Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday afternoon and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane later today.
In an advisory on Sunday morning, National Hurricane Center (NHC) meteorologists said Milton may turn into a “major hurricane” as it travels across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico toward the west coast of Florida, where it’s expected to make landfall by midweek.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has warned that the state is preparing for the possible evacuation of over 6 million residents, while still cleaning up the devastation left by Hurricane Helene last week. According to the White House, President Biden has been briefed on the situation — including its “potential impacts” to the Florida Gulf Coast and the work FEMA is doing in advance of the storm.
The Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch for the coast of Mexico from Celestun to Cabo Catoche, according to the NHC. Those in the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the progress of the storm. Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches could be required for portions of Florida late today.
Where is Tropical Storm Milton and what is its path?
- As of Sunday, 11 a.m. ET:
- Milton was located around 310 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico.
- It was about 8635 miles west-southwest of Tampa.
- The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.
- The storm was moving east-southeast or 105 degrees, at 6 mph across the Gulf of Mexico.
Risk of “life-threatening impacts” are increasing for portions of Florida’s west coast,” the NHC said on Sunday morning. There is also an increasing risk of dangerous storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Residents in these areas should ensure they have a hurricane plan in place, the center warned in Saturday’s advisory.
Meanwhile, the northern Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba can expect 2 to 4 inches of rainfall.
Outside of Tropical Storm Milton, Hurricane Kirk, currently a Category 3 hurricane, is generating swells that are expected to bring “an increased risk of dangerous surf and rip currents” to the U.S. East Coast over the next few days.
Milton comes days after Helene
Tropical Storm Milton comes just over a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a monstrous Category 4 storm, causing at least 20 deaths in Florida alone.
After making landfall with 140 mph winds, the storm moved inland across the Southeast, leaving more than 200 people dead and leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Following the storm, the state’s infrastructure and emergency services have been stretched thin. As of Saturday afternoon, thousands of utility customers were still without power in Florida.
Read more from Yahoo News: Helene shows that hurricanes in the age of climate change don’t wreck just coastlines
Active hurricane season
Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, but the peak of heightened activity is usually from August through October. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a “typical” hurricane season in the Atlantic will usually see around 14 named storms, “of which seven become hurricanes and three become major hurricanes.”
As of early October, eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic — with Milton becoming the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. As CNN notes, hurricane season is running ahead of the expected schedule. Typically, the 13th storm of the season wouldn’t hit until at least Oct. 25.
Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not have the funds to make it through the season. President Biden said this week that Congress may need to pass a supplemental spending bill in the next couple of months to help fund states’ recovery efforts.