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Florida residents warned ‘if you stay you’ll die’: Hurricane Milton live updates

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Florida residents warned ‘if you stay you’ll die’: Hurricane Milton live updates

Meteorologist fights back tears as he gives updates on ‘life threatening’ Hurricane Milton

A Florida mayor issued a stark warning that residents will die if they don’t evacuate as Hurricane Milton races towards the state’s west coast.

The potential “once in a lifetime” storm rapidly intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane on Monday with sustained winds surpassing 180mph, before slowing to Category 4 on Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center has warned that Milton may regain strength and grow in size, posing “even more danger” as it is expected to make landfall in Florida by Wednesday evening, slamming into the densely populated Tampa Bay.

Tampa mayor Jane Castor told CNN that if residents choose to “stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die”. Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of the Sunshine State almost two weeks ago, was a “wake-up call,” she said, before adding that Milton could be “literally catastrophic”.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration on Monday after pledging “life-saving resources in advance of the storm,” the day prior.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday that the state has stocked up on millions of gallons of fuel, truckloads of food, water and medical supplies, Starlinks and flood protection systems to safeguard “critical infrastructure”.

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DeSantis and Harris get into a spat over hurricane relief: ‘It’s not about you Kamala!’

DeSantis and Harris get into a spat over hurricane relief: ‘It’s not about you Kamala!’

Julia Musto8 October 2024 15:30

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Hurricane Milton bringing strong winds, rain to Mexico

Hurricane Milton brings strong winds, rain to Mexico

Julia Musto8 October 2024 15:20

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Mapped: Winds, rain, storm surge and flash floods

Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening after weakening from a Category 5 to Category 4 hurricane
Milton is expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening after weakening from a Category 5 to Category 4 hurricane (NHC )
Map shows the timings that Hurricane and tropical storm-force winds are expected to hit the Southeast
Map shows the timings that Hurricane and tropical storm-force winds are expected to hit the Southeast (NHC )
Flooding risk for parts of Florida with the Sunshine State anticipated to experience up to 18in rain
Flooding risk for parts of Florida with the Sunshine State anticipated to experience up to 18in rain (NHC)
NHC map shows peak storm surge of up to 15ft in the Tampa Bay region of Florid’s west coast
NHC map shows peak storm surge of up to 15ft in the Tampa Bay region of Florid’s west coast (NHC )

James Liddell8 October 2024 15:16

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Holmes Beach Police Chief Tokajer: Milton will be a ‘punch in the gut’

“This is devastating,” he told FOX 13 Tampa. “It’s a punch in the gut for everybody out here that has been working so hard to rehab their houses and to get them ready so they can do reconstruction.”

Julia Musto8 October 2024 15:00

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In photos: ‘Chompers’ the porcupine among animals moved to safety at Zoo Tampa

Employees move an African porcupine named Chompers to a pet carrier at Zoo Tampa
Employees move an African porcupine named Chompers to a pet carrier at Zoo Tampa (AFP via Getty Images)
A mother and child orangutan look on before being moved to protected areas at Zoo Tampa
A mother and child orangutan look on before being moved to protected areas at Zoo Tampa (AFP via Getty Images)
African elephants are seen before being moved to protected areas at Zoo Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall
African elephants are seen before being moved to protected areas at Zoo Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall (AFP via Getty Images)

James Liddell8 October 2024 14:46

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Utilities warn Florida residents of power outages that could affect millions

“Customers should expect to have widespread and extended outages,” said Mary Lou Carn of TECO.

Julia Musto8 October 2024 14:30

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warns residents now is the time to heed evacuation warnings

Julia Musto8 October 2024 14:25

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Storm surge warnings now in place for Florida’s east coast

James Liddell8 October 2024 14:10

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Should I evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall?

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management has charted a map of evacuation zones across the Sunshine State.

Residents may be left wondering whether to leave their homes or stay put as Hurricane Milton barrels towards Tampa – which is due to make landfall on Wednesday evening. Evacuation orders have so far been issued to hundreds of thousands of Floridians.

“If you are in an evacuation zone that is ordered to evacuate by local authorities or in a flood zone, you should evacuate no matter what,” the agency advises on its website’s FAQ’s section.

The FDEM has collated a “Know Your Zone” list from local officials of areas and buildings that are most likely to be evacuated. Find out more, here.

James Liddell8 October 2024 14:05

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Hurricane Milton could leave ‘indelible mark” on community

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wrapped up his morning news conference by warning that Hurricane Milton could leave an “indelible mark” on the community.

“There are some hurricanes where it stinks we have to deal with it, but we pick up and move forward,” DeSantis said.

But looking at Minton’s wind speeds topping out at 180mph, the governor warns it may have a more long-lasting impact and “indelible mark” on communities it passes over.

“Let’s pray that it’s as weak as possible. But we are preparing for it to be as strong as possible,” he concluded.

James Liddell8 October 2024 13:44

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