Florida Braces For Wrath Of Milton
• On Tuesday afternoon, Hurricane Milton had restrengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. The storm’s path has also shifted slightly to the south, with advisories now bringing it in just south of Tampa Bay and closer to Sarasota, FL, which could save the Tampa Bay area (population 3 million) from its first direct hit in a century. Of course, forecasters say Milton’s path will likely shift again before it makes landfall tomorrow night.
As a result, the National Hurricane Center has adjusted its storm surge warning, with greater values trending southward toward Port Charlotte, Fort Meyers and Naples, although Tampa remains the area of highest predicted surge, at 10-15 feet, which has been classified as “unsurvivable.” The National Hurricane Center says Milton “has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
> FEMA has made available a way for residents to find the emergency shelter nearest you — text SHELTER and your zip code to 43362.
> Tampa International Airport (TPA) suspended operations at 9am Tuesday as airport staff secured the airfield, terminals, jet bridges and ground equipment.
> The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) of the FCC, at the request of the State of Florida, and in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has announced that the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) will be activated today, Oct. 9, 2024, in 50+ Florida counties, in preparation for communications impacts by Hurricane Milton. Communications providers can access DIRS (tagged “Hurricane Milton”) at fcc.gov/dirs.
> The FCC is available to address emergency communications needs 24/7, especially relating to the effects of Hurricane Milton. Contact the FCC Operations Center for assistance at 202-418-1122 or by email at FCCOPS@fcc.gov. For more info on the FCC’s response to Hurricane Milton, please go to fcc.gov/Milton.
