Florida's Gulf Coast residents urged to follow evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Milton
TALLAHASSEE - Florida officials implored Gulf Coast residents to follow evacuation orders and utilities prepared for widespread power outages as Hurricane Milton strengthened into a Category 5 storm Monday.
Milton is expected to hit the state late Wednesday or early Thursday, bringing punishing winds and massive storm surge. While the exact path is unclear, it could hit the heavily populated Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it crosses the state and exits into the Atlantic Ocean.
During a news conference Monday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said it is vital for people to leave coastal areas — many of which sustained severe flooding in late September's Hurricane Helene. The National Hurricane Center said storm surges could reach 10 to 15 feet from the Anclote River, north of Tampa, to Englewood, which is at the border of Charlotte and Sarasota counties.
"Don't mess with the storm surge, and do what you need to do to keep yourself and your family safe," DeSantis said.
The state suspended tolls on highways in the Tampa Bay area, Central Florida and on Alligator Alley to help ease evacuations. The seven-day suspension began at 10:30 a.m. Monday.
Also, the state is taking steps such as preparing road shoulders to provide additional space for motorists to drive.
The hurricane center said the storm is forecast to weaken before landfall but that it is "still likely to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland."
Florida has ramped up debris-removal efforts and recalled emergency workers who provided aid in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
On Sunday Guthrie urged residents to immediately start putting storm plans in place, which could include evacuating farther inland.
"We are preparing, and I have the State Emergency Response Team preparing for the largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma," Guthrie said during a news conference at the state Emergency Operations Center.
In advance of Irma, an estimated 6.8 million people took to the road, resulting in large traffic jams on Interstate 95, Interstate 75 and Florida's Turnpike. Irma, which was a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, ran up the spine of the state after making landfall in the Florida Keys and on Marco Island.
Duke Energy Florida, which provides electricity in areas such as St. Petersburg, Clearwater and around Orlando, issued a news release Sunday urging customers to prepare for "extended outages" from Milton.
"Tropical Storm Milton's current path poses a major threat to communities along the state's West Coast," Todd Fountain, Duke Energy Florida storm director, said in a prepared statement. "We want to assure our customers our team is ready to respond. We will be mobilizing our mutual assistance crews from across the country to help with power restoration."
DeSantis said Sunday that utility crews are staging ahead of Milton. He said a storm traveling west to east in the area of Interstate 4 will result in "a lot of power outages. That is just something that I think people should prepare for."
As people evacuate in advance of the storm, Guthrie said the state plans to have emergency fuel and to identify places for refuge along evacuation routes. Also, the state Department of Transportation is activating all of its Road Rangers to provide assistance to motorists, Guthrie said.
"I know that many Floridians are still trying to recover from Hurricane Helene, and your plans for Milton need to reflect that," Guthrie said. "Did you go through all your water? Did you go through all your food? Did you go through all your pet food? Do you need to get new batteries? Please make sure you're doing that today."
DeSantis urged Gulf Coast residents to take seriously the expected arrival of Milton and directed state crews to work around the clock to assist in local debris removal.
"This debris creates a hazard if we then get another storm in that same area," DeSantis said.
DeSantis on Sunday expanded an executive order declaring a pre-landfall state of emergency to 51 of the 67 counties, up from 35 counties on Saturday. Part of the order requires debris-management sites and landfills in counties affected by Helene to remain open for 24-hour debris drop-off "to ensure as much debris from Helene is cleaned up and disposed of ahead of the coming storm."
On Monday, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration that will make available federal money. The order made money available to numerous counties and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster-relief efforts.
DeSantis also called back Florida State Guard, Florida National Guard, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission emergency workers who have been helping with Helene recovery efforts in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Helene made landfall Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane in rural Taylor County, but it caused extensive damage in coastal areas as it moved up the Gulf of Mexico. After moving through North Florida and Georgia, it continued causing damage in the Carolinas and Tennessee.