Florida Awakens to Cat 5 Nightmare

Hurricane Milton remains a powerful Category 5 storm, but its wind speed has dropped slightly to 160 mph, according to an 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The center of the storm is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa and has accelerated slightly as it moves to the northeast at 12 mph.

CNN  reports the storm is still expected to weaken to a major Category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall in Florida. It will bring very heavy rainfall and powerful winds across much of the Florida Peninsula. The storm’s wind field should greatly expand before landfall, meaning its devastating impacts will be felt across a large area.

Including Milton, only 42 hurricanes have gotten this powerful in the Atlantic on record, according to data from NOAA. Before this season, only two Category 5 hurricanes roamed the basin in the 2020s: 2022’s Ian and 2023’s Lee.

Storm position and landfall:

• Milton is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with sustained winds of 160 mph and is moving northeast at 12 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 11 p.m. ET update.
• The storm is forecast to make landfall on the central Gulf Coast of Florida Wednesday night or early Thursday and move off the state’s east coast and over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, the NHC said.
• Though the storm will weaken before landfall, it will expand greatly in size, meaning its dangerous impacts will be felt over a massive area.
• When Milton makes landfall, its tropical storm-force winds will extend about 230 miles outward from its center. That’s far enough to cover the entire width of the state’s peninsula.
• The storm’s trajectory is still uncertain and last-minute shifts could have critical implications on who feels the brunt of the storm.