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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Dani Anguiano, Cecilia Nowell, Erum Salam, Anna Betts, Fran Lawther and Martin Belam

Risk-to-life warnings remain in place as Hurricane Milton downgraded to category 3 – as it happened

Hurricane Florida Milton (Event) Hurricane Milton Joe Biden NHC Tampa United States

Hello, we’re shutting down this blog now. But you can find all the latest in our new blog with Cecilia Nowell – she’ll be updating you as Hurricane Milton makes landfall. Follow it here:

As Hurricane Milton nears landfall, environmentalists are raising concerns that the storm could scatter hazardous waste across Florida. More than 1bn tons of slightly radioactive phosphogypsum – waste left over from producing fertilizer – is stored in the state, near phosphate mines and fertilizer processing plants in the center of the state. Nearly all of the waste is in Milton’s projected path, the Associated Press reports, and could pollute nearby water supplies.

“Placing vulnerable sites so close on major waterways that are at risk of damage from storms is a recipe for disaster,” said Ragan Whitlock, a staff attorney at the environmental group Center for Biological Diversity. “These are ticking time bombs.”

Updated

Pinellas county, Florida, is advising residents who have not evacuated to shelter in place as the area sees wind gusts of more than 50mph and Hurricane Milton approaches.

Winds could exceed 115mph in the next few hours, the county said. Pinellas county is located just west of Tampa and is home to more than 960,000 people. “Its time to ride out the storm,” the county said online.

“First responders are off the roads. Settle into a safe place and stay put until emergency officials advise the threat has passed and it is safe to go outside.”

Further south, Manatee county said that it had suspended emergency services because of the hazardous conditions. Emergency calls will be responded to as soon as it is safe to do so, the county said.

Updated

Taylor Swift has donated $5m in relief efforts to help those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The non-profit Feeding America, which is one of the biggest disaster relief organisations in the US, released a statement on Wednesday confirming the singer’s “generous donation”.

“This contribution will help communities rebuild and recover, providing essential food, clean water, and supplies to people affected by these devastating storms,” Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, the Feeding America CEO, said. “Together, we can make a real impact in supporting families as they navigate the challenges ahead. Thank you, Taylor, for standing with us in the movement to end hunger and for helping communities in need.”

Swift has a history of making charitable donations: she gave $1m towards natural disaster relief after storms hit Tennessee last year, sent $100,000 to the family of a woman killed at the Super Bowl parade in February, and donated to food banks in the US, UK and Australia while on her Eras tour.

Feeding America said it had already deployed more than 140 truckloads of food, water and supplies to 11 food banks in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee since Hurricane Helene hit in September.

Updated

National Weather Service director ‘scared to death’ about storm surge

Just hours from Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall in Florida, the storm surge already being seen in the state is deeply concerning, Ken Graham, the NWS director said.

“My biggest concern, Jake, we are already starting to see some of the water levels rise,” Graham said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I am scared to death of some of these storm surge levels. The values are absolutely dangerous and deadly.”

Updated

The west-central coast of the Florida peninsula is expected to see a destructive storm surge with inundations of 10ft or higher, damaging waves and devastating hurricane force winds, the National Hurricane Center said in an update on Wednesday afternoon.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Milton had winds of 120mph and was rapidly approaching the coastline of the peninsula, said Michael Brennan, the center’s director.

“This is life-threatening inundation. That water is going to violently be pushed onto dry land by the winds associated with Milton as it makes landfall this evening,” Brennan said.

Water is starting to rise, winds are picking up, and rainfall is occurring, Brennan said. “Please get to a safe place if you have not done so already.”

As many as two million people in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, and millions more are in Milton’s projected path. Officials have issued dire warnings, telling people if they don’t leave they will die.

Sandra Tapfumaneyi, the Sarasota county emergency management chief, said people who remain on the barrier islands in her county south of Tampa are unlikely to survive the storm surge. “If you choose to stay, make sure you have a life preserver handy,” she told CNN.

Meanwhile, the risk of strong tornadoes is expected to continue through the evening across southern and central Florida.

Joe Biden urged Floridians to seek safer shelter and listen to local officials as Hurricane Milton is due to make landfall in the state in the next few hours and cause “incredible” destruction.

In remarks on Wednesday afternoon, the president said that he is in contact with Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, and that Fema’s administrator would be on the ground in the state this evening.

“It is still expected to be one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century,” Biden said.

Biden also condemned misinformation from Donald Trump regarding federal assistance to hurricane victims and “bizarre” claims by the congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene that the federal government is controlling the weather.

“Quite frankly, these lies are un-American and there is simply no place for them,” the president said.

Updated

Federal officials are deploying vast resources to respond to Hurricane Milton and to assist in the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene as communities across the south-east continue to grapple with the impacts of that storm late last month.

More than 8,000 federal personnel are stationed in the south-east, including Florida, the Biden administration said in a statement on Wednesday. There are more than 1,500 active duty troops on the ground in western North Carolina assisting with search and rescue as well as road clearance.

Fema has dispatched more than 1,000 search and rescue personnel and disaster survivor assistance teams in affected states while more than $344m in assistance has been provided to survivors of Helene.

Updated

A Florida resident, Robert Haight, described his experience during a tornado that “sucked the whole roof off” his home on Wednesday.

Haight, who lives in Fort Myers, Florida, was inside his home with his family when the tornado struck.

“I saw the tornado coming and I called my wife ... It started to hit trees and we all started going for the hallway, we didn’t even make it there on time,” he told AccuWeather. “I heard a piece of glass crack and it sucked the whole roof off and I felt the thing suck me up and I grabbed my kid and my wife and hunkered down.”

At least seven tornadoes had hit Florida by Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported. Hurricanes and tropical storms can produce tornadoes.

Updated

The Weather Channel has provided a harrowing simulation of what Florida’s west coast could expect to see from the destructive storm surge during Hurricane Milton.

“At 3ft above normally dry ground, water is already life-threatening. It is too late to evacuate,” said Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with the Weather Channel. “Water this high can knock you off your feet, make cars float and driving impossible.”

The water is expected to rise even higher than that, she added. “At 6ft, above the height of most people, vehicles get carried away, structures start to fail,” Abrams said. “The scary part is some areas could see surge values at 10 to 15ft.”

Updated

Seven tornadoes hit Florida by Wednesday afternoon

At least seven tornadoes had hit Florida by Wednesday afternoon as the state was preparing for Milton to make landfall, the National Weather Service office in Miami reported.

By 3pm on Wednesday, the NWS had issued 53 tornado warnings.

Read more on the tornadoes in Florida here:

Updated

Hurricane Milton: what we know so far

As Hurricane Milton is downgraded to a category 3 storm, so here’s a summary of what has happened today so far:

  • Joe Biden called Milton the “storm of the century” in a White House press briefing on Wednesday. Milton, which the US president declared a national emergency, is expected to make landfall tonight on Florida’s west coast near Manatee county, according to the National Weather Service.

  • Despite Milton not making landfall yet, Floridians are already feeling its effects. Heavy rain has begun battering parts of central and south-west Florida, leaving destruction in its wake.

  • Tornadoes also formed in the state as a result of Milton. A tornado was captured on video tearing through Fort Meyers, crossing over the major I-75 highway as cars were still driving. The national weather service told those in the area to seek shelter immediately. A tornado watch is in place until 9pm ET.

  • The Tampa mayor, Jane Castor, said she had never seen evacuations of this magnitude before, but said the city and state would overcome this. She also stressed that anyone in a single-story home who was not evacuating was risking their life, warning “that home that you’re in ultimately will be a coffin”. Castor also bluntly told residents that if they remained in an evacuation area, “you’re going to die”.

  • The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, held a press conference on Wednesday morning where he said Hurricane Milton would “pack a major, major punch and do a lot of damage”. He denied there were fuel shortages despite some gas stations running out. He added: “We are prepared and we will respond.”

Updated

Milton downgraded to category 3 hurricane

Hurricane Milton was downgraded to a category 3 storm with winds of 125mph on Wednesday afternoon as it moved closer to Florida, but forecasters warn that it remained a grave threat.

The storm has fluctuated in strength – on Tuesday it intensified to a category 5 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center has said that regardless Milton would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late on Wednesday.

Officials have urged and pleaded with residents to evacuate inland, warning they will die if they stay behind.

Updated

Homeless people seek shelter in Florida ahead of Milton’s arrival:

Updated

Dashcam footage shows wind and heavy rain lashing the Matlacha coast, flinging debris across roads and bending trees. Docked fishing boats swayed in rough waters, while empty streets reflected the urgency of evacuation orders. Motorists battled heavy rain, with many opting to leave as the storm’s intensity increased.

Local residents, still recovering from Hurricane Helene just weeks earlier, braced for what could be another devastating blow.

Zoos and aquariums in the vulnerable parts of the state remain closed and workers there have been taking steps to protect the animals during what could be the biggest storm surge they have ever experienced.

Nine African penguins from the Florida aquarium in downtown Tampa were moved to higher ground ahead of Hurricane. Sloths were also (slowly) evacuated.

At ZooTampa, safety measures are in place for its nearly 1,300 animals. Animals of varying sizes like African elephants and rhinos were herded into shelters. Chompers the porcupine was baited into entering a crate with carrotts and strawberries so he could be transported somewhere safer.

“We hope they suffer as little stress as possible, that’s always our goal”, the zoo’s director, Tiffany Burns, said.

Updated

Heavy rains lashing towns along Florida's west coast

Heavy rains have been lashing towns and cities in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida. Latest images show broken utility poles, boats struggling to stay upright in choppy seas and lashing rains pending palm trees.

Updated

The aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the approaching Hurricane Milton in the US south-east has left residents once again scrambling for ways to fortify their homes or, in extreme cases, to find sanctuary elsewhere. But the cost of doing so is burdensome at best and devastating at worst.

Alexandra Marcella, a resident of Sarasota, Florida, had a baby two weeks ago. Along with her newborn, toddler and husband, Marcella left home to stay with her in-laws to ride out the storm.

“Literally the day after we got home from the hospital, Helene hit. We got very lucky with that, and did not have any damage from the storm surge, but our area got totally decimated,” Marcella, a schoolteacher, said.

Knowing the risk that comes with living in her area, Marcella said she and her husband invested in a new roof in 2021 and category 5 hurricane-proof windows. But she remains worried.

Alligators are able to detect the approach of a hurricane and usually find shelter they can move in and out easily, in caves or burrows under mud or a canal.

But they may become as scattered as humans and alligator attacks during a hurricane do occur. During Hurricane Ida in 2021, a man was attacked near the city of Slidell close to Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana. The alligator took the man’s arm off. His wife went for help but he had disappeared in the flood waters aby the time she returned.

If you do encounter an alligator, whether in a hurricane or otherwise, run fast and straight ahead. Do not zig-zag. Best to avoid them altogether. If they start hissing, you’re too close.

“The possibility of encountering an alligator is slim, and the possibility of an alligator attack is even slighter. In the grand scheme of a hurricane, both you and the alligator have bigger things to worry about,” says law firm Kanner & Pintaluga.

While officials were stressing Hurricane Milton’s risk to life in swaths of Florida, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, still had its doors open for part of Wednesday.

As we reported earlier, the various parks within the massive entertainment resort complex will undergo a staggered closing schedule on Wednesday.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom theme park were due to close at 1pm ET on Wednesday while the Magic Kingdom park, EPCOT and Disney Springs was due to close at 2pm.The resort said it will “likely” close on Thursday.

On Wednesday, visitors could be seen arriving at Walt Disney World while the storm barreled towards the state:

Updated

So while there’s a Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, many people in the southern US also look to the “Waffle House Index” to assess hurricane strength and possible damage.

The famous breakfast diner chain is known for keeping the lights on in extreme circumstances like natural disasters, so when they start shutting their doors, you know the outlook is grim.

“If you get there and the Waffle House is closed?” Fema administrator Craig Fugate said. “That’s really bad. That’s where you go to work.”

Waffle House has become more than a restaurant that serves praline waffles, coffee and grits. For many, it feels like a comforting disaster response center.

Waffle House has 1,600 restaurants, many of which are in hurricane-prone regions.

Updated

Milton growing in size as it moves closer to Florida's west coast, says National Weather Service

In its 2pm update, the National Weather Service wrote on its website: “Milton growing in size as it moves closer to the west coast of Florida. Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains expected across portions of central and southwestern Florida.

“Milton is moving toward the north-northeast near 16 mph (26 km/h). A turn toward the northeast with a decrease in forward speed is expected this evening and tonight.

A turn toward the east-northeast and east is expected on Thursday and Friday.

On the forecast track, the center of Milton will make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida tonight, cross the Florida peninsula overnight and early Thursday, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Milton is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and remain at hurricane strength while it moves across the Florida peninsula through Thursday.”

Updated

As the category 5 Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida’s west coast, the offices for Trump’s social media platform are at risk.

The Sarasota offices of Trump Media, a publicly traded company of which Trump is the biggest shareholder, are directly in Milton’s projected path.

Trump Media is primarily the parent company of the social media app Truth Social, launched in 2022 after the former president was banned from other social media in the aftermath of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

Trump Media in an August federal filing said it had slashed its rent costs. Yet in a Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure filed this month, the firm listed the Sarasota address as the company’s headquarters, CNBC reported.

Trump’s private home and club Mar-a-Lago, located in Palm Beach, is outside the path of Hurricane Milton. His other Florida properties – including the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach and the Trump National Golf Club in Palm Beach county, and the Trump National Doral Miami in Miami-Dade county – are also not expected to be affected.

Updated

Evacuating can be costly, but Biden said he and Harris are going to “keep pressure on the companies so prices stay stable on gasoline, flights, and goods people need.”

Some private companies are being proactive in aiding evacuation efforts. Some hotels and motels are offering discounted rooms to evacuees, but availability is limited. The Orlando-based Rosen hotel brand activated its “florida resident distress rates”.

Uber is also offering free rides to those in evacuation zones if they use the promo code: MILTONRELIEF .

Updated

A US Coast Guard admiral told the president and vice president in the Wednesday briefing that “depending on the impact of the storm, there could be some impact to the port as well as commerce flow”.

The port of Tampa is closed while port Everglades remains open for fuel tankers.

Biden called the “Port of Tampa critical for the state and the state’s economy, and the region as well”. Harris echoed this statement.

Biden concluded the briefing with a final remark: “Pass on to your folks how much we respect and understand that a lot of these folks are risking their lives to help other people. I mean this is American helping Americans in a way – to me, it’s a measure of who we are as a nation. So thank all these first responders. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Updated

Biden says Milton is 'looking like the storm of the century'

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris received a briefing on Wednesday with updates from Noaa, the US Coast Guard, and other federal organizations ahead of Milton and the ongoing response to last month’s Hurricane Helene, which states like Florida are still recovering from.

Biden on Wednesday said Milton looks like it could be the “storm of the century”.

Biden cancelled his trips to Africa and to Germany on Tuesday in order to be available for the emergency that is the impending storm, which has left Floridians worried for their properties and lives.

Updated

The Florida department of transportation announced that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, that connects Pinellas county to Manatee county, is now closed in both directions.

Updated

Tampa mayor says scale of evacuation is unprecedented

At a news conference on Wednesday, Tampa mayor Jane Castor said that the storm surge was “the biggest issue” facing the city, as forecasters say that it is possible the hurricane will bring as much as 12ft to 15ft of storm surge to the region.

“This is something that is historical, not only for our community, but really for our nation” Castor said.

“I have never seen an evacuation of this magnitude” Castor added. “This is going to be a storm of historic proportions, with wind, water and rain, but we will get through this together and we will come back stronger.”

Updated

Several Florida jails and prisons are refusing to evacuate their residents ahead of Hurricane Milton despite being in the evacuation zone of the storm.

Manatee county jail, which has 1,200 incarcerated people and is located on the south-east side of Tampa Bay, in the path of the hurricane that was roaring towards it across the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, will not be evacuating, a representative of the jail told Newsweek on Tuesday.

The jail falls within the Zone A evacuation area, the outlet further reported. Those in Zone A could face a storm surge of up to 11ft and are supposed to be evacuated first, according to the Manatee county evacuation guide.

Pinellas county communications director Barbra Hernandez told ABC News
that time was running out to evacuate the flood zones in the Florida
district of Clearwater and St Petersburg.

“Our goal is to reduce the loss of life. Please get yourself out of
harm’s way now,” she said. “We don’t want to be plucking people out of
the water.”

County emergency management director Cathie Perkins added: “This will
be a knockout. Buildings, homes, wiped off foundations. That is
unsurvivable.”

By dusk on Wednesday, Perkins added, “all bridges off the peninsula
will be closed and first responders will be pulled off the roads due
to flooding and high winds. You’ll be on your own after that.”

Updated

The National Weather Service in Miami has reported a tornado on the ground in the region on the Florida State Road 80, just west of Clewiston, Florida.

“SEEK SHELTER NOW!” the service said.

In a post on X, the weather service posted a photograph of the tornado, adding: “this is a very favorable environment for quick-moving and dangerous Tornadoes.”

Earlier this morning, the National Weather Service in Miami also posted another photo of a tornado crossing I-75.

Hurricane Milton is expected to deliver life-threatening storm surges to much of the Florida coast, with the west coast expected to receive up to 15ft of storm surge in some areas.

The areas in the path of the Hurricane will also experience strong winds, flooding and in some areas, the potential of tornadoes.

While Hurricane Milton will be making landfall later on Wednesday, the National Weather Service has warned that that does not meant that parts of Florida won’t begin to see the effects before then.

“Be READY and be prepared” the National Weather Service said.

In parts of the state, rainfall and wind started to pick up on Wednesday morning, as several tornado warnings were issued.

In a new update from the National Hurricane Center, forecasters said that Hurricane Milton is now 150 miles from Fort Myers, and about 175 miles from Tampa.

The Hurricane’s maximum sustained winds are at 145 miles per hour, according to the center.

“Ensure you are in a safe location before the onset of strong winds or possible flooding. Ensure you have multiple ways to receive weather warnings” the center warned.

My colleague Maya Yang has more on the tornado warnings in Florida:

As of 11am ET, three tornado warnings are also in effect. A tornado watch is issued when a tornado is possible, while a tornado warning is issued when a tornado is happening or about to happen, per the NWS.

Videos and pictures posted online showed several of the spotted tornadoes growing in size as they move across south Florida.

The agency also warned that isolated hail up to a 0.5in size is possible, along with isolated gusts of wind traveling up to 70mph (112km/h). Approximately 12.6 million residents face potential exposure to the tornadoes, in addition to 2,424 schools and 170 hospitals.

Astronauts have been monitoring Hurricane Milton from space as it advances towards Florida. On Wednesday, the team onboard the Dragon Endeavor supplied the latest birds-eye view of the storm as it barrels towards Tampa.

From his perch on the International Space Station, Nasa astronaut Matthew Dominick got a view of Hurricane Milton as it churned across the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida’s west coast.

‘Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window,’ he posted:

Updated

Hurricane Milton: where we are so far today

As we near midday on the US east coast, here’s a recap of the key updates today so far:

  • A tornado has touched down in the Everglades area of south Florida and the National Weather Service has warned anyone in the area to take shelter. The forecasters had warned that tornados are likely on Wednesday and a tornado watch is in place until 9pm ET.

  • Hurricane Milton now expected to make landfall late Wednesday. That’s according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, which says the storm will make landfall along the center of Florida’s west coast. The hurricane center had previously said landfall could come late Wednesday or early Thursday. Milton is expected to reduce to a category 4 storm with 130 mph winds upon landfall.

  • Florida governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Wednesday morning where he said Hurricane Milton would “pack a major, major punch and do a lot of damage”. He denied there were fuel shortage despite some gas stations running out. He added: “We are prepared and we will respond.”

  • Tampa mayor Jane Castor issued a dire warning on ABC’s Good Morning America, telling anyone in a single-story home who is not evacuating that the “that home that you’re in ultimately will be a coffin.” Castor also bluntly told residents that if they’re remain in an evacuation area, “you’re going to die”.

  • More than half of Florida’s school districts are closed in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. State education officials say some school buildings will be used as shelters for the storm throughout the affected region. Among those closed is the Hillsborough County school district, where Tampa.

  • Colleges and universities also canceled classes, with some saying they would switch to remote learning later this week if they’re able to resume classes. Some schools outside the storm’s path, including the University of Miami, planned to take precautions by shifting to remote learning through Thursday.

  • Airports in Florida were halting flights on Wednesday as the hurricane neared.

  • Tropical storm warnings were issued as far north as Savannah, roughly 200 miles from the projected path of the hurricane’s center.
    A storm surge of 2ft to 4ft was forecast for Georgia communities including St Simons Island, home to nearly 16,000 people, and Tybee Island, which has population of 3,100. Wind gusts of up to 45 mph could break off large tree limbs, topple shallow-rooted trees and cause scattered power outages, according to the National Weather Service.

Updated

“Tampa has long been regarded as the most vulnerable metropolitan area in the United States to storm surge flooding,” says Dr. Steven Godby, an expert in natural hazards in Nottingham Trent University’s. School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences. “Much of it is low-lying and the relatively shallow water offshore makes it vulnerable.”

The last major hurricane to affect the Tampa Bay region made landfall in October 1921, bringing a similar storm surge. Godby says it’s worth noting that the population at that time was around 160,000 and has now swelled to over 3m.

“Authorities having been stressing that people living along this coast have no living memory of this kind of storm, need to evacuate if instructed to do so,” he adds.

The Florida Health Department is urging people to avoid floodwaters caused by Hurricane Milton to prevent exposure to Vibrio, a flesh-eating bacteria..

The department advises that “flood waters can be contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Avoid skin contact with flood waters especially if you have open cuts and wounds. Do not wade through standing water. If you do, wash your body and put on clean clothes. Avoid eating, drinking or touching anything contaminated with flood waters.”

Vibrio bacteria are commonly found in warm coastal waters and can cause illness when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water. After heavy rainfall and flooding, like that expected from Milton, the concentration of these bacteria may rise.

For anyone with compromised immune systems, liver disease or open wounds are at higher risk for Vibrio vulnificus, a life-threatening infection that can quickly lead to sepsis, shock and large, spreading blisters that destroy tissues.

Tornado touches down in Everglades area as Milton approaches

The National Weather Service says a tornado is on the ground in the lightly populated Everglades area of south Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches.

The service posted a photo on the social platform X of the funnel crossing the I-75 highway on Wednesday morning.

Forecasters had warned that tornadoes were likely as the powerful hurricane approached. A tornado watch remains in effect for all of southern Florida until at least 9pm ET today.

Here’s another view of the tornado:

Updated

Schools repurposed as supplemental state shelters

Most school districts in the state are closed, and several schools are being used as supplemental state shelters.

DeSantis and other emergency officials are urging those in vulnerable areas to seek shelter as there is still so much capacity, adding “it’s not the Four Seasons,” but the message is clear: the alternative is worse.

DeSantis tells residents in evacuation zones there is still time to evacuate. Roads are good, “but not great.”

Floridians can locate an open shelter here: https://www.floridadisaster.org/shelter-status/

Updated

At least 352 healthcare facilities, 16 of which are hospitals, in the path of the storm have been evacuated.

State nursing homes, where many elderly veterans live, are now welcoming families of residents. These homes are all located in areas expected to be safe.

Updated

At least 6,000 Florida National Guardsmen, as well 3,000 from other states, are being deployed ahead of Milton – the largest Florida national guard search and rescue mobilization in the state’s history.

Over 50,000 linemen will be working on power restoration as soon as the storm passes, many from California, authorities have said.

Updated

DeSantis denies there is fuel shortage but says some gas stations have run dry

DeSantis said the state has 1.6m gallons of diesel and 1.1m gallons of gasoline on hand. There is not fuel shortage, but he cautions some gas stations have run out. The Florida Highway patrol is actively working on contingencies to keep fuel running throughout the state.

55,000 cubic feet of debris in affected areas has already been removed, a reduction of 50%. Removing debris will hopefully lessen the damage inflicted by this storm.

He underscored the severity of Milton, which he described as “a whisker shy of a Hurricane 5.”

Updated

DeSantis said he has spoken to president Biden and remains in contact with FEMA, and they are “marshaling all resources to prepare and respond to Hurricane Milton.”

DeSantis: 'Hurricane is going to pack a major, major punch'

“Hurricane Milton is heading our way. It will arrive either late tonight or early tomorrow morning,” DeSantis begins the briefing at the state’s emergency response center.

“There is high confidence this hurricane is going to pack a major, major punch and do a lot of damage,” he said. “We are prepared and we will respond.”

Updated

Florida governor Ron DeSantis will shortly hold a press briefing as Hurricane Milton approaches.

Despite Milton possibly being described as one of the worst hurricanes to possibly ever hit the state of Florida, Disney World in Orlando remains open.

The various parks within the massive entertainment resort complex will undergo a staggered closing schedule on Wednesday.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom theme park will close at 1pm ET on Wednesday while the Magic Kingdom park, EPCOT and Disney Springs will close at 2pm.

The resort said it will “likely” close on Thursday.

By contrast, other theme parks in the area – Sea World, Busch Gardens, both owned by UnitedParks – will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

The city of Orlando is currently under a hurricane warning.

The Orlando International Airport, one of the busiest in the country, has also ceased operations due to Milton.

Updated

Tampa mayor Jane Castor tells those in single story homes who haven't left that they will 'ultimately be in a coffin'

Storm surge will hit “immediately” for Floridians, especially in Tampa and surrounding areas. ABC’s Good Morning America today aired a clip of the city’s mayor, Jane Castor, issuing a sobering warning to those who haven’t evacuated: “If you’re in a single story house and we get a 15ft surge, which means that water comes in immediately, there’s nowhere to go. That home that you’re in ultimately will be a coffin.”

Yesterday, Castor also bluntly told residents that if they’re remain in an evacuation area, “you’re going to die.”

Updated

Central and southern Florida peninsula faces greatest tornado threat, forecasters say

The National Weather Service storm prediction center said “the greatest tornado threat is expected across parts of the central and southern Florida Peninsula this afternoon.”

A tornado watch is in effect in nearly all of southern Florida until 9pm.

Updated

As if it’s not enough for Floridians to be hit with a devastating hurricane, meterologists are now issuing warnings about isolated tornadoes potentially forming in the state. It’s not uncommon for hurricanes and tropical storms to produce tornadoes, which “most often occur in thunderstorms embedded in rain bands well away from the center of the hurricane; however, they can also occur near the eyewall,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Updated

Another reporter on the ground in the areas threatened by Hurricane Milton is Jay Gray of NBC News. Speaking on MSNBC a couple of hours ago he said there was at least some “good news” in that people appeared to be heeding the warnings.

He told viewers:

If there’s any good news here, we toured Fort Myers beach yesterday [and] it looks like people have listened to those warnings, that they’ve moved to higher ground, moved out of the area. It was really quiet yesterday, and into the evening. And so that’s the good news.

However he said that one person sheltering told him “the tough part now is waiting, watching and then seeing where the storm hits and what it may leave behind.”

Gray said preparations were well under way in places, noting:

They’ve seen rain over the last couple of days, and getting ready to get a deluge from this storm as it moves closer to the coastline here. What we’ve seen over the last couple of days is sandbagging, a lot of sandbags moved into place, boarding up of windows, things you traditionally see ahead of a hurricane. But doing that with the knowledge that this could be the most powerful storm many in this area have ever seen, and they’ve seen plenty.

He also said that not only are people still strugging with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene, but that the area hasn’t fully recovered from Hurricane Ian in 2022. He told viewers:

Hurricane Helene just a couple of weeks ago left debris that is still piled up in some areas, and still a very major concern once that storm moves in, wind will be picking up some of that debris and scattering it again, making it projectiles that could be very dangerous.

And don’t forget Hurricane Ian, two years ago that really ravaged this entire region. They’re still rebuilding from Ian. And there are a lot of people who haven’t quite finished rebuilding their homes, their businesses, as a result of that storm. And now, within hours, they’re going to see Milton, which may be the most powerful of all three.

Derek Van Dam, presenting the latest forecast on CNN, has said he has “sobering words” as he announced “this did not weaken overnight.”

He said “We are only a matter of hours until we experience tropical storm force winds in this region, and it’s only a matter of hours before we start to see the water levels start to come up,” describing Hurricane Milton as “one of the most powerful top ten Atlantic basin hurricanes to ever form.”

Orange County sheriff warns of life-threatening flooding along major Florida highway

The Orange County sheriff’s office has posted to social media to reiterate to the community that “Life threatening, devastating flooding is forecast along the I-4 corridor.”

It continues “Many tornadoes are possible this afternoon and tonight, especially in organised rain bands. Hurricane force winds arrive tonight into Thursday, along with an increasing threat for storm surge.”

Updated

Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister, speaking on CNN, has said it is “the 11th hour” for people to evacuate from the path of Hurricane Milton.

Chronister, whose county includes Tampa, told viewers “This is the 11th hour. If you’re in an evacuation zone, the time to get out is now. We already saw some flooding out here early this morning. That’s only going to get worse.”

Florida airports halt flights ahead of hurricane landfall

Travel by air will be limited during Hurricane Milton. Tampa international airport halted flights Tuesday morning, and nearby St Pete-Clearwater international airport is in a mandatory evacuation zone and closed after the last flight left Tuesday.

Orlando international airport, Florida’s busiest, is about 84 miles (135 km) inland from Tampa, and said it would cease operations Wednesday morning. The last flights out at the moment appear to be scheduled for 8.15am, with all subsequent departures cancelled.

Updated

Tony Marrero, writing for the local Tampa Bay Times, has described residents waking up “on the razor’s edge of a nightmare scenario as Hurricane Milton churns closer to the Gulf Coast.”

He reports that the Tampa Bay area remains in the cone of uncertainty in the latest forecast, and that the peak storm surge forecast for the region remains up to 15 feet.

Our community team are keen to hear your experiences if you are being affected by Hurricane Milton. Of course, your safety and security are most important, and you should put your welfare and the welfare of others first if you are recording, or sharing your content with us. You can find out how to get in touch here …

Milton forecast to be category 4 storm with 130 mph winds upon landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday

The latest update from National Hurricane Center (NHC) states that at 5am local time Hurricane Milton was still a category 5 hurricane with winds of 160mph (260km/h), and was located about 300 miles (480km) south-west of Tampa.

The forecast is now that when it makes landfall it will have fallen to a category 4 storm, with sustained wind speeds of near to 130mph.

Landfall is expected along the west-central coast of Florida late tonight or early Thursday morning, with the storm progressing to move off the east Florida coast on Thursday afternoon.

The storm is currently moving northeast at 14mph, and outer bands have already begun affecting Florida.

Updated

Here is some footage from the town of Treasure Island in Florida, which shows already deserted streets as Hurricane Milton approaches.

Adria R Walker reports for the Guardian that when people don’t flee their homes due to weather crises despite warnings from government officials, there are typically two reasons why. That is according to Cara Cuite, an assistant professor in Rutgers University’s department of human ecology. She said they either don’t believe they’re at risk or that the risk is overblown, or there are situational or structural elements that prevent them from doing so.

In the case of Hurricane Milton, Cuite said the former group is probably pretty small, as Tampa’s mayor, Jane Castor, and other trusted officials have been unequivocal about the dire consequences of staying.

For the second group, factors can be the cost of travel, having nowhere to go, the impact of a disability, caring for animals and pets, of the fear of permanent displacement.

You can read more here: Hurricane Milton – what does it actually take to evacuate during a weather crisis?

Updated

This picture, taken from a drone, shows clouds over the Caloosahatchee River as Hurricane Milton approaches Fort Myers.

This view shows traffic on Interstate 75, near Naples, as people evacuated yesterday evening.

In some areas it has become a struggle to get gas, with ABC News reporting that 30% of gas stations in the Fort Myers and Naples area have already run dry.

6 million people across 11 counties in Florida under mandatory evacuation orders

Reena Roy, reporting from Tampa for ABC News, has said that about 6 million people across 11 counties in Florida are now under mandatory evacuation orders, and that time is running out to make preparations.

She reported that in St Petersburg, residents near construction sites had been warned to relocate, having been told there isn’t enough time left to secure cranes and other construction equipment. Ten hospitals, she said, have evacuated patients, with ambulances travelling from as far afield as Missouri.

She said that authorities have been driving through coastal areas warning people to move while they still have time, and the mayor of Bradenton, Gene Brown, had warned those staying behind to write their own names on their arms for identification purposes. He added “We can replace your home. We can’t replace your life.”

Thousands of national guards have been mobilized, and 34 search and rescue planes are on standby. 37,000 linemen are either in Florida or on the way to help with power outages, Roy reported.

As Milton made its way toward Florida, it was about 125 miles (205 kilometers) northeast of Progreso, Mexico.

Milton brought heavy rain and some flooding to Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula on Tuesday but authorities reported only minor storm damage.

Power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatan officials.

Hurricane Milton is hurtling towards Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene lashed the state’s coastline.

It’s the kind of double hit becoming more common as the climate crisis persists, further complicating hurricane preparation, experts say.

Milton is forecast to batter Florida’s Gulf coast this week. It’s the third most powerful hurricane in US history, federal officials told reporters on Monday.

The storm could drop 15in of rain on some parts of Florida, with life-threatening storm surges of up to 12ft expected in the city of Tampa. Helene killed a dozen people in the Tampa area.

How did Hurricane Milton reach category 5 strength so quickly and when will it make landfall?

How strong has Hurricane Milton grown?

With swaths of the US south still reeling from the disastrous Hurricane Helene, the rapid advance of Hurricane Milton has caught many off guard.

Within barely a day, Milton went from a tropical storm to a category 5 hurricane, one of strongest storms to ever menace the US. Milton eased slightly to a category 4 storm amid mass evacuations of the Tampa area on Tuesday. Milton later strengthened to a category 5 storm again.

“This is nothing short of astronomical,” said Noah Bergren, a Florida-based meteorologist. “This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere over this ocean water can produce.”

How did it get so strong so quickly?

As hurricanes form, their strength is determined by a number of factors such as thunderstorms and wind shear that can disrupt the tight circular organization of the storm.

A key determinant of rapid intensification, though, is the heat content of the ocean and atmosphere. Hotter air and water provides greater energy to a storm, making it spin faster and ladening it with more moisture that is then dumped onto communities in torrents of rainfall, causing flooding.

When will Hurricane Milton make landfall?

Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s central Gulf coast late Wednesday. Forecasters said Tuesday that although it will likely fluctuate in intensity, Milton will remain “an extremely dangerous hurricane” through landfall.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Milton was about 520 miles (835km) south-west of Tampa with sustained winds of 155mph (250kph).

Joe Biden, who postponed an overseas trip so he could remain at the White House to monitor Milton, warned that it “could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida”.

Biden warned Milton could be one of worst storms in US for 100 years

Joe Biden said on Tuesday that Hurricane Milton could be one of the worst storms in the US for 100 years and advised residents to leave immediately as “a matter of life and death”.

The US president also told reporters at an event in Wisconsin that his team was doing everything they could to help save lives and protect communities:

We’re prepared for another horrible hurricane to hit Florida. I directed my team to do everything they can to save lives and help communities, before, during and after this hurricane. The most important message today for all those who may be listening to this and the impacted areas: listen to the local authorities. Follow safety instruction, including evacuation orders.

Florida’s western coast is making emergency preparations on Wednesday morning for the impact of Hurricane Milton, with thousands of evacuees clogging highways, contending with fuel shortages, and facing blunt warnings that “you are going to die” if they stayed behind.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Milton would retain major hurricane status and “expand in size” as it approached Florida after passing the Mexican city of Mérida before swerving north towards the US.

The eye of the storm closed overnight on Monday, and winds slowed slightly, before reorganizing as an “extremely dangerous” 155mph (250km/h) category 4 hurricane. As of Tuesday afternoon, the storm had restrengthened to a category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico.

With up to 15ft (4.5 metres) of life-threatening storm surge, Milton has the potential to be “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida”, the NHC said.

Welcome and opening summary …

Welcome to our rolling coverage of Hurricane Milton, as it is expected to make landfall in Florida. The National Hurricane Center has predicted Milton, a Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach, would likely weaken but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday.

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century. Thousands of evacuees have been clogging highways, contending with fuel shortages, with the mayor of Tampa warning residents bluntly “you are going to die” if they stayed behind.

Almost all of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane warning, with more than a million people told to evacuate, fleeing potentially catastrophic damage and power outages that could last days.

We’ll bring you the latest updates …

Updated

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