Hurricane Milton is currently barreling toward Florida and is expected to make landfall soon.
Currently a Category 3 hurricane, it is still unclear when exactly Milton will make landfall but the hurricane was reported to pack winds up to 120 mph at 7pm EDT and heavy rain has also been reported across different areas in Florida.
An extreme wind warning was also issued in parts of the Tampa Bay Area, and a tornado watch is currently in effect for the southern half of the Florida Peninsula until 9pm EDT.
The National Hurricane Center previously declared that Milton presents an ‘extremely life-threatening situation’ as millions evacuated.
Milton makes landfall in Florida
At 8:30pm EDT, the National Hurricane Center announced that Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane.
“Extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane Milton makes landfall near Siesta Key Florida,” the center wrote in their latest update. “Life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding occurring over the central Florida Peninsula.”
Flash flood warnings issued in parts of Florida
“Flash Flood Warning including Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL and Clearwater FL until 11:30 PM EDT,” they wrote on Twitter.
Milton is ‘close to making landfall’
The latest data from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Milton is around an hour away from making landfall.
As of 8pm EDT, Milton is centered 20 miles southwest of Sarasota, Florida and is moving eastward at 15 mph. It is still packing winds of 120 mph and has so far remained a strong Category 3 hurricane.
The center’s latest update reads, “Milton close to making landfall along the coast of west-central Florida.”
“Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and flooding rains occurring across portions of central and southwestern Florida,” they added.
Over 500,000 customers in Florida without power
As of 8 pm EDT, poweroutage.us indicates that over 500,000 customers in Florida are currently without power. As the hurricane continues to move inward, more outages are expected to occur.
CNN reports that a spokesperson for Duke Energy Florida’s service warned that there could be up to 1 million outages.
Extreme wind warning issued in parts of Florida
At around 6:30pm EDT, the National Weather Service for Tampa Bay issued an extreme wind warning after Milton was reported to pack winds at 120 mph.
“An extreme wind warning is in effect for Tampa FL, Saint Petersburg FL, Clearwater FL until 9:30 PM EDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds,” the NWS Tampa Bay wrote on Twitter. “Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior or shelter NOW!”
A similar warning was issued by The National Hurricane Center that added that the “Northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is beginning to move onshore of the Florida gulf coast near Tampa and St. Petersburg where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect.
“Please shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region.”
Source: www.unilad.com
