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null - Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene pummeled the Florida coastline, residents are bracing for another strike as Milton strengthens in the Gulf of Mexico and continues on a path toward the state.
Hurricane Milton, which was a Category 4 storm as of early Tuesday, is threatening the Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.3 million people. Milton has the potential to be a direct hit and menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene not even two weeks ago.
Current info on Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Hurricane Milton: Mandatory evacuations begin in Tampa Bay Area
Other cities such as Fort Myers, Orlando and Jacksonville are also in the forecast cone for Hurricane Milton. Traffic was thick on Interstate 75 heading north on Tuesday as evacuees fled in advance of Milton. Crews were also hurrying to clear debris left by Helene.
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Biden discusses Hurricane Milton
President Biden delivered remarks Tuesday about the ongoing federal response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton, a Category 4 storm that's expected to hit Florida's Gulf Coast in the coming days.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said Tuesday Milton could be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida.
The president told reporters afterward of Milton, "My priority is to increase the size and presence of our effort."
Biden postponed a planned trip later this week to Germany and Angola because of the storm, explaining, "I just don’t’ think I can be out of the country at this time."
Here’s the latest information:
Latest update on Hurricane Milton
This graphic shows the forecast track of Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Milton has intensified quickly over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Monday afternoon the hurricane was far stronger than what was predicted two days ago. On late Monday afternoon, Milton was a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and was centered about 675 miles southwest of Tampa.
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Behind the politics of hurricane response, recovery
Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for politicizing hurricane response after DeSantis reportedly did not take her phone calls to discuss recovery and relief. Harris also called former President Donald Trump "incredibly irresponsible" for spreading misinformation about the federal response to Hurricane Helene. LiveNOW's Andrew Craft spoke with AG Gancarski from the New York Post about disaster politics.
Those winds eased to 155 mph by early Tuesday and the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 status. It was centered about 560 miles southwest of Tampa.
The hurricane center said Milton still posed "an extremely serious threat to Florida."
When will Hurricane Milton make landfall?
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Airports nationwide see impacts from Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton continued swirling towards Florida on Monday, prompting responses from airlines and major airports in the storm’s projected path. FOX 2 Detroit's Lauren Edward joined LiveNOW from FOX with the latest.
Milton will make landfall on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center’s Live Hurricane Tracker.
It’s expected to be a Category 3 storm with winds of 111-129 mph when it hits the shore in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a head-on hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.
It could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters say. That track would largely spare other states hit by Helene, which killed at least 230 people on its path from Florida to the Carolinas.
Hurricane Milton spaghetti models
Spaghetti forecast models for Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Hurricane Milton alerts
This graphic shows the various tropical alerts in effect in Florida due to Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
Milton storm surge forecast along Florida coastline
This graphic shows storm surge alerts in Florida due to Hurricane Milton. (FOX Weather)
The entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge.
Hurricane Helene came ashore some 150 miles away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet above normal tide levels.
This graphic shows the storm surge forecast from Hurricane Milton in Florida. (FOX Weather)
Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 15-foot storm surge in the Tampa Bay area. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said hurricane center spokeswoman Maria Torres.
The storm could also bring widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches expected in some places.