Fast-approaching Hurricane Milton has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm before it smashes into Florida on Wednesday in a one-two punch for residents who are still recovering from Helene.
The storm was upgraded Monday morning, meaning it’s now expected to bring ‘catastrophic damage’ as it heads toward Orlando and Tampa Bay – an area still reeling from Hurricane Helene last month.
Helene brought record storm surges to the area, killing 230 people while obliterating several small towns in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Meteorologists have warned that Milton could be even worse.
The government’s disaster response agency, FEMA, has been blasted over its slow response to Helene, with those in the path of Milton now warned not to expect immediate federal aid if they choose to ignore evacuation orders.
Kevin Guthrie, head of Florida’s Department of Emergency Management, warned Milton could be ‘life-threatening’ and urged residents under evacuation orders to follow them.
‘We are preparing for the largest evacuation we have seen since, most likely, 2017 Hurricane Irma,’ he said. Around seven million people were told to evacuate the Sunshine State when Irma hit.
Meanwhile, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody gave a macabre warning to residents who refuse to comply with evacuation orders.
‘You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards,’ she said.
Residents in Pasco County, and those living in mobile homes along with low-lying and flood-prone areas are under mandatory evacuation orders from 10am Monday.
The county is bracing for storm surge heights of three to nine feet, with rainfall of up to 15 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Widespread traffic disruption and power outages are expected across Florida.
While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.
Meanwhile, the Mexican government has issued a hurricane warning for the Yucatan Peninsula from Celestun to Rio Lagartos.