Hurricane Milton: Florida urges evacuations as massive storm surge expected

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a powerful storm that could make a once-in-a-century direct hit on the populous Tampa Bay region with massive storm surges and debris from the devastation of Helene 12 days ago in projectiles.

Almost all of Florida's west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as the storm, with winds of 145 mph (230 km/h), swirled just off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and was moving toward the state at 12 mph (19 km/h). and drained him of energy The warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Milton's center could land Wednesday night the Tampa Bay areawhich has a population of more than 3.3 million people. The county in which Tampa is located ordered the evacuation of areas bordering the bay and all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday evening.

“You don’t have to get on the highway and drive far away,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday morning, assuring residents there was enough gas to fuel their cars for the trip. “You can evacuate dozens of miles; You don't have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You have options.”

DeSantis said the state helped evacuate over 200 health care facilities in Milton's path and that 36 county-run shelters were open. The state has also made efforts to clean up debris from the recent Hurricane Helene so that the mess doesn't become projectiles when Milton hits. He said the state deployed over 300 dump trucks that worked around the clock and removed 1,200 loads of debris.

Lifeguards on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay removed beach chairs and other items that could fly away in high winds. Elsewhere, tons of stoves, chairs, refrigerators and kitchen tables were waiting to be picked up. Sarah Steslicki, who lives in Belleair Beach, said she was frustrated that more debris wasn't collected sooner.

“If this one hits, it will be flying missiles,” she said Monday. “Things will float and fly in the air.”

The National Hurricane Center downgraded Milton to a Category 4 hurricane early Tuesday, but forecasters said it was still threatening ” an extremely serious threat to Florida.” Milton had quickly intensified on Monday, become a Category 5 storm around midday with maximum sustained wind speeds of 180 mph (285 km/h) before being downgraded.

Forecasters warned that Milton could bring a 10 to 15 foot (3 to 4.5 meter) storm surge to Tampa Bay, prompting evacuation orders for beach communities across the Gulf Coast. In Florida, that means anyone who stays is on their own and first responders are not expected to risk their lives to save them at the height of the storm.

Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane as it makes landfall and moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic, with rainfall totals of up to 18 inches (20 centimeters) possible, according to the hurricane center. Parts of the state's east coast were placed under hurricane and tropical storm warnings early Tuesday.

This path would largely spare others States devastated by Helenein which at least 230 people died on the way from Florida to the Appalachians.

Tampa Bay hasn't been directly hit by a major hurricane since 1921, and authorities fear its luck will soon run out.

“Ultimately where it goes is important because of how it affects people, and if you look at the population in Florida, there's a lot more population in the central part of the state than there is in the Big Bend,” said hurricane specialist John Cangialosi reflects on Helene's journey.

President Joe Biden agreed to an emergency declaration for Florida and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers had been mobilized to help in one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in history.

“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”

The Tampa Bay area is still recovering Helene and her powerful wave – a wall of water up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) high that it created even though its eye was 100 miles (160 kilometers) offshore. Twelve people died there, with the worst damage occurring along a series of barrier islands from St. Petersburg to Clearwater.

Latecomers were a problem during Helene and Ian in 2022. Many residents ignored the widespread warnings and said they had evacuated during previous storms only to avoid major flooding. However, on Monday there was evidence that people were getting out before Milton arrived.

A steady stream of vehicles headed north on Interstate 75 toward the Florida Panhandle as residents followed evacuation orders. Traffic clogged the highway's southbound lanes for miles as other residents made their way to the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.

About 150 miles (240 kilometers) south of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was nearly a ghost town Monday afternoon as an evacuation order went into effect. Ian devastated the 5,000-person community two years ago, with his 15-foot (4.5-meter) storm surge destroying or severely damaging 400 homes and businesses. Fourteen people died there trying to escape the storm and dozens had to be rescued.

On Monday, the few residents who could be found fought against the clock to protect their buildings and belongings. Nobody said they would stay.

The signs of Ian's devastation are still visible everywhere. Rebuilt houses stand next to others in varying states of construction. There are numerous vacant lots that were once rare.

“This entire street used to be filled with houses,” said Mike Sandell, owner of Pool-Rific Services. Its workers removed and stored pumps and heaters from its customers' pools Monday so they wouldn't be destroyed.

Homebuilding materials such as bricks, pipes and even workers' toilets lined the streets, potential projectiles that could cause further damage in the event of a flood.

On Monday afternoon, workers at the beach busily emptied the triple-wide trailer that houses The Goodz, a combination store selling hardware, convenience items, fishing supplies, ice cream and beach items. Owner Graham Belger said he moved his Your Island Everything Store into the trailer after Ian destroyed his permanent building across the street.

“We will rebuild, but it will be bad,” he said.

Nearby, Don Girard and his son Dominic were working to seal the family's three-story rental and vacation home, which sits about 100 feet (30.5 meters) from the water. The first floor garage and entryway were flooded by Helene last month, Hurricane Debby in August, and a flood brought on by a recent supermoon.

Ian was by far the worst. Its waves hit the second floor of the 14-year-old's house, destroying the flooring. Girard repaired the damage, and his aqua blue and white house contrasts with the older, one-story house across the street. It was flooded by Ian, never repaired and remains empty. The once cream-colored walls are now colored brown. Plywood covers the holes where windows and doors once were.

Girard, who owns a banner and flag company in Texas, said that while his feelings about owning his home are mostly positive, they are mixed. He said his extended family gathers there every December for the holidays. This time of year, temperatures in Southwest Florida are typically in the 70s (low 20s C) with little rain and low humidity. The area and its beaches are full of tourists.

“There is no better place in the world at Christmas,” Girard said.

But the flooding from Ian, the other storms and now Milton leaves him frustrated.

“It was difficult, I’m not going to lie to you,” Girard said. “The last few years have been pretty bad.”

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Spencer reported from Fort Myers Beach. Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Kate Payne in Tampa, Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.