Whereas it is nonetheless hours away from making landfall and has but to trigger any injury, Hurricane Milton is already rewriting the document books, officers mentioned.
“I believe for the west-central coast of Florida, this has the potential to be essentially the most impactful hurricane we have seen in dwelling reminiscence, given the scope of the impacts from the storm surge,” Mike Brennan, director of the Nationwide Hurricane Middle, instructed ABC Information.
Milton is forecast to make landfall between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET Wednesday close to Sarasota as a Class 3 hurricane with wind gusts of over 100 mph. On Wednesday afternoon, Milton was a Class 4 hurricane within the Gulf of Mexico about 150 miles southwest of Tampa, and shifting towards Florida’s west coast at 16 mph.
Waves crash alongside St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Milton is predicted to make landfall tonight, Oct. 9, 2024.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP through Getty Pictures
As soon as it makes landfall, the hurricane is predicted to create a 10-to-15-foot storm surge in Sarasota and a storm surge of 8-to-12 toes from Tampa right down to Fort Myers.
However the storm, the ninth hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, has already made an influence on the document books.
Hurricane Milton is one for the document books
ABC Information, Adobe inventory
Milton is the strongest hurricane within the Atlantic Basin when it comes to strain since Hurricane Wilma, which hit Florida in 2005. The storm can be the strongest hurricane within the Atlantic Basin when it comes to windspeed since Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
On Monday, Milton was producing most winds of 180 mph, making it the third strongest hurricane within the Atlantic Basin on document when it comes to wind.
In accordance with the Nationwide Hurricane Middle data, Milton is among the prime quickly intensifying hurricanes after growing 95 mph in 24 hours this week. Solely hurricanes Wilma and 2007’s Felix had a larger intensification, based on the data.
Jeremy Beal, Micaela Robertson and Alex Quintos react as waves crash alongside St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Florida, as Hurricane Milton is predicted to make landfall tonight, Oct. 9, 2024.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP through Getty Pictures
Milton can be the fifth strongest hurricane within the Atlantic Basin on document by strain.
Brennan mentioned Milton is a distinct beast from different hurricanes on account of its “uncommon” observe.
“Usually we see hurricanes strategy Florida from the east or the southeast,” Brennan mentioned. “However this observe is considerably uncommon and is known as a worst-case state of affairs for these very storm-sensitive areas alongside the west coast of Florida as a result of the circulation of Milton goes to be pushing that Gulf of Mexico water proper up onto dry land right here in these weak locations.”
