Florida residents scrambled to evacuate or take shelter on Wednesday as the powerful Category 5 Hurricane Milton barreled toward the Gulf Coast. With maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), Milton is set to become one of the most destructive storms ever to hit the region, putting millions of people in danger.
More than 1 million coastal residents were under mandatory evacuation orders, causing highways to clog with traffic and gas stations to run out of fuel. The storm is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, with Tampa Bay—a metropolitan area of over 3 million people—directly in its path. Officials have warned that a deadly storm surge of up to 10 feet could inundate large portions of the Gulf Coast.
President Joe Biden and local leaders like Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged residents in evacuation zones to leave immediately. “If anybody knows anything about Florida, when you don't evacuate when you're ordered to, you can pretty much die,” said Michael Tylenda, a visitor in Tampa heeding evacuation orders.
Hurricane Milton intensified rapidly, growing from a Category 1 to Category 5 in under 24 hours, making it the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic. Experts attributed the storm's speed and strength to rising sea surface temperatures, exacerbated by climate change.
Coastal counties such as Hillsborough and Pinellas have issued evacuation orders, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents. Many mobile home dwellers, like Jamie Watts from Fort Myers, are fleeing to safer locations after previous storms devastated their homes.
With Milton forecasted to maintain hurricane strength as it crosses Florida, its impact could also be felt on the state’s Atlantic Coast. Major industries, including airlines, energy firms, and even Universal Studios, have already begun halting operations as they brace for the hurricane’s aftermath.
As Floridians prepare for what may be one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recent history, the message from officials is clear: evacuate or risk deadly consequences.