West Coast Emergency Management During the Milton-Salpeter Category 4 Hurricane, a Warning Warning Zone, and a Call for Evacuation

“Further strengthening is expected, and Milton is forecast to become an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane later today and maintain that intensity for the next couple of days,” the National Hurricane Center said in an 8 a.m ET advisory, predicting the storm could reach maximum sustained winds of 155 mph in 24 hours.

The storm is about 165 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 745 miles west-southwest of Tampa. There are a lot of watches and warnings in effect for the coast of the peninsula and on the west coast of the peninsula.

Milton is expected to move just north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday and Tuesday before crossing the eastern Gulf of Mexico and approaching Florida’s west coast by Wednesday.

The agency said that there would be “hurricane conditions” in the warning area on Florida’s west coast by wednesday afternoon.

Parts of Florida’s west coast have a growing risk of life threatening storm surge and damaging winds. Projections show that it could raise water levels by as much as 12 feet in coastal areas of Florida.

“Residents in that area should follow any advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so,” the NHC said, referring to the west coast of the peninsula.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already expanded an emergency declaration to cover 51 of the state’s 67 counties and is warning people across the peninsula to prepare.

He did not want to get married to the cone. “Floridians should prepare now for potential impacts, even if you live outside of the forecast cone. We recommend following all evacuation orders from your local officials.”

The state of Florida is preparing for the biggest exodus from the state since Hurricane Irma, resulting in statewide traffic jams, according to Kevin Guthrie, Director of Florida Emergency Management.

But he also cautioned inland residents who don’t live in an evacuation zone or depend on electricity for medical needs that “it may be better for you to just stay in place.”

Manatee County and Pasco County have ordered the evacuation of residents in certain low-lying areas, mobile homes and RVs, while Pinellas County ordered the evacuation of all residential healthcare facilities within certain zones.

The Floridians should take into account if they used up their reserves of water, food, and pet food. Do they need to buy fresh batteries? They have replenished their supplies so that they will last the family up to seven days.

It notes that many school districts will be closed on Monday and Wednesday and that Florida Gulf Coast University’s campus will close on Tuesday and Wednesday after shifting to remote operations.

Many of the southeastern states that were hit hardest by Helene, including Georgia and the Carolinas, are expected to escape as it leaves the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 220 people were killed by Helene, one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. The majority of the victims were in North Carolina, where historic flooding destroyed entire communities.

Abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, fueled by human-caused climate change, has made it easier for hurricanes to strengthen rapidly and bring even more wind and rain ashore.

This is the first time since 1969 that three hurricanes have been recorded in the same season. In addition to Milton, Hurricanes Kirk and Leslie are also brewing.

The threshold that is used is almost three times larger. So, yeah, this is definitely off the charts,” Karthik Balaguru, a climate scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, says. Only Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Felix in 2007 have strengthened more rapidly than that, the NHC says.

Florida Department of Emergency Services notified Monday morning that Schools, Government Facilities, and Airports were closed due to the Decay of the Tampa International Airport

School districts and government facilities in the area announced they would be closed for several days. Counties have enforced mandatory evacuation zones, and state and local officials have profusely warned residents to follow those orders.

The governor said that you don’t have to evacuate hundreds of miles. “Every county has places within them that you can go to. Maybe it’s a friend’s house, a hotel, or a shelter.

Air travel into and around Florida is already being disrupted by Milton. The Tampa International Airport said it was pausing flights beginning Tuesday morning. The FAA said on X that they were closely watching the path of the storm and that travelers should check their airlines and flight itineraries.