maximum gusts of 305 km/h in 1969 affected the southeast of the country from Alabama to Virginia. Hurricane Gilbert hit Texas in 1988 with gusts of 592 km/h. There is also the memory of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 which affected most of the eastern United States.