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Milton upgraded to a hurricane. Florida preps for a major hurricane by mid week

The Air Force hurricane hunters have been flying reconnaissance missions inside Milton most of the day today. And they have found Milton to be rapidly intensifying. As of 2PM this afternoon, Milton has been upgraded to a hurricane.

Millions of people across Florida are on alert as Hurricane Milton is forecast to hit the western central coast in about 3 days. Milton is expected to bring a potentially life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds, and torrential rains to the State.

If Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, it will be the third to do so this season following the landfalls of Debby in August and Helene in September, in the Big Bend area of Florida.

The Tampa/St. Pete barrier islands sustained substantial storm surge damage from Hurricane Helene and crews are working around the clock to remove debris ahead of Milton.

Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches will likely issued for portions of Florida this afternoon.

Florida residents should have their hurricane plan in place, and follow subsequent forecasts and official notices or evacuations. This is an evolving weather situation. Make sure to keep up with the forecast over the weekend and make sure your family’s hurricane plan is up to date.

A full update with a new forecast path will come from the National Hurricane Center at 5PM today.

versión en español abajo
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Spanish versionMilton se convirtió en huracán. Florida se prepara para un gran huracán a mediados de semanaLos cazadores de huracanes de la Fuerza Aérea han estado realizando misiones de reconocimiento dentro de Milton durante la mayor parte del día de hoy y han descubierto que Milton se está intensificando rápidamente. A las 2:00 p.m. de esta tarde, Milton ha sido clasificado como huracán.Millones de personas en toda Florida están en alerta, ya que se pronostica que el huracán Milton golpeará la costa central occidental en aproximadamente 3 días. Se espera que Milton traiga una marejada ciclónica potencialmente mortal, vientos dañinos y lluvias torrenciales al estado.
Si el huracán Milton toca tierra en Florida, será el tercero en hacerlo esta temporada después de las llegadas de Debby en agosto y Helene en septiembre, en el área de Big Bend de Florida.Las islas de barrera de Tampa/St. Pete sufrieron daños sustanciales por marejadas ciclónicas y los equipos están trabajando las 24 horas para eliminar los escombros antes de Milton.Es probable que se emitan vigilancias de huracán y marejada ciclónica para partes de Florida esta tarde.Los residentes de Florida deben tener su plan de huracanes en marcha y seguir los pronósticos y los avisos oficiales o evacuaciones posteriores. Esta es una situación meteorológica en evolución. Asegúrese de mantenerse al día con el pronóstico durante el fin de semana y de que el plan de su familia para huracanes esté actualizado.El Centro Nacional de Huracanes proporcionará una actualización completa con una nueva trayectoria pronosticada a las 5:00 p. m. de hoy.

Leslie Hudson is an experienced Multimedia Journalist and Digital Meteorologist whose career is marked by significant professional milestones. A trailblazer in the industry, she holds the distinction of being the first female AMS meteorologist in the Orlando market. Her extensive background in public safety and emergency management led to her being appointed by Florida’s Governor to the State of Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophic Fund Council from 2002 to 2007. Notably, she was the sole meteorologist in the state selected for this prestigious council.
Irene Sans is an Emmy-winning, AMS-certified meteorologist (CBM, CDM) with more than 15 years of experience covering severe weather and climate stories across the U.S. and Latin America. A bilingual communicator and digital leader, she has delivered forecasts and science content for TV, radio, social media, and top weather platforms including Weather & Radar, WFTV, Telemundo, and The Weather Company. She has also served as Deputy State Meteorologist for Florida and consulted internationally on tropical forecasting and climate communications.

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