Hurricane Milton ‘explodes’ into Category 5 as experts warn Florida could be in for ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ storm: Live

Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane with winds reaching 160mph, as the potential “once in a lifetime” storm charts its path towards the already storm-battered Florida coast.

Milton is situated in the Southern Gulf of Mexico and is moving “erratically” northwest where it is expected to hit the heavily-populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday.

The Pinellas County Sheriff issued a warning ahead of the storm’s prospective landfall, with Floridians asked to brace for what could be the largest evacuation since 2017’s Hurricane Irma.

“This is going to be bad. That’s all you need to know,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during an emergency conference on Sunday. “Everyone just needs to get out.”

Milton is racing towards areas already devastated by Hurricane Helene, which struck northern Florida on 26 September and caused more than 220 deaths across the Southeast.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm surge and power outages could exceed those caused by Helene, especially given the leftover debris. “There are some areas with a lot of debris… if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage,” he said.

President Joe Biden is due to be briefed this afternoon.

Key Points

• Milton rapidly intensifies to Category 5 hurricane

• Mapped: Charting Hurricane Milton’s path as it heads for Florida

• Hurricane Milton could become ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ storm, experts warn

• DeSantis: Milton faster than Helene, expected to become Category 5 hurricane

• Florida prepares for largest evacuation since 2017

Florida residents fill sandbags as Hurricane Milton approaches

20:20 , Julia Musto

Vice President Harris says she’s been briefed on Milton

20:07 , Julia Musto

Marco Rubio says NHC showed him ‘worst case’ Florida hurricane that was ‘almost identical to the Milton forecast’

19:49 , Julia Musto

Milton’s windspeed increase 90mph in under 24 hrs

19:43 , James Liddell

Hurricane Milton’s wind speeds have increased by 90 mph in less than 24 hours, according to data from the National Hurricane Center.

It makes it the Atlantics third fastest rapidly-intensifying storm on record, according to more than four decades of the NHC’s data.

“Rapid intensification” demands that a storm’s wind speeds increase 35mph in 24 hours – with Milton almost tripling that.

‘Food, water, fuel, medical supplies and Starlinks’ dispersed across Florida

18:45 , James Liddell

Biden approves Florida emergency declaration

18:43 , Julia Musto

President Biden said he approved an emergency declaration from Florida on Monday.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: Nearly 9K cubic yards of debris removed from barrier islands before Milton

18:00 , Julia Musto

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday that officials and vendors must continue to clear debris from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton makes landfall as soon as Wednesday night.

Thus far, he said, nearly 9,000 cubic yards have been removed from the barrier island of Pinellas County. The work would continue as long as it was safe to do so and local landfill and dump sites are required to remain open 24 hours a day to dispose of the debris.

“The state of Florida has marshaled unprecedented resources to help with debris removal. The Division of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, and the Florida Highway Patrol have been activated and deployed to aid in this mission,” DeSantis said.

Joe and Jill Biden give joint address to Helene survivors: ‘Your nation has your back’

17:45 , James Liddell

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden gave a joint address on Good Morning America pledging their support to those impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“To the people of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,” Joe Biden says, before the first lady continues: “and Tennessee, Virginia and Alabama. Your nation has your back.”

Biden adds: “Moments like this, there are no red or blue states.”

“No matter how you vote, we help each other when disaster strikes. Because we are one United States of America,” Jill continues.

The president said that Federal Emergency Management Agency staff are knocking on doors of those impacted and offering financial aid.

“FEMA is knocking on doors, to sign up survivors in direct need of financial aid as many of them need it now. “I’ve directed my team to stay there 24/7 with you until this job is done.”

“There’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together, and we’re going to do it together. God bless you all,” Biden signed off.

Milton intensifies into a Category 5 hurricane

17:23 , Julia Musto

Milton has intensified into a powerful, Category 5 hurricane.

Biden declares state of emergency as Hurricane Milton races toward Florida

16:42 , James Liddell

President Joe Biden has declared a state-wide emergency across Florida as Hurricane Milton charges towards Tampa Bay, with it expected to make landfall on Wednesday night.

The president has ordered federal assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support state, tribal and local response efforts, according to a White House statement issued on Monday.

They will attempt to alleviate “the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” the statement read.

FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer John Brogan has been appointed to coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

Milton expect to grow in size with winds to slow as it makes landfall

16:25 , James Liddell

Milton is expected to grow in size as it makes landfall, despite winds predicted to slow, the National Hurricane Center Director Dr Michael Brennan said in a live update on Monday morning.

Hurricane Milton, which is currently situated in the Southern Gulf of Mexico, has sustained wind speeds of 155mph, with it expected to become a Category 5 hurricane.

“While we could see the peak winds come down a little bit, the storm is expected to grow in size as it nears landfall along the Florida west coast on Wednesday,” Dr Brennan said.

“It now extends inland places like Ocala, Orlando, the west of Lake Okeechobee, Pole County, Lakeland to the Cedar Key area.

“Everyone in this area is at risk of seeing damaging hurricane-force winds during Wednesday, into Wednesday night.”

Hurricane watches are expected to extend to the east coast of Florida later today, according to Dr Brennan.

Milton forecast to become Category 5 hurricane

16:00 , James Liddell

Milton is expected become a Category 5 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm currently has sustained wind speeds of 155mph, just 2mph slower than what the Saffir-Simpson scale defines as Category 5.

Hurricane Milton is currently 720 miles away from Tampa, where it’s expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening. Evacuation orders have been dispatched across Florida’s west coast.

‘No shortage of fuel,’ DeSantis says

15:34 , James Liddell

“There is no shortage of fuel at this time. The fuel is still coming in and being delivered to our ports,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said during an emergency press conference on Monday.

“We have 415,000 gallons of diesel, almost 390,000 gallons of gasoline and an additional 1.5m gallons of both diesel and gasoline that are on route to the state of Florida.”

“Fuel deliveries will continue” throughout today, he added.

DeSantis: ‘Milton already 10mph faster than Helene – and it’s going to strengthen’

15:28 , James Liddell

Ron DeSantis predicts that Hurricane Helene will continue to strengthen over the next 24 hours, with sustained wind speeds already 10mph faster than Hurricane Helene that slammed into Florida a week and a half ago.

Milton was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane on Monday morning, with winds surpassing 150mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

“Milton is already 10mph faster than Helene was,” the Florida governor said during an emergency press conference.

“[It’s] definitely going to strengthen more from 150mph over the next 24 hours.”

DeSantis calls for ‘no more red tape’ and urges Floridians to clear up debris

15:22 , James Liddell

Ron DeSantis called for “no more red tape” and urged Florida residents to clear up debris ahead of Milton making landfall.

The Florida governor warned Floridians of the “additional damage from flying debris,” adding “you could end up having way worse damage because of that”

“We’ve made a huge dent in the debris, but there is a lot of it,” he said. “We need to go all day, all through the night; tomorrow, as long as possible.”

He added: “No bureaucracy, no more red tape, no more excuses about the debris.”

DeSantis ordered locks to be cut from landfill centers so residents could deposit debris

15:18 , James Liddell

Ron DeSantis said that locks have been cut off landfill centers after they closed their doors after being asked to stay open in order for people to deposit debris following Hurricane Helene – ahead of Milton making landfall on Wednesday.

“The gate was closed and no one was manning it, so we opened it and got it going,” the Florida governor said during a press conference on Monday.

‘Do it now’: DeSantis calls of Florida residents on the west coast to evacuate

15:10 , James Liddell

Governor Ron DeSantis has urged Floridians along the state’s west coast to assume that they will be told to evacuate.

“All these barrier islands, all these areas that would be susceptible to this storm surge that’s up and down the west coast of Florida, you should assume that there’s going to be some form of evacuation that’s going to be issued by your county officials,” he said during an emergency news conference on Monday morning.

“That is going to happen when you have the potential for storm surge of this magnitude,” DeSantis added. “You have time to execute your plan, but you’ve got to do it now,” said DeSantis.

Milton rapidly intensifies to Category 4 hurricane with 150mph winds

14:51 , James Liddell

Watch: DeSantis says ‘all hands on deck’ as Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton

14:15 , James Liddell

Mapped: Charting Hurricane Milton’s path as it heads for Florida

13:30 , James Liddell

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Gulf coast as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday bringing devastating winds, life-threatening storm surge and flash floods to communities already battered by Hurricane Helene.

Milton rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday, with sustained winds reaching a brutal 90mph, the National Hurricane Center announced.

James Liddell has the full story.

Mapped: Charting Hurricane Milton’s path as it heads for Florida

US Air Force says Milton ‘rapidly’ intensifying after becoming Category 3 hurricane

12:56 , James Liddell

Biden briefed on Milton as he promises to stand with impacted communities

12:45 , James Liddell

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) preparations for Milton, as its anticipated to slam into Florida as a Category 3 hurricane mid-week.

“I have been briefed on Tropical Storm Milton as it strengthens across the Gulf of Mexico and the work my Administration is doing to preposition life-saving resources in advance of the storm,” Biden said in a White House statement on Sunday.

“I urge all residents in Florida to listen to local officials and make preparations as needed.”

He continued: “As these communities brace for potentially yet another catastrophic storm, and as part of my Administration’s solemn obligation to stand with impacted communities as they rebuild their lives, we will continue working hand-in-hand with local and state leaders – regardless of political party and no matter how long it takes.”

Biden is expected to attend another briefing on the federal government’s preparations for Hurricane Milton and response to Hurricane Helene this afternoon.

Just in: Milton rapidly intensifies to Category 3 hurricane

12:15 , James Liddell

Milton has rapidly intensified to a Category 3 hurricane with windspeed in the region of 120mph, marking a near-40mph jump in a matter of hours, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

Milton intensifies to Category 2 hurricane

11:30 , James Liddell

Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 2 hurricane on Monday morning, with sustained winds surpassing 100mph, the National Hurricane Center announced.

It is currently situated 750 miles away from Tampa Bay on Florida’s west coast, where it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane.

Hurricane Milton is tracking towards the northwest, moving “erratically” through the Southern Gulf of Mexico as it hurtles towards the west Florida Peninsula coast.

Satellite images show Milton as it carves a path towards Florida

11:15 , James Liddell

Florida’s Big Bend to face greatest flash flood risk

10:45 , James Liddell

‘Life-threatening’ storm surge could reach 12ft across parts of coastal Florida

16:46 , James Liddell

Trump claims Biden and Harris are giving hurricane relief money to ‘illegal migrants’

10:30 , James Liddell

Donald Trump has condemned President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s response to Hurricane Helene, claiming that relief money is being given to immigrants.

The former president has been a vocal critic of the Biden Administration’s response to the the storm which slammed into Florida’s Big Bend last month, taking more than 220 lives and causing hundreds of billions of dollars of damage.

Upon his return to Butler, Pennsylvania, for a rally, the former president falsely claimed that people affected by Hurricane Helene will only received $750 from the federal government.

Now, Trump has taken to Truth Social and claims the Biden Adminstration’s rescue operation is the “worst” in history.

“The the GREAT people of North Carolina are being stood up by Harris and Biden, who are giving almost all of the FEMA money to Illegal Migrants in what is now considered to be the WORST rescue operation in the history of the U.S,” Trump said on Truth Social.

“On top of that, Billions of Dollars is going to foreign countries! NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN VIRTUALLY ABANDONED BY KAMALA!!! DROP HER LIKE SHE DROPPED YOU – VOTE FOR PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP. MAGA2024!”

Milton intensifies as Category 1 hurricane races towards Florida coast

10:04 , James Liddell

Florida to be hit with tropical storm-force winds as early as Tuesday

09:15 , James Liddell

‘Everyone just needs to get out’: Pinellas County Sheriff issues warning to residents

08:50 , James Liddell

The Pinellas County Sheriff issued an urgent warning for residents to “get out” as the region continues its recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Milton will become “an intense hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards” and will likely make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast by midweek, as the storm charts its path eastwards as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the NHC’s latest update.

It comes less than two weeks after Helene made landfall at Florida’s Big bend as a devastating Category 4 hurricane on September 26, taking more than 220 lives as it carved its path north through the southeast.

Now, Pinellas County Sheriff has issued a warning ahead of Milton’s prospective landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday.

“This is going to be bad. That’s all you need to know,” Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during an emergency press conference on Sunday afternoon. “Everyone just needs to get out.”

He continued: “In the past, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued and bars stay open. Restaurants stay open. And people just go about their business in stores. That’s not going to happen this time. We’re going to shut you down because we can’t have the tragedy that we had a week and a half ago.”

Milton likely to become major hurricane later today as it moves ‘erratically’ eastwards

08:25 , James Liddell

Photos: As Hurricane Milton arrives, Florida is still in shambles

07:58 , Stuti Mishra

Florida to get up to 15 inches of rainfall

07:23 , Stuti Mishra

Heavy rainfall will likely impact Florida even before Milton makes landfall on Wednesday.

According to the National Hurricane Centre, the Florida Keys and portions of the state’s peninsula can experience 5 to 8 inches of rainfall with localised totals up to 15 inches as the storm inches closer.

‘Debris could turn into missiles’ as Hurricane Milton targets area still reeling from Helene

06:56 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Milton’s threat to Florida is intensified by the fact that the state is still recovering from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene just days ago.

Experts warn that Milton, expected to make landfall mid-week, could amplify damage in areas already struggling with debris, weakened infrastructure, and overextended resources.

“There are some areas with a lot of debris that is there, so if you get hit with a major hurricane, what’s going to happen to that debris? It’s going to increase the damage dramatically,” governor Ron DeSantis said.

AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that debris from Helene could “turn into airborne missiles or be swept away in flooding and storm surge.”

Milton’s storm surge could surpass what many experienced during Helene, meteorologists warned, urging residents to heed evacuation orders.

“Rescues will be incredibly dangerous, if not impossible during this storm,” Mr DaSilva said.

Hurricane Milton could become ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ storm, experts warn

06:35 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Milton could become a “historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians”, according to AccuWeather.

As Milton barrels towards Florida’s Gulf Coast, it could bring some of the most catastrophic impacts seen in modern history, particularly in the densely populated Tampa Bay area, the private forecaster has said.

“Milton has the potential to become one of Florida’s most damaging and costly hurricanes,” AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said, with life-threatening dangers including an extreme storm surge of 10-15 feet and destructive winds.

AccuWeather experts have rated Milton a 4 out of 5 on their RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes.

The storm’s path remains uncertain, but slight variations could drastically change its impact, meteorologists said.

If Milton tracks further south, areas already devastated by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge, such as Fort Myers and Naples, could face even more destruction.

A more northern path, however, could result in storm surges as high as 20 feet in parts of Tampa Bay.

AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva warned that debris left from Hurricane Helene could become deadly during Milton’s landfall, urging residents to heed evacuation orders.

Florida prepares for largest evacuation since 2017

06:05 , Stuti Mishra

Florida is bracing for its largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017 as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the state’s western coast.

Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, asked people to prepare for the “largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma”.

“I highly encourage you to evacuate,” he said at a press conference.

Officials are warning that more than 500,000 residents of Pinellas County, including St Petersburg, may be ordered to evacuate starting Monday as the storm intensifies.

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told a press conference that these could be mandatory evacuation orders as too many people ignored the orders for Helene, resulting in 12 deaths in the county and 1,500 emergency calls that were unable to be answered.

Evacuations of hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities have already begun, affecting over 6,600 patients, while schools are set to close early this week.

Hurricane Milton, projected to make landfall near the densely populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday, could bring devastating storm surges and widespread destruction to regions still recovering from Hurricane Helene.

Milton intensifies into a hurricane

05:44 , Stuti Mishra

Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

Milton’s sustained winds reached 85 mph (140 kmph), and it was located approximately 780 miles (1,255 km) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving eastwards at 7 mph (11 kmph).

Forecasters warned that the storm could continue to intensify over the next few days, potentially reaching major hurricane status before making landfall along Florida’s western coast by mid-week.

05:21 , Stuti Mishra