Officials in Florida are urging residents to evacuate as Hurricane Milton is poised to be one of the “most destructive hurricanes on record” when it hits the Sunshine State late Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center said Tuesday that damaging winds, life-threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall will be bigger than the “forecast cone,” USA Today reported.
“Air Force reserve hurricane hunters find that Milton’s intensity has rebounded,” the hurricane center said Wednesday afternoon.
Milton increased in intensity quickly Monday as it rose to a Category 5 with winds reaching 180 mph. That lessened Tuesday as it was downgraded to a Category 4 storm.
As of Tuesday afternoon the storm was just below a Category 5 with winds of 155 mph.
These fluctuations were expected as the storm gets closer to Florida, John Cangialosi, a specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told state residents “time is running out” before the hurricane hits landfall. It is expected to be a Category 3 storm when it does hit.
More than 1 million people were told to evacuate in at least 16 counties. Those numbers were expected to ris.
President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Hurricane Milton could be one of the worst storms to hit Florida in a century.
The president encouraged anyone under an evacuation order to leave “now, now, now.”
“It’s a matter of life and death,” he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris was on “The View” Tuesday and urged residents in the path of the storm to listen to their local officials.
“If they’re telling you to evacuate, get your stuff and go,” Harris said. “Whatever they’re telling you.”
