Storm now a Category 5 as Florida orders evacuations

The White House today released a statement saying President Joe Biden had approved an emergency declaration for Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the state.

“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” the statement said.

Sarasota County authorities today strongly urged their 400,000-plus residents to leave as soon as possible with Hurricane Milton racing toward Florida’s west coast.

Storm surge of 10 to 12 feet “is being predicted for our area,” which is double that of the surge in the region during Hurricane Helene, county Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi said.

While the county didn’t make the evacuations mandatory, authorities did order everyone off nearby barrier islands.

Sheriff Kurt Hoddman said Milton will be stronger than Helene so the prudent action is to leave at once.

“Execute your plan today and get out of there,” Hoddman said. “We escaped Hurricane Helene without any deaths in this county. I think it’s fair to say this is a different storm.”

Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying and is forecast to reach a maximum Category 5 classification, officials said today.

Category 5 requires winds greater than 157 mph, and Milton had already registered at 155 mph by 10 a.m. ET today, 720 miles southwest of Tampa, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take off for New Orleans tomorrow, well in advance of their Week 6 contest against the host Saints, the NFL club announced.

NFL teams generally travel to road games a day or two ahead of kickoff.

But with Hurricane Milton quickly moving toward Tampa, the Bucs elected to move their weekly game prep to New Orleans, where they’ll play the Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Tampa International Airport officials announced they’ll be suspending “all commercial and cargo operations” at 9 a.m. tomorrow and the airport will remain “closed to the public until it can assess any damage after the storm.”

Hurricane Milton has the potential to bring “catastrophic storm surge, high winds and heavy rain to Tampa Bay and all of Florida’s Gulf Coast,” according to an airport statement.

The state’s fourth-busiest airport “anticipates reopening after a damage assessment that will begin as soon as it is safe to do so,” the airport said.

Major airlines such as Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United and Virgin Atlantic run flights out of Tampa.

Hillsborough County issued a mandatory evacuation for Evacuation Zones A an B, for all mobile homes and manufactured housing starting at 2:30 p.m. today. Those residents should be in a safe location by 7 a.m. Wednesday. Nine shelters will be opened in mandatory evacuation zones. 

Sarasota County today also called for evacuations for those in levels A and B (which includes barrier islands), and those in mobile or manufactured homes. Those living in level C “should be prepared to evacuate if the storm intensifies.”

In the coastal city of Anna Maria, south of Tampa, a mandatory order begins at midday. Pinellas County has begun mandatory evacuations for long-term care facilities.

The National Hurricane Center said Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday afternoon. NBC News’ Jesse Kirsch reports on how debris leftover from Hurricane Helene could become a hazard in Milton’s high speed winds.