Hurricane Milton – the latest storm in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season has intensified into a hurricane. Which country will it make landfall in?
Is the U.S. bracing for Hurricane Milton?
Just as it was beginning to recover from Hurricane Helene, the state of Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton. The forecast for the landfall angle of Hurricane Milton in Florida could make this the most devastating hurricane in the past 100 years for some areas of the state.
Many storm prediction models anticipate that Hurricane Milton could rapidly intensify into a Category 4 hurricane and strike the western coast of Florida’s peninsula on October 9.
Notably, the landfall of Hurricane Milton occurs less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastatingly struck the Big Bend area of Florida at Category 4 intensity.
Eye of Hurricane Milton. (Photo: AccuWeather).
According to the Washington Post, the possibility of another storm in Florida is particularly concerning, especially after Hurricane Helene, as coastal residents are still in the recovery process from its impacts.
If Milton strikes Florida at hurricane strength, it will be the fifth hurricane to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast during the 2024 hurricane season, following Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine, and Helene.
Specifically, according to the Washington Post, there are three specific reasons to be concerned about the progression of Hurricane Milton:
First, heavy rain is expected to sweep across the Florida peninsula ahead of the main storm midweek. This will saturate the ground, increasing the risk of flooding, similar to what occurred in Southern Appalachian before Hurricane Helene struck.
Second, storm intensity forecasts have been adjusted upwards. Early last week, forecasts indicated that Milton might make landfall as a weak tropical storm, or even go unnamed. However, since then, hurricane experts have significantly raised the projected intensity ceiling for Hurricane Milton.
Third, if Hurricane Milton makes landfall at tropical storm strength, it could still cause dangerous weather phenomena in some areas similar to those in the western Florida peninsula that have already been affected by Hurricane Helene.
Forecast track of Hurricane Milton. (Photo: Fox Weather).
According to VTV, Hurricane Milton formed in the western Gulf of Mexico on the morning of October 5, just hours after becoming a tropical depression – the National Hurricane Center of the U.S. reported in a special advisory. This 13th named storm is occurring weeks earlier than expected, as such storms usually do not form until October 25. The storm is forecasted to strengthen into a major hurricane as it moves toward Florida midweek.
Hurricane Milton forecasted to be the worst in over 100 years in Florida
The Lao Động newspaper cites the latest storm information from Fox News, noting that given Florida’s unique coastline, the landfall angle could make Hurricane Milton the worst storm in over 100 years affecting certain areas in west-central Florida.
This region has already been continuously impacted by storms, with effects from Hurricanes Helene, Debby, Ian, and Idalia. The FOX Storm Center warns that the direct landfall angle of Hurricane Milton could lead to very severe conditions.
The forecast indicates that the path of Hurricane Milton may pass through or closely approach the northern metropolitan area of Tampa-Sarasota. This means that water accumulation will be significantly greater than with previous storms.
Satellite image of Hurricane Milton. (Photo: NOAA).
Although the National Hurricane Center and various storm models do not predict Hurricane Milton will reach Category 5 intensity, there is precedent for a Category 3 storm making landfall north of Tampa in 1921. The Tampa Bay hurricane of 1921 struck near Tarpon Springs at Category 3 intensity with winds around 190 km/h, causing significant damage.
In over 180 years of data, Tampa has recorded just two instances of direct hits from major hurricanes: a Category 3 storm in 1921 and a Category 4 storm in 1848.
According to advisories at 2 PM on October 6 (Eastern Time) from the National Hurricane Center, the storm was moving with maximum winds of 129 km/h. At that time, the storm was approximately 1,300 km west-southwest of Tampa Bay, Florida. Early forecasts indicate that Hurricane Milton could move across Florida into the Atlantic, causing significant impacts in the western coastal areas of Florida on October 8 or 9.
The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida’s Gulf Coast on October 9 with devastating Category 3 winds threatening lives at around 193 km/h between Cedar Key and Naples, encompassing the entire Tampa Bay area. Hurricane warnings may be issued for some areas along Florida’s western coast on October 6, with hazardous storm surges anticipated in areas recently impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Notably, before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall midweek, the Atlantic hurricane season has already seen three storms of Category 4 or higher, including Hurricane Kirk, Hurricane Helene, and Superstorm Beryl.
Forecasts indicate that when Hurricane Milton makes landfall, it could cause widespread power outages and is also likely to lead to flooding.
