Topline

Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday evening, where millions of people were told to evacuate as forecasters warn it could become “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record” for the west-central part of the state.

Key facts

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Crucial quote

“I’ve often said that (if) you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100 percent of the time,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “And people who are in this say you’re in a one-story house. Ten feet above that house. So when you’re in it, you know, that’s basically the box you’re in.”

What is a storm surge and where can it be worst?

Storm surge is the abnormal rise in sea water levels caused by a storm. The NHC warned that the combination of storm surge and tides will cause areas that are normally dry near the coast to become inundated. From Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande, storm surge could be 10 to 15 feet above ground. The wave is forecast to be 8 to 12 feet high between Boca Grande and Bonita Beach, and could reach these heights in Charlotte Harbor as well. A wave of two to three feet is expected for Tampa Bay.

Where have tornado warnings been issued?

Numerous tornado warnings were issued Wednesday afternoon in southern Florida and across the Interstate 95 corridor. Tornado warnings are in effect for most of Central and South Florida through Wednesday evening. The NHC noted that the “risk for strong tornadoes” will continue through Wednesday evening.

What have politicians said about Hurricane Milton?

President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the White House on Tuesday morning, calling Hurricane Milton “a matter of life and death.” He encouraged Floridians in the storm’s path to evacuate “now” and postponed a planned international trip to Germany and Angola “to monitor preparations for and response to Hurricane Milton.” ‘ Vice President Kamala Harris and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have had a strange he-said-she-said about the coming storm, with Harris accusing DeSantis of not taking her calls and “playing political games.” DeSantis said Harris has “no role in this” and that he is communicating fine with Biden, who also said he has been in contact. Biden said he gave DeSantis his personal phone number and told him to call if the federal government can do anything to help. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in an interview with CNN, “I can say without any dramatization, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you will die.” Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN on Wednesday afternoon that even if the storm’s category were to change, “this is not really a downgrade in terms of the danger and its dangerous potential,” and urged Florida residents not to rely on the designation “to their detriment.”

How will Hurricane Milton affect travel to Florida?

Tampa International Airport closed at 9 a.m. Tuesday with plans to reopen later this week “as soon as it is safe,” and Orlando International Airport closed at 8 a.m. Wednesday. More than 1,700 flights to and from the United States were canceled as of 8:50 a.m. on Wednesday, and another 350 were delayed. Orlando saw by far the most cancellations, with 398 flights from there canceled and 423 flights arriving there canceled, followed by Tampa with about 190 canceled flights each way, according to Flight Aware. Major airlines have told passengers they can change their plans without paying a fare difference. Walt Disney World Resort will close its parks starting Wednesday morning — news that came after Goldman Sachs predicted the company will likely take a nine-figure financial hit from the storm. Universal Resort Orlando announced Tuesday afternoon that it will close at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday and remain closed on Thursday. Legoland Florida Resort and SeaWorld Orlando are both closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Busch Gardens Tampa is now closed through Thursdays.

Are Waffle Houses closed due to Hurricane Milton?

Yes. Locations of Waffle House, the breakfast food chain, in the Tampa area will close ahead of Milton’s expected landfall. The company cited the so-called “Waffle House Index” in a social media post explaining the decision, a reference to a scale invented by Craig Fugate, former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to measure the severity of assess a natural disaster. If Waffle Houses in an area are open and serving a full menu it will be green on the index, a limited menu will be yellow on the scale meaning the local area may be without electricity or water, and the index will turn red if the locations are closing, indicating that the local community will need significant assistance.

Important background

Milton will be the second major hurricane to hit Florida in two weeks. Hurricane Helene struck the state on September 26, killing at least 20 people in Florida before devastating parts of the southeastern United States. More than 220 people have died and hundreds of others are still missing. Western North Carolina is bearing the brunt of the flooding that the state’s governor says has wiped communities “off the map.” In Florida, people are still clearing debris from Helene as the next storm arrives. Ahead of Hurricane Milton, Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, ordered evacuations for areas near Tampa Bay and for all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday evening. Lee County, home to Fort Myers, issued a mandatory evacuation order for the island of Fort Myers Beach. Other mandatory evacuation orders have been issued in Pinellas County, Pasco County and Manatee County. DeSantis said Tuesday that he wasn’t sure exactly how many people are planning to evacuate because of Hurricane Milton, but that he thinks those who witnessed Hurricane Helene will be especially motivated to leave the area.

Tangent

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has said it is grappling with “extremely damaging” false stories circulating about Hurricane Helene, which hit the US two weeks ago. FEMA chief Deanne Criswell said misinformation about the storm and the federal government’s response is the “worst” she has ever seen, as former President Donald Trump and his allies condemn the agency. Trump falsely claimed that FEMA could not respond appropriately to the storm because it was funneling so much money into helping migrants under Vice President Kamala Harris’ orders. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the agency is “meeting immediate needs with the money we have.” Other rumors include that FEMA has withheld aid from areas that have traditionally voted Republican and that the organization is only giving $750 to disaster survivors to support their recovery.

Read more

ForbesWhy officials warn to take Milton seriously, even now that the designation is in Category 3By means of Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesHurricane Milton is in the red on the ‘Waffle House Index’: the scale of natural disasters explainedBy means of Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesBiden Calls Out Trump and Marjorie Taylor Green Over Hurricane Misinformation: ‘Beyond Ridiculous’By means of Molly BohannonForbesHurricane Milton May Not Be ‘Category 6,’ But Some Researchers Think It’s Time to Create a New Level for the Strongest StormsBy means of Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesFEMA Destroys Misinformation: The Campaign to Politicize Hurricane Helene, ExplainedBy means of Molly Bohannon