Climate Impact Report – 10/9

Key Facts Of The Day 10/9

Hurricane Milton

• As of Wednesday morning, Milton weakened once more into a Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph and was located about 250 miles southwest of Tampa.
• Milton will continue to lose some strength today but will remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida overnight tonight.
• Milton is now forecast to make landfall Wednesday night near Sarasota, south of Tampa, as a low-end Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph.
• Parts of Florida could see up to 10 to 15 feet of life-threatening storm surge from Hurricane Milton.
• Heavy rain of up to 18 inches is expected to inundate parts of central Florida, bringing a high risk of flash flooding.
• Hurricane Milton will ramp up in intensity throughout Wednesday, putting several cities at risk of tornadoes.
• A new tornado watch has been issued for more than 12 million people across central and southern Florida until 9 pm EDT.
• A hurricane warning is in effect for the West Coast of Florida from Bonita Beach at the southern tip of the state to the Suwannee River near the panhandle, including Tampa Bay, and for the East Coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach near Jacksonville.
• A tropical storm warning is in effect for much of Florida’s west coast, the Florida Keys, its east coast from south of the St. Lucie/Martin County Line to Flamingo, Florida and north of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida to the Savannah River.
• Hurricane watches are in effect for the Florida Gulf Coast for Lake Okeechobee, about 40 miles inland from West Palm Beach, and from Chokoloskee, about 90 miles south of Fort Meyers, to south of Bonita Beach, as well as for the Florida east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin county line to the Palm Beach/Martin county line.
• More than 3 million people across parts of central and southern Florida are now at an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms.
• As of Wednesday morning, there are about 5,000 residents in shelters in Manatee County.
• As of Wednesday morning, there are about 3,000 residents in shelters in Pasco County. 
• Florida’s Department of Health is warning residents that floodwaters brought by Hurricane Milton can cause potentially life-threatening infections.
• At least 11 universities and colleges across Florida are closing their campuses and canceling classes ahead of Hurricane Milton. 
• Hillsborough County is halting debris collection starting at noon on Wednesday as Hurricane Milton approaches the area.
• Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in parts of over a dozen Florida counties: Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, St. Johns, and Volusia.
• Over 1,700 flights have been canceled across the country as Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida.