COLUMBUS, Ohio — As powerful Hurricane Milton charged through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Wednesday, officials reiterated calls for residents to evacuate — noting that time is running out and the odds of survival are bleak for holdouts determined to stay.
Milton was at Category 4 status on Wednesday morning after spending much of Tuesday as a Category 5 storm. It is threatening the Tampa Bay area, a major population center that is home to more than 3.3 million people and has managed to evade a direct hit from a major hurricane for over 100 years. With rain falling in parts of the state and winds expected to increase, Milton is menacing communities battered when deadly Hurricane Helene came ashore just two weeks ago, swamping the coastline.
Millions have been ordered to evacuate and in the Tampa Bay area, counties are using multiple means of communication to urge people to leave vulnerable areas. By early Wednesday, the normally busy interstate leading into downtown Tampa was mostly free of vehicles and few cars moved on side streets.
National Hurricane Center forecasters warned Milton is “expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it reaches Florida's coast.
Watch live coverage of Hurricane Milton from 10TV's sister station, WTSP:
What time is Hurricane Milton hitting Florida?
Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday.
“We are bracing and prepared to receive a major hit,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Wednesday briefing.
As of Wednesday morning, the storm was about 190 miles (305 kilometers) southwest of Tampa with sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph).
The storm is expected to retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday toward the Atlantic Ocean.
President Joe Biden, who postponed an overseas trip so he could remain at the White House to monitor Milton, warned it “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida."
Tracking Milton: Live interactive radar
How bad is damage & storm surge expected to be?
Florida's Gulf Coast is especially vulnerable to storm surge.
Helene came ashore about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges that were about 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.5 meters) above normal tide levels.
With Milton, forecasters warn of a possible 8- to 12-foot (2- to 3.5-meter) storm surge in Tampa Bay.
The county that’s home to Tampa ordered areas adjacent to the bay and all mobile and manufactured homes to be evacuated by Tuesday night. With a predicted storm surge that could swallow a single-story house, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued increasingly dire warnings Tuesday to those planning to ride out the storm: “So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in."
Milton is forecast to cross central Florida and dump as much as 18 inches (46 centimeters) of rain while heading toward the Atlantic Ocean, according to the hurricane center.
Weather Impact in Ohio
There is no central Ohio impact with this storm. Once Milton hits the Tampa area, it will go straight over the Orlando area and exit Florida by Thursday evening.
Gov. Mike DeWine activated the Ohio National Guard to support the state of Florida in anticipation of the hurricane. The team will consist of more than three dozen members of the Ohio National Guard.