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October 8, 2024 news on Hurricane Milton

Allison Chinchar Maureen Chowdhury Holly Yan Elise Hammond Ella Nilsen Tori B. Powell
By Elizabeth Wolfe, Mary Gilbert, Allison Chinchar, Lauren Mascarenhas, Andy Rose, Maureen Chowdhury, Holly Yan, Elise Hammond, Ella Nilsen and Tori B. Powell, CNN
Updated 1:55 PM EDT, Wed October 23, 2024
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Meteorologist shares the latest update on Hurricane Milton
02:09 - Source: CNN

What we covered here

• Where will Milton hit? The storm wobbled farther south than expected Tuesday, leading to a southern shift in the forecast from the National Hurricane Center. Current trajectories show the storm on a path toward Sarasota, just south of Tampa Bay. You can track the latest on Milton’s path with CNN’s storm tracker.

• The latest forecast: Milton remains a powerful Category 5 hurricane as it races toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, where it could be one of the most destructive storms on record. Though it is forecast to weaken before it makes landfall, it will grow in size — meaning its disastrous impacts will be felt over a larger area.

• Bracing for catastrophe: Regardless of exactly where Milton lands, much of Florida’s Gulf Coast is at significant risk of catastrophic hurricane-force winds and flooding rain. And remember: It’s been less than two weeks since Hurricane Helene walloped Florida, leaving death and debris in its wake.

• In the storm’s path? Bookmark CNN’s lite site for fast connectivity. Sigue nuestra cobertura del huracán Milton en español.

99 Posts

Our live coverage of Hurricane Milton has ended for the day. Follow the latest news here.

Hurricane Milton weakens slightly but maintains Category 5 strength

From CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford
Windows are covered with plywood in the Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, as Hurricane Milton approaches on October 08, 2024.
Windows are covered with plywood in the Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, as Hurricane Milton approaches on October 08, 2024.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Hurricane Milton’s wind speed has dropped to 160 mph, according to an 11 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The center of the storm is about 405 miles southwest of Tampa and has accelerated slightly as it moves to the northeast at 12 mph.

“A northeastward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected overnight through Wednesday,” warns the NHC. “On the forecast track, the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Wednesday, make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida Wednesday night, and move off the east coast of Florida over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.”

The storm is still expected to be a major hurricane at the time of landfall and will bring very heavy rainfall and powerful winds across much of the Florida Peninsula. The storm’s wind field should greatly expand before landfall, meaning its devastating impacts will be felt across a large area.

Milton’s path wobbled slightly to the south on Tuesday, meaning the forecast for the highest storm surge has nudged to the south. Surges between 10 to 15 feet could occur in Tampa Bay and from Egmont Key to Boca Grande.

Belleair Beach mayor says trash left on streets from Helene poses dangers as Milton approaches

From CNN's Sara Smart

Belleair Beach Mayor Dave Gattis advises residents that it isn’t too late to seek shelter as Hurricane Milton approaches the area.

Gattis told CNN’s Laura Coates on Tuesday evening that he has “major concerns” about the area of Belleair Beach as residents are still dealing with cleanup from Hurricane Helene.

The city of about 1,600 full-time residents sits directly on the Gulf of Mexico south of Clearwater.

“I realized that we had a big problem because all the trash was on the street and we had another storm approaching,” Gattis said.

As of Tuesday evening, Gattis says that the city and Pinellas County worked to clear most of the trash that was left out on the streets from Helene, but about a quarter of the debris remains.

“It’s definitely a dangerous area to be in,” the mayor said as he worries about the strong winds.

The mayor advised residents that haven’t left the area to seek shelter across the county as there are many places open to the public.

“It’s not too late, get in that car, drive across that bridge and seek shelter,” Gattis said.

“Please don’t get political on this,” Tampa mayor urges ahead of Hurricane Milton

From CNN's Dalia Faheid

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on Tuesday slammed “rumors” circulating on social media about Hurricane Milton response efforts and warned against believing online misinformation.

Castor went on to address what she says are rumors about response efforts ahead of the hurricane. She said it’s not true that the area doesn’t have enough resources, adding that officials are working to clean up debris and to implement safety measures such as the Tampa General Hospital’s AquaFence.

Addressing another rumor, Castor said the city is not proactively shutting off water or electricity anywhere, but said the storm may knock down power lines and affect different services. An official with Tampa Electric said they would only proactively shut off power in rare cases when flooding is imminent and storm surge is at critical levels.

HHS secretary declares public health emergency for Florida to aid with Hurricane Milton response

From CNN's Dalia Faheid
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on June 18, 2024, in Washington, DC.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on June 18, 2024, in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/File

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared a public health emergency Tuesday for Florida to address potential health impacts of Hurricane Milton – marking the second such declaration for the state within the past two weeks.

The department’s Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response has deployed about 100 responders as well as medical equipment and supplies to “assist the state in meeting public health and medical needs,” the news release said. The agency also deployed three teams who will work with state officials to assess the storm’s impacts to hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis centers and other health care facilities, according to HHS. Two medical assistance teams will also be available to respond following the assessment, the department said.

The HHS disaster distress helpline is available to provide counseling to those who need it, the news release said. It’s available 24/7 to all US residents experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. To connect with a trained counselor, people can call or text 1-800-985-5990.

Access to islands near Sarasota is shut down

From CNN's Steve Almasy

Police officers who are posted at bridges connecting barrier islands to Sarasota were preventing access to the keys as of Tuesday night.

Bird Key, St. Armands Key, Lido Key and Siesta Key were officially closed at 7 p.m. ET, the Sarasota Police Department said in a Facebook post. Longboat Key, also on the Sarasota Bay, was closed earlier, according to the city’s website.

“Residents can still leave, but no re-entry will be allowed until post-storm search and rescue is complete,” police said.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday afternoon that “life-threatening and historic storm surge (is) possible” and hurricane force winds might reach the area by Wednesday evening.

Some Florida cities and counties are issuing curfews ahead of Hurricane Milton

From CNN's Steve Almasy
People visit the beach as storm clouds hang overhead before Hurricane Milton's arrival in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 8.
People visit the beach as storm clouds hang overhead before Hurricane Milton's arrival in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 8.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As Hurricane Milton barges toward Florida, cities and counties are implementing curfews for people remaining in the areas.

Here is a list of some of the places that have announced curfews ahead of the storm (all times are ET):

Treasure Island is a “ghost town” mayor says, thankful residents heeded evacuation orders

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Treasure Island Mayor Tyler Payne said the island is looking like a ghost town Tuesday night, and he is thankful that residents evacuated.

“I was very happy to see that people are heeding the warnings,” he told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. “The storm surge, our residents experienced it firsthand, and I think that has gone a long way to really drive home the message that it is not safe to stay on the island when we are looking at potential devastating storm surge like this.”

Payne said a big worry on the island, a barrier island west of St. Petersburg, is the debris that remains from Helene.

“There’s just so much of it that it is impossible to clean it all up before the hurricane hits,” he added. “Those are going to become extremely dangerous if we are seeing 100 mile an hour winds.”

Tampa may avoid the worst of Milton's storm surge

From CNN's Taylor Ward

It is well documented that the Tampa Bay area is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes and that the region has also dodged major hurricanes over the last century.

It is far too early for residents around Tampa Bay to breathe a sigh of relief, but Hurricane Milton wobbled farther south than expected Tuesday, leading to a southern shift in the forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

Meteorologists usually stress not to focus on the exact track and to not even focus on the cone, because significant impacts always occur outside of the cone. In fact, the cone from the National Hurricane Center is only designed to capture the path of the storm two-thirds of the time. That means that one in three times the storm’s track falls outside of the cone. However, that exact track is very important when it comes to the details of the impacts.

The worst storm surge in Hurricane Milton is forecast to be near the landfall point and to the south, based on the angle it is approaching the coast. If the current trajectories showing a path toward Sarasota hold true, the worst storm surge would be into places like Sarasota, Venice and southward into surge-vulnerable places like Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. On the northern side of the storm, winds across Tampa Bay would largely push water out of the bay, potentially even reducing the water levels as happened during Hurricane Ian, which made landfall near Fort Myers in 2022.

This current trajectory is only about 40 miles south of Tampa or 20 miles south of the mouth of Tampa Bay and the NHC warns that uncertainty remains and additional wobbles – north or south – are possible.  It is also very important to note that Tampa is still within the cone of uncertainty.

Even with a potential track south of Tampa, which would spare that area the worst of the surge, there is still a significant risk of catastrophic hurricane-force winds and flooding rain. Hurricane Milton is expected to grow into a large storm as it approaches landfall, and much of the Florida Peninsula will experience the wrath of the storm.

Disney, the Kennedy Space Center and state parks: Which Florida tourist attractions are closing for Milton

From CNN's Michelle Watson and Forrest Brown
The Cinderella Castle is seen at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on July 14, 2023.
The Cinderella Castle is seen at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on July 14, 2023.
John Raoux/AP

Hurricane Milton is prompting closure of some of Florida’s biggest and most beloved tourist attractions, including all four of the main theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. Though located southwest of Orlando in inland Florida, Milton’s expected path across central Florida is forcing the resort to make a rare weather-related closure.

Walt Disney World will close its theme parks in stages beginning at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, the company said on its website.

Here’s the status of other Florida attractions:

  • Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was closed on Tuesday and is set to remain closed through Thursday. Howl-O-Scream is canceled for Thursday.
  • Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk in Orlando will be open until 2 p.m. Wednesday. That closing time is subject to change based on forecast alterations, the park said Tuesday afternoon. All those venues will be closed Thursday.
  • SeaWorld Orlando will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
  • LEGOLAND Florida, in Winter Haven, Florida, will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Hotel operations are slated to continue with limited capacity.
  • The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located in Cape Canaveral, will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.
  • Many of Florida’s state parks are closing ahead of the hurricane.
  • Everglades National Park remains open, but services are limited. Visitor centers are closed. Emergency response will be extremely limited, the park warns.

Read more on amusement park closures in Florida.

How this veteran meteorologist says the climate crisis changed him

From CNN's Elise Hammond

Veteran Florida meteorologist John Morales said there were a lot of thoughts going through his head when he started tearing up while reporting on the rapidly intensifying Hurricane Milton on Monday.

A video of Morales getting emotional while reporting on Hurricane Milton’s strength and magnitude for WTVJ went viral on Monday.

“It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” Morales said in the video. “I apologize, this is just horrific,” he later added.

Morales is the longest-serving meteorologist in south Florida. He has guided the community through several other major, devastating hurricanes and said he became to be known as the “non-alarmist, just facts meteorologist.”

But, a lot has changed in the several decades since he started this job. Morales said the new age of more intense storms because of the climate crisis has changed him.

“These symptoms of the changing climate has changed me from a cool cucumber to somebody that’s certainly more agitated and in a bit of dismay about what’s going on,” he said.

As the planet warms, hurricanes are morphing into something more dangerous — intensifying faster, producing more rainfall and generating bigger storm surge. In fact, human-caused climate change over the past two weeks made the at- or near-record-breaking ocean temperatures that fueled Milton’s explosion 400 to 800 times more likely, according to the nonprofit research group Climate Central.

“That’s what climate change can do. It impacts disproportionately people in frontline communities that really have very little to do with burning fossil fuels,” Morales said.

Helene’s death toll rises to at least 236 people

From CNN's Joe Sutton

The death toll from Helene has risen to at least 236 across six states, according to CNN’s tally, after one additional death was announced Tuesday in Tennessee.

Helene is the second deadliest hurricane to strike the US mainland in the past 50 years, following Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,833 people in 2005.

Here’s a breakdown of deaths from Helene by state:

  • North Carolina: 117 people
  • South Carolina: 48 people
  • Georgia: 33 people
  • Florida: 20 people
  • Tennessee: 16 people
  • Virginia: 2 people

Editor’s Note 10/23/24: Since this post was first published, officials in Buncombe County, North Carolina, home to Asheville, have reported they overcounted the death toll in their region by as many as 30. Some of the death toll figures in this post are no longer accurate.

Drone video shows piles of debris on Treasure Island left over from Hurricane Helene ahead of Milton

From CNN's Boris Sanchez

Drone video shows remnants of furniture and other debris strewn about Treasure Island in Florida’s Pinellas County — reminders of Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida less than two weeks ago. Now, residents are preparing for the onslaught of another storm.

The damage left behind is visible, as trash piles, some as tall as 6 feet, line block after block of the city.

Everything from appliances to sheet metal and cinder blocks was left behind from Hurricane Helene. One massive pile of trash sits near City Hall.

It’s why officials are urging residents to get out before Hurricane Milton makes landfall, even broadcasting evacuation notices on loudspeakers.

Watch the footage:

Debris from Helene on Treasure Island ahead of Hurricane Milton.
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Drone video shows piles of debris left over from Hurricane Helene
02:16 - Source: CNN

Orange County, Florida, is expecting 10 to 15 inches of rain in western part of the county, officials say

From CNN staff

Orange County, Florida, is expecting around 10 to 15 inches of rain in the western portion of the county due to Hurricane Milton, officials said Tuesday.

Orange County is home to Orlando, location to theme parks like Disney World and Universal Studios. They are mostly within the western half of the county.

The eastern half of the county is expecting 8 to 10 inches of rain, and localized flooding is expected throughout the area, said Danny Banks, public safety director.

While a heavy amount of rain and wind are expected, the county is “well-prepared at this point in time,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said.

Here’s what we know about Hurricane Milton so far

From CNN staff
Hurricane Milton is seen in a satellite photo on Tuesday, October 8.
Hurricane Milton is seen in a satellite photo on Tuesday, October 8.
NOAA

Hurricane Milton is advancing toward Florida, where it could be one of the most destructive storms on record, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm on Tuesday strengthened back into a Category 5 hurricane, NHC said, but is forecast to weaken to Category 3 ahead of its landfall somewhere on Florida’s Central Gulf Coast.

Officials are warning Floridians to heed warnings and remain vigilant.

Here’s what we know about the storm so far:

Storm strength:

  • Milton first became a Category 5 hurricane on Monday at 11 a.m. ET and maintained Category 5 strength until 2 a.m. Tuesday. It once again became a rare Category 5 hurricane Tuesday afternoon, according to the latest update from NHC.
  • Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters found that Milton’s pressure has been falling and winds have been increasing. On satellite the eye has cleared significantly — one mark of a very powerful storm.
  • The storm’s strength is expected to fluctuate over the next 36 hours, and it will weaken slightly but double in size meaning its disastrous impacts will be felt over a much larger area.

Storm threats, location and timing:

  • Milton is 480 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with sustained winds of 165 mph and is moving east-northeast at 9 mph, according to the NHC’s 6 p.m. ET update.
  • The storm’s landfall time slowed down a bit in an earlier NHC notice and is now expected very late Wednesday night into very early Thursday.
  • When Milton makes landfall, its tropical storm-force winds will extend about 230 miles outward from its center. That’s far enough to cover the entire width of the state’s peninsula.
  • Forecasters are cautioning people not to let their guard down and to prepare for critical, potential last second shifts of the storm’s track.
  • Between 2 and 12 inches of rain, furious winds and storm surge are forecast in areas including Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Orlando.
  • Milton’s outer bands could start impacting Florida Peninsula and the Keys with embedded tornadoes and waterspouts as early as this evening.

Evacuations:

  • US military personnel at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa are evacuating ahead of Milton’s landfall.
  • Some Puerto Ricans living in Florida are returning to the island in fear of the storm’s damage.
  • The Florida Department of Corrections said 4,600 prisoners have been evacuated ahead of Milton’s expected landfall.

Localities and businesses prepare for Milton:

  • In Clearwater, Florida traffic signal boxes are being removed, lift stations are being taken offline in certain areas and potable water is being restricted.
  • Wind gusts topping 100 mph “could exceed the safe limits for tower cranes, posing a risk of malfunction,” the city of St. Petersburg warned Tuesday. But there’s not enough time to take the cranes down before the storm.
  • Disney Theme parks, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will close ahead of the storm. Theme parks like Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld Orlando are also closing.
  • American Airlines and United Airlines say they have capped airfares and added additional flights to and from Florida on Tuesday as people there try to evacuate ahead of the storm. The Biden administration on Tuesday warned against price gouging.
  • Roughly one in six (17.4%) gas stations in Florida have run out of fuel as millions of people scramble to get out of the hurricane’s path, according to the fuel tracking platform GasBuddy. Florida Highway Patrol troopers are escorting tankers that are carrying fuel to gas stations along evacuation routes, the governor said on Tuesday.

What the governor is saying: 

  • Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said residents have a short window to execute their evacuation plans ahead of Milton’s landfall.
  • DeSantis also told residents that “this is not just an event about the West Coast of Florida.”
  • The governor also said that response areas are set up across the state in preparation for the storm. The state has been amassing resources to the various sites since the weekend, the government said.

Flooded roads, fallen trees and damaged docks: Hurricane Milton brushes Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula

From CNN’s Abel Alvarado
A person rides their bike through a flooded street in the rain as Hurricane Milton passes off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, on October 8.
A person rides their bike through a flooded street in the rain as Hurricane Milton passes off the coast of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, on October 8.
Martin Zetina/AP

Hurricane Milton brushed Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Monday night and Tuesday morning, leaving behind flooded roads, damaged docks and fallen trees as it now moves away and heads towards Florida.

No deaths have been reported, according to the country’s civil protection coordinator Laura Velazquez.

According to Mexico’s Civil Protection, nearly 40% of the state of Yucatan’s population has been impacted by power outages due to the storm.

Video captured by CNN in the port city of Progreso shows palm trees ripped from the roots, damaged docks, and overturned boats.

Locals and tourists in parts of the Yucatan and Quintana Roo states were evacuated and placed in shelters until weather conditions improved.

“Honestly, I was undecided about evacuating, I had to think about my belongings but at the end of the day I did it for my children,” one woman who is temporarily housing in a Yucatan shelter told CNN.

Intense rain is expected to continue in several areas near Mexico’s Caribbean coast with winds reaching up to 120 miles per hour, according to Mexico’s weather agency Conagua.

Sigue nuestra cobertura del huracán Milton en español.

Debris from Helene is stacked in mounds on the streets of Sarasota as the city now braces for Milton

From CNN's Elise Hammond
Randi Kaye reports in Sarasota, Florida showing the debris from Hurricane Helene, on October 8.
Randi Kaye reports in Sarasota, Florida showing the debris from Hurricane Helene, on October 8.
CNN

Dressers, mattresses and even refrigerators are piled high on the side of streets in Sarasota, Florida.

The mounds of wreckage of people’s homes are a product of Hurricane Helene, a deadly and powerful storm that hit the state less than two weeks ago. City officials told CNN earlier Tuesday that they are rushing now to get it cleared off the street before another massive storm, Hurricane Milton, is expected to make a direct hit on Sarasota.

Having this kind of debris out on the streets can be dangerous when Milton makes landfall. Officials are concerned it will float through the city in the floodwaters or become projectiles that hit other homes or even people.

One woman who lives in Siesta Key, an island off Sarasota, told CNN’s Randi Kaye that she and her husband lost all of their belongings in Hurricane Helene and will have to gut their home because there is mold in the walls. KT Curran said Five-foot storm surge flooded their property and forced her husband, who was there riding out the storm, to sit on top of the neighbor’s house.

Now, with another storm aimed at her already battered community, Curran told CNN she is riding out Milton in a friend’s ninth-floor condo.

“It feels like maybe Helene was just a rehearsal for what’s to come,” she said. “None of us in 100 years have seen anything like this. It is shocking.”

She lost everything in Hurricane Helene. Now she’s bracing for Milton

From CNN's Chelsea Bailey

Sydney Sultenfuss is a fifth-generation Floridian whose family’s legacy was built into the landscape of Davis Islands, a community just off the coast of Tampa.

Two weeks ago, she said, Hurricane Helene hit and took nearly everything she had.

The scariest part, she added, was Helene made landfall nearly 200 miles away. Now, with Milton, Tampa residents are bracing for a more direct hit.

“Milton feels very different – and I had a really bad feeling about Helene,” she said. “Now it’s just, ‘Here we go again.’ It all feels like a bad dream because we haven’t even been able to process what just happened two weeks ago.”

Sultenfuss plans to weather the hurricane with her parents who live at a higher elevation, further inland. She said she never wanted to leave Davis Islands, but now she’s changing her mind.

“We don’t even know what we’re going to come back to after Milton,” she said.

Dozens of Waffle House locations are closing up shop ahead of Milton. That means this storm is getting serious

From CNN's Elise Hammond
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JULY 30: A Waffle House restaurant on July 30, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. The restaurant chain created in the state of Georgia in 1955 now has over 1,900 locations in 25 states in the United States. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A Waffle House restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida, is pictured on July 30, 2024.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images/File

Dozens of Waffle House locations are closed around Tampa and Fort Myers, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Milton.

The closures are as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, the chain said in a post on X. The storm is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Central Gulf Coast on Wednesday evening. It could be one of the most destructive storms on record, forecasters say.

Why this is a big deal: If the Waffle House closes, it means the storm is getting serious. The Waffle House Index is even an unofficial measure by a former FEMA official to evaluate how severely a storm hit an area.

Waffle House has a reputation of staying open during natural disasters, even when other restaurants are closed. The index uses a color-coded key to evaluate the degree of damage done to an area and what resources the area will need, based on the Waffle House schedule.

🔴 Red: Waffle House is closed completely. If Waffle House is closed, that area was probably hardest hit.

🟡 Yellow: Waffle House is open, but they’re serving a limited menu. This could mean the area is experiencing power outages or water isn’t safe to drink, but people can get around.

🟢 Green: Waffle House is up and running at peak condition. This doesn’t mean everything’s perfect in the area, but it’s a sign that basic services are intact.

CNN’s Ramishah Maruf contributed reporting to this post.

Treasure Island police broadcast evacuation notices on loudspeaker

From CNN’s Emma Tucker

Police officers in Pinellas County, which includes Treasure Island, is patrolling the area and broadcasting evacuation notices on loudspeaker ahead of Hurricane Milton, according to city officials.

In a video posted to X, Treasure Island posted a video showing a police officer driving around the island with the message blasting repeatedly from the patrol car.

Zones A, B and C in Pinellas County have been ordered to evacuate ahead of the hurricane.

“TIPD is patrolling the island, letting residents and businesses know it’s time to evacuate. It looks as if many are taking the evacuation orders seriously,” Treasure Island post read on X.