Say a prayer for Florida
Published on October 7th, 2024
(October 7, 2024) – Florida’s storm-battered Gulf Coast raced against a Category 5 hurricane today as workers sprinted to pick up heaps of appliances and other street debris left over from Helene two weeks ago while highways were clogged with people fleeing ahead of the storm.
The center of Hurricane Milton could come ashore Wednesday (Oct. 9) in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect the system to weaken slightly before landfall, though it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
As evacuation orders were issued, forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.6 meters) in Tampa Bay and widespread flooding from 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys. As much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) could fall in places. – Full report