Everything You Need to Know About Hurricane Milton

Everything You Need to Know About Hurricane Milton

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re discussing everything you need to know about Hurricane Milton.

Even before anyone uttered the name Milton, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was already one for the history books. In July, Hurricane Beryl became the season’s first storm to reach Category 5 - the peak of the Saffir–Simpson scale. Florida’s Big Bend is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which surfaced in late September. Yet, Milton may go down as one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever. Two days after forming on October 5, Milton was upgraded to Category 5. For context, Beryl reached Category 5 after four days while Helene never exceeded Category 4. Milton fluctuated between Categories 5 and 4 before dropping to 3 on October 9. The chaotic cyclone still promised to be devastating upon making landfall.

Milton has caused flooding in Mexico and Cuba. Parts of the Bahamas and Georgia were also on alert. It became clear early on that Milton would leave its most significant mark in Florida. Preparing for landfall, all eyes were initially on Tampa Bay - which hadn’t endured a major hurricane since 1921. While Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, Milton appeared to be an entirely different beast. After Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency, millions were ordered to evacuate. Panic buying ensued as locals stalked up on groceries and gasoline. Animals from the Zoo Tampa and Florida Aquarium were also moved for safety. To those hoping to ride out the storm, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued a blunt message: “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”

In addition to coastal cities like Tampa, inland locales like Orlando would take precautions. Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Orlando all closed as Milton neared. This is only the eleventh time Disney World has been forced to shut down since 1971. Along with theme parks, Central Florida Airports ceased operations as well. Several airports across Florida remained open, but numerous flights were canceled. While tourists had their trips ruined, Florida residents stood to lose much more. Those evacuated feared they might not have a home to return to.

Early forecasts suggested that floods could range from 8 to 12 feet in Tampa, which has a low elevation. It was the National Hurricane Center’s highest storm surge forecast for Tampa to date. Despite decreasing to a Category 3 as it approached, Milton still expanded in size as tornadoes were unleashed. While Milton was expected to hit Tampa first, the storm ultimately made landfall closer south near Siesta Key with winds roaring 120 mph. By the time landfall was made in the late hours of October 9, almost 20 tornadoes had already been reported in Florida.

Although Tampa still felt the hurricane’s impact with over 100 emergency calls, the most prominent damage was felt in other cities as Milton raged across Florida. St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field - home of the Tampa Bay Rays - had much of its fiberglass roof blown off. The stadium had previously been deemed an emergency staging area. Thankfully, the staging area was relocated with no injuries at the ballpark. Even before Milton arrived, there were plans to revamp Tropicana Field by 2028. The hurricane also caused a crane in St. Petersburg to collapse into the Tampa Bay Times building, although nobody was hurt.

By the early hours of October 10, more than three million in central Florida were without power. Although many evacuated, some residents took their chances at home. With the hurricane leading to fuel shortages and the freeways packed, there was a risk of being stranded on the road during the storm. As night turned to day, powerlines and trees fell, communities were flooded, boats fell on lawns, and debris flew through the air - one piece hitting Anderson Cooper. He was okay. There was still debris left over from Helene, intensifying the danger. Cleanup crews hurried to pick up the pieces from Helene only to make way for another disaster.

Around 1:00 AM, Milton decreased to a Category 1 hurricane. Between morning and afternoon, Milton had passed through Florida, moving into the Atlantic Ocean. Although Milton dropped to post-tropical cyclone status, winds still blew 75 MPH with the threat of a potentially fatal storm surge along the coast of east-central Florida and south Georgia. As Milton moved away from Florida, it started to face the direction of mainland Europe. Experts agree that Milton is unlikely to hit Europe, which has endured its fair share of bad weather as of late with Ex-Hurricane Kirk.

Leading up to its impact in Florida, some - including President Biden - predicted that Milton would be “the storm of the century.” It was even argued that the Saffir–Simpson scale should be expanded to include a Category 6. All things considered, Milton wasn’t as catastrophic as some expected, especially in areas like Tampa. Even so, Milton left a trail of disaster behind with more than ten individuals injured. Over ten people also lost their lives, most of which were in the U.S. while at least one was in Mexico. It’s been estimated that the price of the damages could range from billions to nearly one trillion dollars. It appears the worst is behind Florida, although many made that same assumption after Helene passed.

Amid the recent disasters, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has spearheaded a rumor that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is running out of money with the Biden administration redirecting funds to illegal migrants. Speaking of Trump, Milton didn’t drastically affect his residence at Mar-a-Lago. As for his claims, they’re unfounded. The money that goes towards major hurricanes doesn’t come directly from FEMA’s budget, but rather from its Disaster Relief Fund. According to Administrator Deanne Criswell, FEMA has enough money to assist in the aftermath of Helene and Milton. Although there were reports of FEMA being understaffed, Florida is receiving additional support from the U.S. Army North, out-of-state firefighters, and other volunteers. Taylor Swift even donated $5 million to relief efforts.

While Deanne Criswell says FEMA currently has “sufficient resources,” there are long-term concerns. FEMA already spent $9 billion of the $20 billion from its fiscal year disaster fund, which is supposed to last until September 30, 2025. If the frequency of major hurricanes continues, FEMA may inevitably run into serious financial trouble without additional funding from Congress. Hurricanes also continue to intensify quickly with experts pointing to climate change. Even if we’ve seen the last major hurricane of this season (and that remains an if), there will inevitably come a time when we have to brace ourselves for another Milton or Helene. For now, rescue and recovery efforts are underway with the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and others providing a helping hand.

If you know of any charities or organizations that assist in disaster relief, please share them in the comments.