SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB/Gray News) – Hurricane Milton is charging through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, now at Category 3 status after spending much of Tuesday as a Category 5 storm.
Officials on Wednesday have reiterated calls for residents to evacuate, noting that time is running out and the odds of survival are bleak for those determined to stay.
“We are bracing,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference “It’s going to bring a lot of ferocity, a lot of damage.”
National Hurricane Center forecasters warned Milton is “expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it reaches Florida’s coast.
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, maximum sustained winds were at 125 mph with higher gusts.
Fluctuations in intensity are likely while Milton moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but Milton is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida.
The storm is expected to make landfall late Wednesday night.
Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.