Milton, new hurricane threat in Florida: when will it arrive and possible areas affected?
Clean up is still ongoing from Hurricane Helene as Florida faces the threat of a new tropical cyclone forming in the Gulf.
Just days after Hurricane Helene tore across a large swath of the United States, Florida is preparing to receive another potential hurricane, which is forming in the Gulf of Mexico.
On the evening of September 26, Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida, just east of the mouth of the Aucilla River near Perry. Helene unleashed storm surge, torrential rains, and destructive winds, which caused power outages affecting millions of customers, as well as flooding.
According to CNN’s tally, the death toll from Helene has risen to at least 227 across six states -- Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Helene is the second-deadliest hurricane to hit the continental United States in the past 50 years, after Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,833 people in 2005.
Less than 10 days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the Sunshine State is bracing for another potentially devastating blow from Milton. Here’s when it’s forecast to hit and what areas could be affected.
You may be interested in: How to help victims of Hurricane Helene: list of organizations and funds where you can donate
Milton, a new hurricane threat in Florida: when it will arrive and possible affected areas
Tropical Storm Milton formed in the western Gulf on Saturday morning, just hours after becoming a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an advisory. Milton is forecast to strengthen and impact portions of Florida’s west coast next week.
“A slow northeastward or east-northeastward motion is expected during the next few days. A faster east-northeastward or northeastward motion is forecast for Monday and Tuesday. It is forecast to remain over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night, then move across the south-central Gulf of Mexico on Monday and Tuesday, and approach the west coast of the Florida peninsula by midweek,” the NHC shared.
Milton could make landfall in Florida as at least a Category 2 hurricane, possibly stronger. Possible affected areas include Fort Myers, Tampa and Key West.