Hurricane Milton grows 'explosively' stronger with 180-mph winds: Live updates
John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Jorge L. Ortiz and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 powerhouse Monday, driving sustained winds of 165 mph as it rolled across the Gulf of Mexico bound for what could be a devastating crash Wednesday along Florida's already storm-battered western coast.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory that Milton "poses an extremely serious threat to Florida," after earlier warning the hurricane wind speeds had "explosively" intensified. Those speeds increased by 95 mph in 24 hours and by 120 mph in 36 hours.
The storm rapidly strengthened from Category 2 to 5 in just a few hours on Monday. By Tuesday, Milton's intensity "should be dictated by any eyewall replacement cycles, which will likely cause the system to gradually weaken but grow larger," the NHC said.
The center has issued hurricane watches across portions of Florida and warned that parts of the state could be overwhelmed by life-threatening storm surge, flooding rain, and damaging winds.
"Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday," the center said in its 11 p.m. advisory. "A large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so."
Some weakening is forecast before the hurricane reaches the coast but Milton is still likely to be a "large and powerful hurricane" when it makes landfall, according to hurricane center specialist Jack Beven. The center warned that residents in warning areas should complete preparations, such as protecting life and property, by Tuesday night.
Rainfall is expected to total 5-10 inches in some areas of the state that were saturated even before Hurricane Helene smashed ashore less than two weeks ago. Isolated communities could see 15 inches, the hurricane center said. Some areas will be slammed with heavy rainfall well ahead of Milton's arrival, likely later on Tuesday through Wednesday night, the NHC said. A potentially deadly storm surge of 10-15 feet is possible for Tampa and other coastal communities.
John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Jorge L. Ortiz and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 powerhouse Monday, driving sustained winds of 165 mph as it rolled across the Gulf of Mexico bound for what could be a devastating crash Wednesday along Florida's already storm-battered western coast.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. ET advisory that Milton "poses an extremely serious threat to Florida," after earlier warning the hurricane wind speeds had "explosively" intensified. Those speeds increased by 95 mph in 24 hours and by 120 mph in 36 hours.
The storm rapidly strengthened from Category 2 to 5 in just a few hours on Monday. By Tuesday, Milton's intensity "should be dictated by any eyewall replacement cycles, which will likely cause the system to gradually weaken but grow larger," the NHC said.
The center has issued hurricane watches across portions of Florida and warned that parts of the state could be overwhelmed by life-threatening storm surge, flooding rain, and damaging winds.
"Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday," the center said in its 11 p.m. advisory. "A large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so."
Some weakening is forecast before the hurricane reaches the coast but Milton is still likely to be a "large and powerful hurricane" when it makes landfall, according to hurricane center specialist Jack Beven. The center warned that residents in warning areas should complete preparations, such as protecting life and property, by Tuesday night.
Rainfall is expected to total 5-10 inches in some areas of the state that were saturated even before Hurricane Helene smashed ashore less than two weeks ago. Isolated communities could see 15 inches, the hurricane center said. Some areas will be slammed with heavy rainfall well ahead of Milton's arrival, likely later on Tuesday through Wednesday night, the NHC said. A potentially deadly storm surge of 10-15 feet is possible for Tampa and other coastal communities.
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Summary
Hurricane Milton intensified rapidly from Category 2 to a Category 5 powerhouse, with sustained winds of 165 mph. The National Hurricane Center warns of an "extremely serious threat" to Florida's western coast, expecting devastating impacts by Wednesday. The storm is expected to grow in size and