‘Here we go again’: Hurricane Milton strengthens to Category 2 and aims at Helene-weary Florida

CNN

By Dalia Faheid, Allison Chinchar and Dakin Andone, CNN

(CNN) — Florida is bracing as Hurricane Milton has intensified into a Category 2 storm two days before it’s due to make landfall on the state’s Gulf Coast, where communities are still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Helene.

The state will contend with Milton even as it is clearing debris from Helene — which hit Florida’s Big Bend on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 232 people across the Southeast and creating a 500-mile path of destruction with catastrophic flooding and damaging winds.

Milton now boasts top sustained wind speeds of 100 mph, according to the 5 a.m. Monday advisory from the National Hurricane Center. It was about 750 miles west-southwest of Tampa, moving at 8 mph.

It is expected to become a major hurricane Monday and make landfall Wednesday evening on the Gulf Coast of Florida as a destructive and life-threatening Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds. It is forecast to strike between Cedar Key and Naples, which includes the Tampa area.

And with very low vertical wind shear and incredibly warm sea-surface temperatures, Milton will be able to gain steady to rapid strength over the next few days.

Miami, Orlando and Tampa are forecast to get 2 to 8 inches of rain through Thursday. Some areas of the state could see more than 15 inches of rainfall, according to the hurricane center.

There is a hurricane warning for the northern part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, from Celestun to Rio Lagartos. Cancun and other cities are under a tropical storm warning.

Hurricane and storm surge watches are in place in Florida, including Tampa Bay. Flood watches have been issued for more than 15 million people across southern and central Florida through Thursday morning.

Milton formed in the western Gulf on Saturday morning, just hours after it became a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said in a special alert. The 13th named storm of the season doesn’t usually occur until October 25.

Officials prepare for more impacts and evacuations

While it’s only been a little over a week since Helene slammed the state, officials across Florida are already asking residents to prepare for another potentially life-threatening storm as many are still in recovery mode.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Sunday for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, up from 35 on Saturday.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017, Director Kevin Guthrie said at a news conference with DeSantis on Sunday.

“I urge Floridians to finalize your storm preparations now, enact your plan. I highly encourage you to evacuate,” Guthrie said.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN she has personally visited residents to encourage them to evacuate.

“Just go now,” Castor is warning them. “Beat the traffic and go now, and just go to higher ground.”

That sentiment was echoed by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, who in a separate news conference with state officials Sunday told residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders they should take steps to help authorities identify them if they perish.

“You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm, so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards,” Moody said.

Manatee County’s Anna Maria Island announced a mandatory evacuation order for its residents starting Monday at noon. County officials said Sunday they will begin evacuations for areas A and B on Monday at 2 p.m. ET. And more than 500,000 people in Pinellas County could be ordered to evacuate Monday, according to officials there.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri indicated officials plan to be “more assertive” about enforcing evacuation orders in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which killed 12 people in the county and prompted more than 1,500 calls for help when it was too late for authorities to respond.

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

The county had already ordered evacuations at care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes on Sunday.

State authorities are also anticipating Milton could cause widespread power outages, DeSantis said.

“This is something that potentially would be greater power outages than what we just saw with Hurricane Helene,” the governor said, noting the state’s residents still have a couple of days to get ready. “So Floridians should just be prepared for that. Know if you’re anywhere near that cone, certainly you should prepare to have power interruptions.”

Milton could also cause greater storm surge in the Tampa Bay area than was caused by Helene, DeSantis added, describing efforts to deploy hundreds of feet of flood protection systems.

The town of Fort Myers Beach warned residents to be prepared and said they could pick up sandbags at the town hall. “Do not wait until it is too late” to evacuate, it added. Later it ordered an evacuation of the island’s 5,000 residents.

“Here we go again,” said the police department in Naples, adding that heavy rain and flooding concerns will increase starting Sunday through the middle of next week. Authorities urged residents not to drive on streets with water over them.

The city of Sanibel warned residents and business owners in a news release Saturday to begin preparing for impacts from the storm “as soon as possible.” Since Helene hit the city, crews have worked throughout the island to clear storm drains and debris and manage weirs, a type of waterway barrier, to increase storage capacity of storm water, the city said. Sanibel officials encouraged residents to clear debris from drainage areas near their homes or businesses before any heavy rainfall.

Florida hurries to make progress on Helene cleanup

DeSantis has also ordered all disaster management sites to remain open 24/7 as the state rushes to remove debris left in the wake of Helene. State personnel and assets — including the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard — have been directed to work around the clock to assist local efforts to clean up and dispose of the debris, which could pose a hazard in the event Milton hits the state, DeSantis said Sunday.

“I’ve seen progress just by going around and visiting, but you also have some areas where there’s a lot of debris that’s there,” the governor said. “So you get hit with a major hurricane, what’s going to happen to that debris? It’s going to increase the damage dramatically.”

More than 800 guardsmen are deployed for debris removal, but DeSantis said there would soon be up to 4,000 available. Assets deployed to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery in Tennessee and North Carolina have also been ordered back to Florida, DeSantis said.

President Joe Biden has also been briefed on the storm, according to a statement issued Sunday.

“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 said.

Tampa area schools announce closures

Some schools in the Tampa area have announced they are closing close ahead of Milton’s expected arrival.

Schools in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and Pasco County will be closed and other activities canceled Monday through Wednesday as a precaution. Hillsborough County Schools said the decision allows the county to convert its schools into evacuation shelters.

“Given the recent impact of Hurricane Helene, many in our community are still recovering and may find it unsafe to remain in their homes. Additionally, we anticipate an influx of evacuees from coastal areas. If you are in an evacuation zone, please consider using one of our school shelters,” the district said in a statement.

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CNN’s Robert Shackelford, Elisa Raffa, Steve Almasy and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.