Tuesday live updates: Time running out for Tampa Bay to prepare for Milton
The storm could bring as much 15 feet of storm surge to the region.
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Milton on Tuesday morning. [ NOAA ]
Hurricane Milton could bring unprecedented destruction to the Tampa Bay area, and officials warn that today is the last day to prepare.
Forecasters expect it to be an extremely dangerous hurricane that could bring 10-15 feet of storm surge to Tampa Bay. Tropical storm force winds could reach the Tampa Bay area as early as Wednesday morning.
The entire area is under a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning. Pinellas and Pasco counties have issued mandatory evacuations for zones A, B and C. Hillsborough has ordered evacuations for residents in zones A and B, as well as mobile and manufactured homes.
Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have canceled classes through at least Wednesday. Pasco has closed schools through Friday. You can keep up with other closures and cancellations here.
Here is a list of shelters in the Tampa Bay area.
Check out Milton’s forecast track and wind speeds here.
And here are some tips to prepare for evacuations.
Follow along for the latest developments.
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7:05 a.m. Plenty of space remains in shelters
Families evacuating as Hurricane Milton advances can look to emergency shelters established throughout the region. Sites are fuller than they became during Hurricane Helene, but they are not at capacity yet.
The Pasco County evacuation finder shows capacity at each locations, for instance. Fivay High School in Hudson listed more than 2,200 spaces available as of 6 a.m., as did River Ridge High in New Port Richey. Each of the other shelters also had several hundred spots, and the county plans to open a sixth site at Sunlake High School in Land O’Lakes at 9 a.m.
Both the Pinellas County and Hillsborough County shelter finders also showed space available.
The individual county websites continue to update their capacity and provide information including directions and type of shelter, including whether they accept special needs patients and are pet friendly. Officials have warned residents in low lying areas to heed evacuation orders as soon as possible.
Shelters generally provide space and meals but little else. Bring bedding. You might also want to bring snacks and items keep your attention, such as books and games. — Jeffrey S. Solochek
7 a.m. Milton ‘extremely dangerous’
The National Weather Service in its 5 a.m. advisory warns that Hurricane Milton is an “extremely dangerous” storm that will produce a large area of destructive storm surge along Florida’s west coast.
The Tampa Bay area remains roughly in the middle of the forecast cone and is in a stretch of coastline that could see as much as 15 feet of surge.
Read more on the forecast here.
A National Hurricane Center graphic released on Tuesday morning shows peak storm surge forecasts for Florida. [ National Hurricane Center ]