Hurricanes

Mediaite - Florida officials are telling residents who don’t intend to evacuate from the areas expected to be hit hardest by Hurricane Milton to write their names and the phone number of a family member on themselves so their bodies can be identified and their families find out about their deaths

Guardian - As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, fueled by a record-hot Gulf of Mexico, a new analysis has shown how the Gulf’s heat that worsened last month’s Hurricane Helene was 200 to 500 times more likely because of human-caused global heating. The new analysis found climate change increased by 10% the amount of rainfall hurled down by the hurricane, which left more than 220 people dead across six states as it barreled north two weeks ago, flattening and drowning towns, tearing up roads and severing water supplies. It also made Helene’s winds ... 11%, more intense.

NBC News - In St. Petersburg, residents at the low-lying Twin City mobile home park said they're not ready for another major storm. There, homes are knocked off their foundations, piles of wet carpet, wood and pipes rot in the sun, and abandoned cars and trucks litter the roads. A resident who spoke to NBC News said he and his brother plan to camp out in their minivan at a high school parking lot on higher ground, the same as they did for Helene. "They're saying, 'Get out of here,'" said 71-year-old Mark Prompakdee. "Where?" 

NBC News - How a hospital in Milton’s path is preparing, from asking staff to stay for the duration of the storm, to offering child care and a temporary shelter for pets. 

CNN - More than 1,600 gas stations in Florida have run out of fuel as residents in Hurricane Milton's path try to evacuate. Officials say the state's reserves are falling due to panic buying and drivers topping off tanks, which can make shortages worse

CNN - Hurricane Milton is on track to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast tonight as a Category 4 storm with sustained wind speeds near 130 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its path wobbled farther south than expected Tuesday, leading to a southern shift in the forecast. Current trajectories show the storm barreling toward Sarasota, just south of Tampa Bay. Nearly 20 million people are under hurricane or tropical storm warnings. Despite frenzied efforts to clean up after Hurricane Helene, mounds of rubble — including sheet metal, cinderblocks and large appliances — remain in neighborhoods. Officials worry Milton's winds will turn that debris into dangerous projectiles that could hit people or homes.

NPR -  Millions of people on Florida’s west coast are getting ready for Hurricane Milton, which is anticipated to make landfall late tonight. This storm is one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. Milton is currently a dangerous Category 5 hurricane with 160-mile-per-hour winds and a storm surge that could reach as high as 15 feet in some areas along the coast between Fort Myers and Tampa Bay.  

As the state continues to clean up from Hurricane Helene, meteorologists and emergency managers are warning that the impacts of Hurricane Milton will be worse.... National Hurricane Center director Mike Brennan has urged people to evacuate early, warning that buildings could wash away and exit routes could get cut off. Allen, who is just outside of Tampa, spoke with Edward Vielmette, who has survived multiple hurricanes. Vielmette says he might see 10 feet of water in his home, but ultimately has chosen not to leave. When Milton makes landfall it is projected to be at least a major Category 4 hurricane with 125-mile-per-hour winds.

➡️ Life Kit has a roundup of expert guidance on hurricane preparedness, from dealing with power outages to what to do if your home is flooded.
➡️ Click here to follow the latest local updates on Milton.