Hurricane Milton to make landfall tonight: Maps

Florida is planning what may be its largest evacuation in seven years as Hurricane Milton, fluctuates between a category 4 and 5, barrels toward the state’s west coast with winds of 150 mph and a predicted landfall late Wednesday.

Milton is expected make landfall late Wednesday into early Thursday morning, according to Weather.com. But its projected perpendicular landfall – the near straight-on angle at which it could strike and cross the coast – will create a stronger storm surge than if it were to hit at an angle and slide up the coastline.

Milton will arrive two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Gulf Coast on Sept. 26, moved inland and north through Georgia, and destroyed towns and roads across western North Carolina.

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A deadly storm surge of 8 to 12 feet is possible for Tampa and other coastal communities, according to Paste BN.

As Milton approaches, “we are preparing … for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma,” said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, on Sunday.

About 7 million people were evacuated in 2017.

The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane watches across portions of Florida and warned that parts of the state could be overwhelmed by life-threatening storm surge, flooding rain and damaging winds.

Of extreme concern to forecasters is storm surge, which the Hurricane Center said could hit 10 to 15 feet along several areas on Florida's west coast, including Tampa Bay. Storm surge kills more people during hurricanes than wind. Approximately 90% of all deaths in hurricanes worldwide are caused by drowning in either the storm surges or flooding caused by intense rainfall, according to the Florida Climate Center.

Milton's rainfall is expected to total 5 to 10 inches in some areas already saturated by heavy rain before Hurricane Helene hit, the hurricane center said. Some communities could get 15 inches of rain.

Helene was the 22nd Category 4 storm in the U.S. since 1920. Only four Category 5 hurricanes have reached the U.S. in the same time period.

This story was republished with new information.

CONTRIBUTING: John Bacon, Christopher Cann, Dinah Voyles Pulver and Doyle Rice/Paste BN, Cheryl McCloud/Paste BN NETWORK Florida

SOURCE: Paste BN Network reporting and research; Reuters; National Hurricane Center