Hurricane Milton: Eye wall begins to move onshore near Tampa as Florida deals with tornadoes, flooding (2024)

DeSantis: Take shelter now

Reporting from Sarasota, Florida

It's silent and calm in Sarasota, and it's possible Milton's eye may be over the city as it is expected to make landfall any minute.

Nearly 10,000 people and 1,700 pets were in evacuation centers in Sarasota County tonight, the most ever recorded during an evacuation, an emergency management official said.

The county, just south of Tampa, could take a direct hit from Hurricane Milton.

The county’s 311 system recorded more than 10,000 calls from Sunday to today, the official said, adding that it is no longer safe to evacuate.

The official advised residents to shelter in place and hunker down.

The potentially catastrophic Category 3 storm poses its greatest threat from extreme flooding, with storm surges forecast to reach up to 13 feet. The surge could inundate large parts of the Florida coastline, causing widespread destruction.

Venice, Florida, resident Heather Morgan described hearing the doors rattling as she sheltered in place at home. Morgan said that her home was spared from Hurricane Helene and that she is “hoping for the best” during Hurricane Milton.

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman spoke with NBC News’ Tom Llamas about how he plans to move first responders ahead of Hurricane Milton as the city braces for a possible direct hit.

River and tide gauges across the state that are near or at the flood stage will be shown on the map. Select a gauge on the map for more details.

Martin County, which is north of Palm Beach on Florida's eastern coast, has implemented a countywide curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., effective immediately, Sheriff William Snyder said on Facebook.

Snyder said the curfew was being issued "due to the significant damage caused by multiple tornadoes in Martin County, as well as dangerous and deteriorating weather conditions expected throughout the night."

He urged people to stay indoors for their safety.

Martin County is almost directly across from where Milton is forecast to make landfall on Florida's west coast tonight.

Hurricane Milton is “close to making landfall along the coast of west-central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said at 8 p.m.

The center of the storm was about 20 miles west-southwest of Sarasota. It was moving east-northeast at 15 mph.

Life-threatening storm surge, flooding and winds are already happening in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

Reporting from Tampa, Florida

Damage from repeated storms and hurricanes has sent the cost of homeowners and flood insurance soaring in Florida. Residents there already pay some of the highest premiums in the country for homeowners insurance.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said a short time ago that there have been 19 confirmed tornado touchdowns in the state today as Hurricane Milton approaches.

“Numerous counties have reported tornado damage,” DeSantis said.

The number of homes and businesses in Florida without power at 7:30 p.m. was 350,609, according to the outage tracking website poweroutage.us.

A reporter for NBC affiliate WFLA of Tampa, who is in Sarasota County, reported on the air that crews were seeing “transformer after transformer blowing.”

Reporting from Daytona Beach, Florida

Tropical storm-force winds are arriving now in Daytona Beach, which means the bridges to the Barrier Islands are now closed.

The city's curfew goes into effect at 8 p.m. ET.

Video from outside a building in Daytona Beach shows strong gusts blowing trees and traffic lights as rain appears to fall in horizontal sheets.

An ocean drone operating 40 nautical miles from the eye of Hurricane Milton reported a 28-foot wave in the Gulf of Mexico today, federal officials said.

The uncrewed vessel also recorded wind speeds of nearly 76 mph, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Jesse Kirsch and Natalie Obregon

Reporting from Sarasota, Florida

Wind gusts are really starting to pick up in Sarasota. Entire palm trees appear to have been ripped from their trunks.

Green flashes of light indicating transformer issues have also been spotted in the city.

At least 20 homes have been damaged in St. Lucie, Florida, after multiple tornadoes touched down in the area, said Erick Gill, a county spokesperson. Shelters are open, and rescue crews have been dispatched.

A Sarasota resident is riding out Hurricane Milton in his high-rise apartment building. He and his wife are mostly worried about being without electricity; they lost power for two days after Hurricane Helene.

The governors of South Carolina and Mississippi approved the deployment of National Guard members to assist Florida in recovery from Hurricane Milton, and other states farther away also said they were sending help.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves approved the deployment of 22 members of the National Guard, as well as two Black Hawk helicopters and a Chinook helicopter.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he directed the deployment of around 70 soldiers, as well as around 30 high-water vehicles and a helicopter aquatic rescue unit.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency deployed three people to help in communication, response coordination and logistics. New York state, which has sent 221 government workers to help with Hurricane Helene recovery, said it was gearing up to send additional help for Milton if requested.

Multiple people were injured today after an apparent tornado tore through a community north of Miami, a village official said.

Jim Barnes, village manager of Wellington, said by phone that he did not know how many people were injured or how many buildings were damaged.

Video showed the apparent twister roaring across a Wellington road.

The National Weather Service said earlier that dozens of tornado warnings had been issued across a wide stretch of the state, including 41 by the agency’s Miami office.

Wellington is 71 miles north of the city.

Palm Beach International Airport in Florida's Palm Beach County has suspended all operations until it is safe to reopen, the airport said on X.

While Palm Beach is on the east coast of Florida and south of where Milton is expected to make landfall, a large part of the state will feel the effects of this major storm.

The eye wall of Hurricane Milton was beginning to move onshore near Tampa and St. Petersburg, the National Hurricane Center said at 7 p.m.

There is an “extreme wind warnings” for the area, which means an eye wall is approaching.

Those warnings should be treated the same as a tornado warning.

"Please shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region," the National Hurricane Center said.

This morning close to 10,000 people had sought safety at public shelters in Hillsborough County, which is where Tampa is, as residents and officials prepared for Hurricane Milton.

Three additional shelters were opened today, Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Tim Dudley said at a news conference.

In addition to the life-threatening storm surge that is expected, power lines will be torn down, there will be standing water, and trees will be felled by the storm, he said.

Dudley said those who are sheltering at home need to wait for an all-clear from officials because of the hazards that will be left in the aftermath of the hurricane.

A home camera captured strong winds tearing through a Fort Myers, Florida, neighborhood today.

Dylan Boehm posted the 35-second clip on his Facebook page.

Forecasters said earlier today that “tornadic supercells from Milton” were beginning to sweep across the southern Florida Peninsula. Tornado watches were in effect from near Tampa south to Key West.

Boehm said in a short post that power went out at the home but that he is safe at another location.

Reporting from Tampa, Florida

Jackie Bartosiewicz and her family left their home in a neighborhood of Bradenton that is in Evacuation Zone A today just as one of the bridges was being shut down. They are now staying at a hotel in Evacuation Zone C.

Bartosiewicz said she and her family have jobs that they "can't leave until it's time to leave," so they make escape plans that update based on the storm's path. In Milton's case, they booked their hotel days in advance.

Bartosiewicz said she is "a little anxious" about Milton but "glad to be where we're finally going to be for the storm."

She said that during Hurricane Helene, her family was fine at home and wanted to stay put this time, too, but "it just got to a point that we couldn't." "All of the roads were going to be washed out, and no one could get to us."

Their home is inland in Bradenton, but it is at risk because of proximity to the Manatee River.

"We love our home, our community, our neighbors, our pets, and we don't want to leave," she said. "We do make a plan, and if there's any way possible that we can stay or we feel like we can stay, we're going to, but if we can't and we're going to put any of our animals or our family at risk, we've got to go."

She and her family are traveling with other relatives, a bunny and dogs.

Hurricane Milton was “rapidly approaching” Florida’s western coast and water is beginning to rise on the peninsula, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said shortly before 6 p.m.

Storm surge amounts are forecast to be potentially 8 to 12 feet in the Fort Myers and Charlotte Harbor area; 9 to 13 feet in Manatee, Sarasota and Charlotte counties; and 6 to 9 feet in the Tampa Bay region, he said.

“And this is life-threatening inundation,” Brennan said. “That water is going to violently be pushed onto dry land."

The storm surge is expected to be the worst to the right of wherever the center of the hurricane makes landfall.

“Water is now starting to rise, winds are picking up, rainfall is occurring, and your evacuation routes may be cut off. So please, get to a safe space if you have not done so already,” Brennan said.

Just after 6 p.m., before Milton's landfall in Florida, 285,314 homes and businesses in the state were without power, according to poweroutage.us.

Robert Haight salvages what he can from his home after what appeared to be a tornado tore the roof off today in Fort Myers. He said he had just had the roof replaced two years after Hurricane Ian damaged it.

Lt. Josh Rannenberg, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pilot, said Milton is different from any other storm he has experienced.

Officials in St. Petersburg said first responder operations are on hold until it is safe for their staff members to head back out and respond to calls.

"As Hurricane Milton approaches, we want you to remember safety is our top priority, for you and for our first responders," Police Chief Anthony Holloway said in a video on X.

Fire Rescue Chief Ian Womack said: "When it becomes unsafe or life-threatening for our responders, we may have to temporarily suspend services."

Womack said that fire and police units will respond "as soon as it's safe" and that 911 will remain open for calls in the meantime.

Similarly, police in Sarasota County said their last patrol car returned to headquarters at 5:39 p.m. local time.

"Sustained wind speeds are too strong for emergency services to respond," the police department said on X. "We will now wait out the storm, just like you, and once it passes, we will begin our rescue and recovery process."

Similar announcements came in from elsewhere in Florida, with Pinellas, Charlotte and Manatee counties announcing they had suspended first responder operations between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m.

Even though Hurricane Milton has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm, President Joe Biden said today that it could be one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in more than a century.

In conversations earlier today, the heads of the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center warned of the hurricane's devastating potential, he said.

"No one should be confused," he said. “Milton still carries incredible destructiveness that can wipe out communities.

Noting that its storm surge could reach 13 feet, Biden urged everyone in its path to listen to local officials.

He pleaded with people who have not followed evacuation orders to move to safer locations. Thousands of federal personnel are staged in the area, including 1,000 Coast Guard members to perform search-and-rescue operations and reopen the Port of Tampa when possible, he said.

Conditions are beginning to deteriorate, and the roads in Sarasota County are no longer safe, authorities said this evening.

It's time to shelter in place, Sarasota County posted on X at 5:15 p.m. Flooding has been reported, and it is “not safe to be out on the road for the duration of the storm,” the post said.

Milton is expected to make landfall near Sarasota between 9 and 11 p.m.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis warned electric vehicle owners today that their lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire hazard if they come into contact with saltwater.

Patronis, who is also the state's fire marshal, said in a statement that first responders had already worked on 11 calls related to EVs inundated by Hurricane Helene, alongside 37 calls caused by batteries in other electronic devices like golf carts, scooters and toys.

Patronis urged vehicle manufacturers to notify drivers and urge them to move any unattended vehicles to higher ground.

“As I’ve stated before, these compromised vehicles and devices are ticking time bombs, and my office will continue to coordinate with federal, state, and local officials to ensure consumers and first responders are aware of these fire hazards following Hurricane Milton," he said.

Florida broke its record today for the most tornado warnings issued in a single day.

By 4:30 p.m., the National Weather Service had generated 111 warnings, breaking the record of 69 set on Sept. 10, 2017.

The Tampa Bay area is already experiencing dangerous flooding from Milton, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The Highway Patrol warned people on X not to drive through flooded roadways and to treat downed power lines as live.

Updates on road closures and other highway incidents can be found at http://fl511.com.

Hurricane Milton continues its trek toward Florida, and forecasters warn it will bring “life-threatening” storm surge, powerful winds and floods.

The Category 3 storm was 60 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, moving northeast at 17 mph at 5 p.m., the National Hurricane Center said. Maximum sustained winds were 120 mph.

The center of Milton is expected to make landfall near Tampa or south of Tampa tonight, according to the hurricane center, which warns the storm could still be a major hurricane when it touches land.

It is expected to weaken in the western Atlantic Ocean by tomorrow night. Storm surges as high as 13 feet are projected, including between Anna Maria Island and Boca Grande, with a surge of 9 to 13 feet, and between Boca Grande and Bonita Beach, with a surge of 8 to 12 feet, while Charlotte Harbor could get a storm surge of 8 to 12 feet, according to the hurricane center.

A dog that had been left to fend for itself against Hurricane Milton is safe and sound and was given a clean bill of health, authorities said today.

The dog was found tied to a fence near Interstate 75 in Tampa when a passing Highway Patrol unit spotted it and took it to safety.

The dog was taken to a veterinarian and checked out for possible injuries, the Highway Patrol said.

Several shelters in Hillsborough and Sarasota counties are at or reaching capacity just hours before Milton is expected to make landfall.

At least two Tampa-area evacuation shelters are full in Hillsborough County, according to county's website, which is being updated in real time.

In Sarasota County, at least three shelters are full and are no longer accepting residents. A complete list of available centers and their updated capacities can be found here.

Hurricane Milton has slowed to a Category 3 storm as it continues to move toward Florida.

The storm was about 100 miles southwest of Tampa and moving northeast at 17 mph, according to the 4 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s maximum sustained winds are 125 mph, which puts it at Category 3. Only hours earlier, it had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, which made it a low-grade Category 4 storm.

Milton is expected to make landfall near Sarasota tonight. Before it reaches the Florida coast, the hurricane center warned, heavy rain and tropical-storm winds were spreading inland across the Florida peninsula.

A recent wind gust of 68 mph was recorded at Fort Myers Beach. Multiple tornado warnings were also issued across the Florida Peninsula earlier today.

Reporting from Tampa, Florida

Brandon Rose, 48, has spent five hurricanes sequestered in his apartment across the street from the Tampa Bay. And despite dire warnings from officials, he saw no reason to act differently now.

“I just think it’s safer for me in my place with a fridge full of food and beer and 12 gallons of water, instead of being on the interstate, going 5 miles per hour running out of gas,” Rose said.

Nearby, Nick Granato was taking one his last strolls outside before the storm touched down. He said his fear of the storm was trumped by his fear of not being able to return.

"Florida doesn't take water well, and I think the roads are going to be quite a mess, and it seems like this is the first direct hit for this area in a while," he said. "And I just think that with pretty much everybody leaving, it's going to be a mass influx in, which is going to make it difficult to get back in."

Joseph Malinowski — known by locals as "Lieutenant Dan" — was riding out the storm on his sailboat tied to a pier in Tampa Bay, as he did during Helene.

Malinowski went viral on TikTok in recent days for refusing police demands to leave his sailboat. He said only one man controls the weather — God.

“God sent me here. He sent me here for a reason,” he added. “I’m doing what he told me to do, and he’s not going to let anything happen to me.”

Much of central and southern Florida is under elevated risk of tornadoes, with 53 tornado warnings having already been issued today as of 3 p.m. ET, according to the Miami branch of the National Weather Service.

The weather service’s map of tornado warnings is a tangled web of red that extends from Osceola County south to Miami-Dade County.

Around 14 million people are at risk for tornadoes in Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, Fort Myers, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach and other cities.

Tornadoes associated with tropical systems are generally weak, but they can spin up quickly and be difficult to detect because they are often accompanied by heavy rain.

Several tornadoes have already been reported today in Florida, including in Pine Island and Fort Myers and along the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee.

A top Home Depot executive insisted today that the hardware, supply and furnishing giant will not raise prices in the face of desperate demand brought by Hurricane Milton.

Kelly Mayhall, president of the Home Depot's Southern Division, said it locked prices once Milton became a threat.

"Once we have any emergency situation, all of our prices are freeze, and our supply chain team just does an amazing job of making sure that we utilize all the assets in our network to be able to get the products to the right stores," Mayhall told CNBC.

Following a joint briefing on the hurricane, Harris on CNN blasted Republican leaders who havespread conspiracy theoriesabout FEMA, which helps hurricane victims with evacuations and resources during emergency.

Local officials “are doing an extraordinary job in trying to combat the misinformation. I’m talking about sheriffs, I’m talking about mayors, I’m talking about local officials,” she said this afternoon. “I don’t even know their party affiliation, by the way. But leaders on the ground ... know it is not in the best interest of the people living in those areas … to be afraid of seeking help.”

Harris, who didn’t address any Republicans by name, said it was “dangerous” and “unconscionable, frankly, that anyone who would consider themselves a leader would mislead desperate people to the point that those people would not receive the aid to which they are entitled.”

“We know the desperation and the fear” of the people evacuating, she added. “The last thing they deserve is to have a so-called leader make them more scared.”

NAPLES, Fla. — Days of warnings and ominous skies won't stop some risk-taking surfers from challenging big waves as Mother Nature threatens them.

An NBC News crew spotted two surfers out on the water even though the beach was closed, lightning was striking, and tornado warnings pinged cellphones.

"Not until we get kicked off, that's about it" one of the surfers said when he was asked whether they'd leave soon. "Just trying to enjoy the surf. "

A beach patrol had asked the young men to leave, but until sworn police officers show up, they'll keep surfing these massive, Milton-fueled waves, they said.

Priscilla Thompson

Kayla McCormick

Priscilla Thompson and Kayla McCormick

Reporting from Orlando, Florida

With hours to go until Hurricane Milton’s projected landfall, Terry Burke said all she can do now is pray and trust in God.

“We’ve been praying the rosary every day,” she said while clutching a string of rosary beads.

Burke evacuated from her home in St. Petersburg, arriving early this morning in Orlando. Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene inundated her house and neighborhood.

“Totally flooded,” Burke said. “The whole house, garage, backyard, pool, everything.”

Burke said everything she has left is in a 10- by 10-foot storage unit, and she’s unsure whether the remains of her flooded home will survive Milton.

“I won’t be going back to anything,” she said. “My house is a 96-year-old wood house and wood floors.”

Burke said she hopes everyone will be in a safe place for the storm but added that it’s difficult to know what to expect.

“I think we just don’t know what that wind is going to be like coming at 130 [mph] or 125 when it actually hits,” she said. “It’s just a lot of unknowns, you know, but there’s so many people in its path.”

Tampa police tried to persuade a man known as “Lieutenant Dan," who lives on his boat, to leave for safer ground today. Authorities for days now have been urging residents in Milton’s path to evacuate.

TAMPA, Fla. — Towers of trash left over from Hurricane Helene still littered the Florida landscape today as Hurricane Milton barreled toward the Gulf Coast and garbage haulers suspended efforts to remove debris that could be dangerous in high winds.

With only hours to go before Milton, a Category 4 storm already churning up “tornadic supercells,” was expected to make landfall somewhere south of Tampa Bay, the trash trucks that had been working around the clock were largely gone.

And in Tampa, those who chose not to join the exodus out of town were giving those piles of wrecked furniture and other household items a wide berth.

“I’m just afraid that the wind is going to pick that stuff up and it’s going to be a projectile,” Heather McClellan, 34, said as she passed a front yard with a pile of furniture that had been ruined by Helene.

Read the full story here.

Federal authorities warned Floridians today to keep their eyes peeled for scams that will inevitably target them in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

Phony charitable efforts, fake relief organizations and price-gouging businesses will emerge as Milton comes and goes through Florida, officials said.

"To avoid scams and frauds while you’re recovering from a hurricane or another natural disaster, remember only scammers will insist you pay for services by wire transfer, gift card, payment app, cryptocurrency or in cash," the Justice Department said in a statement.

The National Weather Service announced that the window for evacuations has closed and that it's now time to shelter in place. It warned that the effects of Hurricane Milton are pushing inland even before the storm officially makes landfall.

Emergency services have been suspended on Anna Maria Island because of hazardous conditions, according to Manatee County government officials.

Anna Maria Island is a barrier island on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Access to the island was closed ahead of Milton's arrival, and both EMS and fire services have now been suspended, as well.

Hurricane Milton is “growing in size” as it barrels toward Florida’s west coast, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is currently about 130 miles west of Fort Myers, moving northeast at around 16 mph.

Milton is a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds near 130 mph and is expected to remain an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it makes landfall tonight, likely near Sarasota.

The storm is expected to generate life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and severe flooding across central and southwestern Florida, according to the hurricane center.

Milton is also expected to remain at hurricane strength as it moves across the Florida Peninsula through tomorrow.

Tampa/St. Pete residents who stayed put and were battered by Hurricane Helene hopefully learned their lesson and have already evacuated ahead of Milton, hopes one first responder.

"Having that storm (Helene) made people realize, 'Hey, this time, we need to get out,' especially if this one's supposed to be bigger," Seminole firefighter and paramedic Breanne "Breezy" Shore told NBC News this afternoon. "So in that way, yes, (that’s) a silver lining there."

The city of almost 20,000 sits just north of St. Petersburg and south of Clearwater.

For those who staying put for Milton, law enforcement officials asked that they at least lock down inside and take cover.

Hurricane Milton has spawned at least 10 tornadoes across southcentral Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 a.m. advisory “tornadic supercells from Milton” were beginning to sweep across the southern Florida Peninsula, warning “the time to prepare, including evacuate … is quickly coming to an end along the Florida west coast.”

Tornado watches are in effect from just north of Tampa all the way down to Key West. Several tornadoes are likely today through the evening across parts of central and southern Florida, the agency said.

Tornado warnings are also in place for other parts of Florida. A warning is in place through 2:15 p.m. ET for eastern Collier and southeastern Hendry counties, as well as parts of Highlands, Charlotte, DeSoto and Lee counties through 2:45 p.m., according to the NationalWeather Service. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.

Landfall is forecast for late tonight or early tomorrow.

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured fresh views this morning of Hurricane Milton from space.

In a time-lapse video on X, Dominick shared an overhead look at the sprawling storm from the International Space Station, following up on a video he posted yesterday of Milton gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Storm looks bigger but less symmetric than yesterday,” Dominick said on X.

Dominick launched to the space station in early March together with two other NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut. The four-person crew was expected to return to Earth this week, but the threat of Hurricane Milton forced NASA to postpone their trip home to no earlier than Sunday.

Sandra Tapfumaneyi, Sarasota County's emergency management chief, said “there really isn’t much time left” to evacuate.

“If you go within the next hour or so and you want to still get to an evacuation center or go stay with a friend or family outside of the evacuation levels, you know, that’s still a better option for you than trying to weather this storm,”she told Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. “The winds have started to pick up.”

The community has only had days to clean up debris after Helene’s wrath — a process that would normally take months.

Two back-to-back hurricanes hitting the area takes an incredible toll on emergency response workers and residents but, Tapfumaneyi said, “one thing about our residents is that we are resilient, and we have a great network of emergency managers.”

She said FEMA has been a major support in sending teams to the community and helping locals apply for assistance.

Vice President Kamala Harris appealed to Florida businesses to resist temptations to jack up prices in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

While anti-price gouging laws are generally a state and local concern, Harris said the White House is keeping an eye on such unethical business practices.

"Those evacuating before Hurricane Milton or recovering from Hurricane Helene should not be subject to illegal price gouging or fraud — at the pump, airport, or hotel counter," Harris, who has made price gouging an issue of her campaign, said in a statement.

"Any company or individual that tries to exploit Americans in an emergency should know that the Administration is monitoring for allegations of fraud and price gouging and will hold those taking advantage of the situation accountable."

The Florida Attorney General's Office said it's already fielded hundreds of price gouging complaints tied to Milton.

Hurricane Milton has the potential to be a historic storm for Florida, making landfall merely two weeks after Hurricane Helene left a path of destruction across the Southeast. The director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, Michael Brennan, explains why warmer sea temperatures and atmospheric conditions strengthened Hurricane Milton into a potentially historic storm.

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET near Sarasota, generating catastrophic storm surge and life-threatening flooding across west-central Florida.

The storm is already producing tornadoes over parts of south-central Florida, and the tornado threat will likely persist through today, according to an NBC News forecast.

Depending on the hurricane’s track, storm surge up to 15 feet is expected in and around Sarasota. It is possible, however, that Milton’s path could shift slightly north, which could produce historic storm surge in the Tampa Bay area.

Florida's west coast is already experiencing rain, which is expected to intensify later today. Up to 18 inches of rain is forecasted from Tampa to Orlando, with a high likelihood of significant inland flooding overnight.

Cuba avoided a direct hit by Milton, but coastal flooding is still feared and giant waves crashed today against the Malecon promenade in Havana.

President Joe Biden said Hurricane Milton could be “one of the worst storms in 100 years in Florida” as he urged people in the storm's path to evacuate, saying, “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole.”

Biden spoke on Hurricane Helene response and Hurricane Milton preparations today, saying he's spoken to all the political leaders in the region and told them “anything they ask for, they can get.”

He said he’s received “a positive response from everyone from the governors of Florida up to North Carolina,” and gave Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor his personal number at the White House should they need anything.

He said thousands of federal personnel have been deployed on the ground across the Southeast, and called on airlines and other companies to accommodate evacuations and not engage in price gouging. The federal government is still surging resources to the Carolinas, Florida and Tennessee post-Helene.

Biden also spoke on misinformation regarding disaster federal assistance, saying that “it misleads people.”

“It puts people in circumstances where they panic, where they really, really, really worry.They think, 'Now we’re not being taken care of,'” he said.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers on Wednesday rescued a dog who was left tied to a fence, near a Tampa interstate as Hurricane Milton approached.

The pooch, who appeared to be a Bull Terrier, was found off Interstate 75 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, FHP footage showed.

Florida authorities for days now have been urging residents in Milton's path to evacuate — and almost always with reminders to account for their pets in their escape from this potentially historic storm.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said Wednesday that dealing with two major hurricanes in two weeks is a challenge, but that the agency is ready to respond and help save lives.

In a news briefing from North Carolina, Criswell said FEMA has been moving personnel and resources into Florida to prepare for Milton, adding that she will also be traveling to the state today to coordinate with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Criswell said these efforts are happening in tandem with FEMA’s work in states affected by Hurricane Helene.

“And let me be clear, these resource movements are not taking away from the ongoing, complicated response and recovery we are still working in the aftermath of Helene,” she said.

Criswell said President Biden and Vice President Harris have directed her to “do everything possible to be there for Floridians in the coming days.”

She addressed questions about FEMA's available funds, saying that the agency has sufficient resources to respond to Helene and Milton, but indicated that FEMA will likely need to request additional funding from Congress to address other threats for the remainder of the hurricane season.

In Polk County, Florida, rain bands have already moved in and tropical storm force winds are forecast to start this evening.

Paul Womble, the county's Emergency Management Director, urged people to “go now” to shelters. He said “there’s plenty of capacity” in the county where there are currently 2,800 people are in 19 shelters.

“Don’t wait — the time to be able to move around safely and make those last-minute preparations is rapidly closing,” he said.

He warned locals to anticipate power outages, fierce winds, downed trees, around 6 to 12 inches of rain and in some places as much as 18 inches. Anyone who wants to haul debris to the landfill should do so by 1 p.m. today.

“Even if the track goes right over Polk County, even if those rains were to our north, that water will still flow down to Polk County. That may take two or three days to realize focus, for that water to get here and we see what the impacts are,” he warned.“We don’t want to have any loss of life.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis said residents near the western Gulf Coast still have time to evacuate.

“Within the next 24 hours, you still have time to evacuate if you are in an evacuation zone, particularly if you're in Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, those areas. I mean this track can bounce around … you have time to do that. Now conditions aren’t going to be great today … but the best option would probably be evacuate within your own county to one of the shelters,” he said in a storm briefing this morning.

There are 149 general population shelters open throughout the state with a current total shelter population of 31,000, the governor said.

“We have room in those shelters for a total population of almost 200,000 individuals. So there is space available in these shelters,” DeSantis said.

Thus far the state has assisted with the evacuation of 352 health care facilities in potential path of the storm and 16 hospitals have been fully evacuated.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said while there’s hope that Milton will weaken before landfall, “there is high confidence that this hurricane is going to pack a major, major punch and do an awful lot of damage.”

In a briefing this morning Desantis said he’s spoken to the president, remains in contact with FEMA and last minute efforts are underway to clear leftover Helene debris and get fuel to stations and communities in need.

“We are bracing and are prepared to receive a major hit,” he said.

Thus far, the state has deployed more than 11,000 feet of flood protection systems, stationed generators, tarps, supplies and linemen, erected around critical infrastructure like hospitals, and called up 6,000 Florida National Guard members, as well as 3,000 Guard members from other states.

He said that some gas stations have run out of fuel and that the Florida Highway Patrol has facilitated 106 long-distance fuel tanker escorts to transport almost a million gallons of gasoline from ports in the Tampa area to other communities.

“We still have on hand 1.6 million gallons of diesel and 1.1 million gallons of gasoline. Right now, there is no fuel shortage. However, demand has been extraordinarily high,” he said, noting fuel reserves are staged and will be used as needed.

He said that debris from Helene has been reduced by about 50% in areas likeManatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties, and those clearing efforts are winding down as Milton nears.

Florida residents still looking to evacuate Wednesday are facing a still-rising percentage of gas stations out of fuel.

According to the gas tracking app GasBuddy, as of 9:30 a.m., 23% of stations statewide reported being out of gas.

For the Tampa Bay area, the figure climbed to more than 59%.

And for Sarasota, which updated weather models now show may see more impact from Milton than first anticipated, more than 39% are out.

On Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Florida's Department of Emergency management said in an email to NBC News that 1 million gallons of gas were coming into the state that day, with another 6 million gallons on the way "in the coming days."

Tornadoes struck South Florida, hundreds of miles from the core of Hurricane Milton as authorities near Miami told residents who live by Interstate 75 to seek immediate shelter.

The entire region is under a tornado watch until 9 p.m. as outer bands of Milton made their way through the area, NBC South Florida reported.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas discussed how federal agencies are poised to react following Hurricane Milton on "Morning Joe."

Transit America Services workers dismantle rail crossing bars in in Kissimmee, Fla., yesterday ahead of the expected landfall of Hurricane Milton.

Video from the U.S. Coast Guard this morning shows the rescue of four people and a dog after their small plane crashed as they were trying to flee Hurricane Milton yesterday.

The video shows the view from a U.S. Coast Guard Miami aircrew aircraft, depicting the people on the dingy of a good Samaritan floating in the water.

The small private plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg and went into the water just east of the St. Pete Pier just before 11 a.m. yesterday, St. Petersburg Police police said. The plane’s engine failed after takeoff and soon after crashing became “fully submerged in water.”

In the video, Lt. Chad D. Paulson recounts the rescue saying the aircrew first found the downed plane and spotted the four people "holding on to tail wing of aircraft because that was the only thing that could float."

A good Samaritan followed the Coast Guard's position and pulled the people and dog onto their dingy. From there, maritime law enforcement were able to rescue them.

With the help of police and St. Pete Fire Rescue, three of those passengers were treated at the scene and taken to a hospital with no life threatening injuries.

A tornado watch has been issued across the bottom half of Florida, affecting more than 12 million people from Tampa to Key Largo.

The advisory is in place through 9 p.m. ET today with several tornadoes likely, as well as possible isolated hail up to a half-inch in size and isolated gusts of up to 70 mph.

The watch is in place for the counties of Broward, Miami-Dade, Desoto, Hendry, Indian River, Pinellas, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Manatee, Palm Beach and Sarasota, among others.

Reporting from FORT MYERS, Florida

Residents across Florida are heeding evacuation orders from officials before Hurricane Milton makes landfall. NBC News’ Jay Gray reports from Fort Myers on the safety measures taken in preparation for the Category 5 hurricane.

Orlando International Airport has ceased commercial operations this morning ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“We’ll resume operations as soon as it’s safe, based on damage assessments,” the airport wrote on X.

Several others in west and central Florida have already shuttered including Tampa International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport.

There's also still heavy traffic on the roads as people leave for higher ground.

The city manager for Clearwater, in the Tampa Bay area, told locals this morning that it's not too late to evacuate.

“You don’t have to go far, you just have to go to higher ground. There are shelters available,” Jennifer Poirrier told NBC News Now.

“We’re continuing to encourage people that it is not too late to get out. If you’re in those low-lying areas and mandatory evacuation zones of A, B and C, there is still time,” she said.

She added that the storm surge from Milton was an extreme concern.

“We’re planning for worst case scenario, which is devastating and which is why we’re telling people this is not the one to ride out,” she said, noting police and first responders are going door to door to encourage people to leave.

Poirriersaid an encouraging sign is that most people have evacuated beach areas.

Hurricane Milton seen passing through the Gulf of Mexico from the window of NASA’s Dragon Endeavour spacecraft yesterday.

Locals on Florida's Gulf Coast still reeling from Helene are expressing their fears over Milton's landfall, forecast to bring double the storm surge and even stronger winds that could turn flying debris into "weapons."

Robert Zastudiltold NBC affiliate WFLA of Tampa that locals are “scared, but they don’t want to go.”

“We want to leave, but we really want to stay. We’re being told that we need to leave, but we’re scared. Are we making the right decision?” he said. “I think Florida has been dodging stuff like this for years and it’s just our time now.”

Hurricane Milton is now a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, but it is "expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight," the National Hurricane Center said this morning.

The agency said in an 8 a.m. update that preparations to protect life and property, including evacuations where they have been ordered or advised, should be "rushed to completion."

A National Hurricane Center graphic shows the projected arrival of storm force winds as Hurricane Milton makes its way east.Another shows the amount of rainfall forecast as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor this morning urged locals who haven't evacuated yet to get out and get to a shelter.

She told NBC's "TODAY" this morning: “This isn’t a drill. This is the biggest storm that we have certainly seen here in the Tampa area in over a century.”

“Whenever that storm surge comes and it’s 10 to 15 feet and people are trying to ride this out in single story structures — there’s no place to go. And when winds get up to hurricane speeds, there’s nobody to come and get you,” she said.

She stressed that “people aren’t trapped,” in their homes and that police and special engagement teams are going door to door. “If it gets down to the point, we can just bring them to a shelter,” Castor said.

Castor said that Tampa is replenishing gas stations as quickly as possible as demand for fuel has surged, noting “our fuel reserves were full a day or two ago.” Tampa has also been able to clear 70-75% of household debris off the street leftover from Helene, a feat that would normally take three months, but has been accomplished in just three weeks.

She added that people don't need to get out of state, "just get to higher ground."

“It is the water that we've got to run from and that’s going to the the most impactful ... It goes 20 miles south of us it’ll take that water out of our bay. So we don’t wish anything on our neighbors ... but any wobble will a significant difference for the Gulf Coast,” she said.

The "TODAY" show’s Al Roker shares the latest on Hurricane Milton, tracking different storm surge scenarios based on the potential paths the powerful Category 5 storm will take and says tornadoes are also likely to develop in several impacted areas.

Hurricane Milton could result in a $60 billion loss for the global insurance industry, creating a surge in 2025 reinsurance prices which could boost some insurance companies' shares, analysts at RBC Capital said.

The Category 5 hurricane is due to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida late today or early tomorrow, and is potentially one of the most destructive ever to hit the region, which is still recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

More than 1 million people in coastal areas are under evacuation orders.

A $60 billion loss would be similar to losses from Hurricane Ian, which hit Florida in 2022, the RBC analysts said today, adding that this estimate for Milton should be “very manageable” for the insurance sector.

“Market seems to be pricing in a similar impact from Hurricane Ian of a $60bn industry loss in 2022,” they said.

Dark clouds form over an apartment complex on Treasure Island, Florida, yesterday, ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall.

They went to Disney World for theme park rides and photo ops with Mickey Mouse. Now they’re adding an unexpected adventure to their Disney vacations: Hunkering down at the resort to ride out a ferocious hurricane that is headed toward Florida.

In the past few days,Hurricane Miltonhas morphed from a pesky storm system in the Gulf of Mexico to a historic hurricane that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has warned will be a “monster.” The quick pace at which Milton intensified took forecasters by surprise — and has left numerous Disney enthusiasts who didn’t anticipate airport closures or other weather-related travel interruptions stranded in the Orlando area.

“We came to the realization that we’re stuck here,” said Telissa Carpenter, an Indianapolis resident who is vacationing at Disney with her son for his 30th birthday.

Read the full story here.

Gas pumps in Cocoa, Fla., are wrapped in plastic prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton yesterday.

Reporting from ST. PETERSBURG, Florida

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Homesknocked off their foundations, piles of wet carpet, wood and pipes rotting in the sun, and abandoned cars and trucks littering roads glazed with mud and blocked by debris.

With one of the most powerful hurricanes in a century barreling toward Florida yesterday, the Twin City mobile home park was already a scene of devastation because of Hurricane Helene.

Now, as Hurricane Milton stays on track to hit the state today, residents of Twin City say they’re unprepared for the double whammy of nearly back-to-back hurricanes.

Read the full article here

According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, there are mandatory evacuation orders in place for:

Charlotte County; Citrus County; Collier County; Hillsborough County; Hernando County; Lee County; Levy County; Manatee County; Pasco County; Pinellas County; Sarasota County; St. John’s County and Volusia County;

There are voluntary evacuation orders in place for:

Glades County; Okeechobee County; Dixie County; Hardee County; Miami-Dade Countyand Union County.

See the full list, including special circumstances for Pinellas, Sarasota, Desoto and Marion counties, here.

In Hillsborough County, Fla., debris from Hurricane Helene remains largely uncollected as crews continue cleanup efforts, said Kim Byer, assistant administrator of Public Works. Despite their efforts since Helene’s landfall, resources and time have been insufficient to clear all the debris.

Many Floridians are concerned about debris left behind by Helene as Hurricane Milton threatens even greater devastation. Jeff Patterson with NBC affiliate WFLA of Tampa reports from one community where the debris is still piled high.

Forecasters are urging people in Florida to make preparations or leave their homes today, as the National Hurricane Center confirmed that Milton is a "catastrophic Category 5 hurricane" and will hit Florida later today or early tomorrow as a major storm.

In a 5 a.m. ET update, the agency underlined that a storm surge warning is in place for almost the entirety of Florida's Gulf Coast, as well as a hurricane warning from Bonita Beach to the Suwannee River.

On the east coast, the storm surge warning stretches from Sebastian Inlet, up to Altamaha Sound, Georgia.

The agency has also upgraded a tropical storm watch for the Georgia coastline, from Altamaha Sound to the Savannah River, to a tropical storm warning.

As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida’s west coast, a new report estimates how much more intense Hurricane Helene’s winds and rain were because of climate change. The scientists behind the research said that they expect Milton to behave similarly and that it is likely to be worse because of climate change, as well.

The report, published at midnight, comes from the World Weather Attribution group, a consortium of scientists that analyzes extreme weather and is considered a foremost authority in determining how much climate change has influenced a particular event.

The findings indicate that Hurricane Helene’s wind speeds were 11% more intense and its rainfall totals were about 10% higher because of climate change.

Read the full story here.

For the second time in the last two weeks, a public health emergency has been declared in Florida because of a hurricane.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra made the declaration yesterday to better deal withthe health impacts of Hurricane Milton.

“We will do all we can to assist Florida officials with responding to the health impacts of Hurricane Milton,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”

The federal government has already deployed nearly 100 responders, medical equipment and supplies, according to officials.

The sheriff of the county that includes Tampa, part of the most populous region in Milton’s bull’s-eye, said that those in mandatory evacuation zones who stay put are gambling with their lives.

“They’re on their own, you know,” Sheriff Chad Chronister of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, told “Top Story with Tom Llamas” last night.

It’s unsafe for anyone, including those with badges, to be out amid tropical storm-level winds — those 39 to 73 mph — or greater, he said. Forecasters expect Milton to reach shore with destructive winds well above 100 mph, rain amounting to 10 inches, and a coastal storm surge as high as 10 feet.

“When does it become too unsafe to where we have to suspend service?” Chronister said.

If that happens, 911 callers in communities under mandatory evacuations may not get help, he said.

“I don’t know why you’re gambling with your life or the life of your loved one, but realize this storm is going to be different,” the sheriff said. “When these wind shear and wind speeds reach a certain speed, I can’t imagine a feeling when someone calls for help and there’s no one coming.”

Hurricane Milton is expected to strike the west coast of Florida in the early hours of tomorrow with 100-mph winds and a 15-foot storm surge. NBC News meteorologist Michelle Grossman tracks the hurricane’s expected path and impact for "Early TODAY."

With the second major hurricane in the past two weeks now barreling toward Florida, state and federal emergency management officials are scrambling to put personnel, equipment and supplies in place.

Officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency — amid ongoing concern over what’s expected to be the strongest storm surge in decades — insisted it is ready for Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall late tonight or early tomorrow and is fully capable of juggling concurrent disasters.

“Yes, we have the resources that we need, both for the Helene response and for Hurricane Milton,” Keith Turi, FEMA’s acting associate administrator, said this week. “I will defer to the White House on the timing of when we may need additional resources, but we want to assure everyone we have the resources we need to respond to both Helene and Milton.”

Former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate also downplayed any fears that FEMA isn’t up for the daunting challenge it faces.

Not everyone is as confident, however.

Read the full story here.

When Hurricane Milton reaches Florida’s Gulf Coast, forecasters warn, the immense and powerful storm could generate “life-threatening” storm surge of up to 15 feet in a region that’s particularly flood-prone.

“The Florida west coast is very sensitive to storm surge. It doesn’t take much to push water over land that would be dry,” said Cody Fritz, the storm surge unit team lead at the National Hurricane Center. “It’s extremely vulnerable.”

Storm surge is the abnormal rise in water levels during a storm, as heavy hurricane winds push a bulge of water toward shore as depths become shallower. While winds are the primary cause of storm surge, it’s also affected by a storm’s angle of approach, the shape of the ocean floor and the low pressure within a storm, which slightly aids the bulging effect.

Because of the way storm surge can quickly inundate coastal locations and penetrate well inland, it’s typically one of the deadliest threats from a hurricane.

Part of the problem is the region’s topography. Florida’s western coastline along the Gulf of Mexico isn’t very deep, and it features a gentle underwater slope.

“The continental shelf is quite shallow,” Fritz said. “It doesn’t take a lot of force.”

Read the full story here.

Almost the entirety of Florida was under hurricane warnings or watches, or tropical storm warnings early this morning as the storm approaches.

Evacuation orders covered coastal areas at risk of being inundated by storm surge and other life-threatening effects, and officials spent yesterday telling people to leave while there was still time to get out.

But areas with populations of around 11.4 million were under hurricane warnings, according to the National Weather Service.

Areas with 1.9 million were under hurricane watches; tropical storm warnings covered 8.7 million; and a storm surge warning covered regions where 5.5 million call home, according to the agency’s website.

Milton exploded from a Category 1 storm to a Category 5 storm in a matter of hours. The reason for the rapid intensification? Climate change.

"Science Guy" Bill Nye breaks down how climate change relates to hurricanes.

The NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning have left Florida ahead ofHurricane Miltonto practice the rest of the week.

The Bucs departed yesterday, relocating to New Orleans, where they’ll face the Saints on Sunday. The Lightning left for Raleigh, North Carolina, on Monday night to continue preparations for their season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

The Lightning’s home opener against Carolina is set for Saturday night and is on as scheduled for now.

At the college level, the American Athletic Conference announced that a football game between Memphis and South Florida at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa has been rescheduled from Friday night to Saturday. The conference plans to monitor conditions after Milton passes and adjust accordingly.

UCF’s Big 12 home football game vs. Cincinnati remains scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. EDT kickoff in Orlando.

UCF’s men’s soccer match vs. Marshall was rescheduled from Friday night to Sunday. Other college events postponed include a women’s soccer match in Boca Raton between Florida Atlantic and Rice; it was to be played tomorrow and now will be played on Oct. 17.

The LPGA Tour postponed the qualifying stage of its LPGA Q-Series that was scheduled for Oct. 13-18 at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Florida. The tour said it would provide an update for the qualifying tournament after the storm passes.