Hurricane Milton tracker: Officials warn Florida residents to have 'hurricane plan'
For the latest news on Hurricane Milton, visit USA TODAY's hurricane tracker for Tuesday, Oct. 8.
Hurricane Milton is expected to continue gathering strength as it moves past the east over the Gulf of Mexico and into parts of the Florida Peninsula, weather officials warned Sunday.
Officials said the west coast of Florida will experience "an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts" starting mid-week.
"Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place, follow any advice given by local officials," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
The Category 1 storm was strengthening early Sunday with winds at 60 mph, according to the Ocala Star Banner, part of USA TODAY Network.
Heavy rain is expected on Sunday and Monday, well ahead of Milton, according to the National Hurricane Center's 8 a.m. Tropical Weather Discussion. Even more rain related to the system is expected as the week begins, bringing the potential for flooding.
Swells from the storm will start affecting the Gulf Coast starting today and increase as the week progresses.
Hurricane Center forecasters say Milton is expected to be a hurricane small in size, but there is still uncertainty about Hurricane Milton's intensity and track. The storm could hit Florida as a major hurricane or weaken from a number of factors.
"The intensity forecast has a lot of complexities. First, Milton is a small cyclone, and such systems can both strengthen and weaken very rapidly. Second, while the cyclone is going to be in a favorable environment through about 60 (hours), it will encounter strong shear and dry air entrainment after that time," forecasters said in their NHC Milton 5 a.m. Discussion.
Updates: 'Life-threatening': Milton forecast to become hurricane, target battered Florida
Gov. DeSantis issues state of emergency for several Florida counties
Accuweather forecasters, in their early Sunday reports, say they expect Milton to strengthen into a major, Category 3 hurricane before making landfall near Tampa Bay Wednesday morning, the Star Banner reported.
“This is an unusual and extremely concerning forecast track for a hurricane approaching the Tampa Bay area,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. “Milton could rapidly intensify into a major hurricane with extreme impacts. This hurricane could create a life-threatening storm surge. Please make sure your family and in friends in this area are prepared.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for Marion County and 34 other counties ahead of Hurricane Milton. The Florida counties included in the emergency declaration extend across the peninsula. They are:
Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia.
Hurricane Milton tracker
Hurricane Milton Spaghetti Models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
Contributing: John Gallas, Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network- Florida
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane Milton tracker: Storm expected to hit Florida