Hurricane Milton Threatens Tampa Bay Region
Hurricane Milton weakened slightly on Tuesday but remained a powerful storm that could bring a once-in-a-century direct hit to the Tampa Bay region, with towering storm surges and debris from Hurricane Helene’s devastation 12 days ago becoming projectiles.
Entire West Coast of Florida Under Warning
Almost the entire west coast of Florida was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning, as the storm and its 145 mph winds spun just off Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, creeping toward the state and sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters. With the storm expected to remain fairly strong as it crosses Florida, parts of the eastern coast were put under hurricane warnings early Tuesday.
Evacuations Ordered in Tampa Bay Area
Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people. The county that’s home to Tampa ordered evacuations for areas adjacent to the bay and for all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday night.
Residents Given Options
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