The west coast of Florida braces for a direct hit by Category Five Hurricane Milton. The region, only recently impacted by deadly Helene, was scrambling to gather emergency resources from elsewhere in the state and beyond, as mass evacuations got underway.
A considerable number of frequent visitors to the island come from that state, with Miami International Airport a particularly important gateway. There are also a lot of local students especially in Tallahassee, which it now appears will be spared the worst this time.
Milton was relatively small, and while it packed sustained winds of 180 miles per hour, they were of hurricane-force strength force out just 30 miles from the centre. This means that if the eyewall passes at any greater distance, only storm conditions will be experienced.
The system is expected to weaken somewhat before it makes landfall, but that will also increase its size and spread. No matter how you look at it this remains a serous threat with possible catastrophic consequences and it certainly warrants keeping all involved in our thoughts.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS) continues to monitor the Atlantic. Things are pretty quiet in that regard, as Kirk, Leslie and even a new tropical wave that formed off Africa appear to be heading north well before they reach the Caribbean.
Don’t let your guard down quite yet, however. Milton has once again shown how quickly tropical cyclones can develop and the hurricane season does not end until November 30.
