Thousands have been evacuating the western coast of Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches after passing the Mexican city of Mérida before swerving north towards the US. With the hurricane expecting to make landfall on Wednesday, the mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, has warned residents bluntly: “If you choose to stay … you are going to die.”
Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula was swept by winds of nearly 155 mph (250km/h) as the category 4 storm heads towards Florida’s dangerously exposed Tampa Bay. The storm passed the Mexican city of Mérida, home to 1.2 million people, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Mexican officials have been bussing people out of low-lying coastal areas.
Milton could bring destruction to areas already reeling from Hurricane Helene’s devastation nearly two weeks ago. If you’ve been impacted by that storm you can also tell us about it here.
Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security are most important. When recording, or sharing your content with us, please put your welfare and the welfare of others first. Extreme weather events can be very unpredictable and carry very real risks.
