It is predicted that Hurricane Milton will hit land on Wednesday.
The hurricane quickly strengthened on Monday, reaching a Category 5 status, but on Tuesday it was downgraded to a Category 4. Maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph) were recorded, according to the National Hurricane Center.
It is expected to pass over Orlando and strike in the Tampa Bay region.
An eight to twelve foot (2.4 to 3.6 meter) storm surge, the biggest in the region’s history, is predicted, along with the possibility of extensive flooding.
“This is the real deal with Milton,” Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa informed the press.
It happens after Hurricane Helene devastated much of the Southeast United States, including areas of Florida, late last month, killing over 200 people. When that storm hit land, it was a Category 4.
Florida’s director of disaster management, Kevin Guthrie, issued a warning, saying citizens should get ready for the “largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma”.
