Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast to bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida.
The storm is expected to make landfall Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Residents in its path have been told to evacuate the area or risk facing deadly conditions.
Follow along for live updates throughout the day.
11:10 a.m. EDT: Tornadoes spotted in south Florida
Several tornados have touched down this morning in southern Florida, the National Weather Service鈥檚 (NWS) regional bureau wrote on social media.
Three active warnings are in effect covering Collier County on the southwest coast and a large area south of Lake Okeechobee in south-central Florida. Up-to-date information on those warnings is available .
鈥淭AKE COVER NOW!鈥� reads the NWS alert. 鈥淢ove to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.鈥�
- Hurricane Milton will likely hit Florida cities like Orlando, Tampa and Daytona Beach
- Fearful residents flee Tampa Bay region as Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida coast
10:35 a.m. EDT: 170,000 available shelter spots, says DeSantis
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the Four Seasons, but there are things there to make it tolerable,鈥� Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a group of reporters Wednesday morning.
He鈥檚 describing the six state-run shelters available for residents in Milton鈥檚 path. Each of them is equipped with generators and Starlink internet. There are nearly 150 other general population shelters and 36 special needs centres available for people to weather the storm.
In total, there are 200,000 available spots. So far, just 31,000 people have checked in.
DeSantis advertised the shelters during a news conference with other emergency officials. He listed the various teams and supplies that have been deployed ahead of Milton鈥檚 landfall: 26 teams ready to perform search and rescue, 11,000 feet of flood protection systems and 500 out-of-state police officers.
He followed the latter statement with a word for anyone planning to loot abandoned buildings: 鈥淒on鈥檛 even think about it. We are going to come down hard on you.鈥�
9:20 a.m. EDT: Towns on Florida鈥檚 coasts preparing for the worst
Sandbags and large sheets of chipboard line the streets of Fort Myers Beach, a small town on the southwest Florida coast, Reuters video shows. A sign is stuck to storefront window: 鈥淪tay safe. Downtown Fort Myers Strong.鈥�
Many have already left the town after local leaders issued a mandatory evacuation notice. Residents are used to extreme weather 鈥� and many are still dealing with significant loss from previous storms.
"We stayed during Ian and literally watched my roof tear off my house, and it put a turmoil in us," said Jamie Watts, who lives in Fort Myers Beach.
The town was hit hard by Hurricane Ian in late September 2022. Houses were flattened. During a CNN interview at the community鈥檚 fishing pier, which had been reduced to its bones, Mayor Kevin Anderson described the scene as 鈥渉orrific鈥� at the time.
Today, residents face Milton, a potentially larger storm.
鈥淭his time, we're going to be a little safer,鈥� said Watts.
8:30 a.m. EDT: Milton now a very-fast Cat. 4 storm
Milton is now considered a Category 4 storm 鈥� a downgrade from the previous Category 5 status, which is the maximum level on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
However, Milton鈥檚 windspeeds are still very fast. Maximum sustained winds are near 250 km/h (155 mph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center鈥檚 (NOAA) 8 a.m. update.
A Category 5 storm must have sustained winds of 252 km/h or higher. Milton was just two km/h shy of that by mid-morning.
At those speeds, 鈥淢ost of the (affected) area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,鈥� according to the NOAA. Homes will be damaged or destroyed. Most trees will be uprooted. Power poles will fall.
Hurricane-force winds are expected to extend 45 kilometres (30 miles) from the centre of the storm. Tropical-storm-force winds are likely to extend 205 kilometres (125 miles) outward.
Here鈥檚 a breakdown of the .
8 a.m. EDT: Prisoners relocated
At least 4,636 Florida inmates from dozens of institutions have been relocated to 鈥渉ardened鈥� locations ahead of Milton鈥檚 arrival.
麻豆传媒 has reached out to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) to confirm whether there are any prisoners still located in high-risk areas.
鈥淓vacuation determinations are made in the best interest of the public, staff and inmate safety. In the event of evacuations, announcements will only be made upon completion,鈥� reads a statement on the FDC鈥檚 website.
鈥淔DC is working alongside our state and local partners in emergency management to monitor the storm and make the appropriate preparations.鈥�
Visitations have been cancelled statewide until Sunday.
7:20 a.m. EDT: How to send a text without service
Milton is expected to knock out electricity and potentially disrupt communications infrastructure. Local officials say people should ensure their devices are charged. If you find yourself without service, there are other ways to get connected.
Apple's iPhone 14 and newer models are capable of sending emergency SOS messages while off-grid via satellite messaging. Apple has posted instructions on how to do it . You can also share your location on the 鈥楩ind My鈥� app via satellite. .
Some Google Pixel users can use the Satellite SOS function to call 911. A detailed guide is available . Note 鈥� the function is only available to users in the U.S. on Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold devices only.
6:35 a.m. EDT: Some choose to stay
鈥淚鈥檝e been through it before,鈥� Venice, Fla., resident Tommy Hall told the Associated Press, referring to his experience in previous hurricanes. 鈥淵ou learn from them, and I have, over the years.鈥�
With a generator full of gas, a stockpile of batteries and a fridge stocked with orange juice, frozen burritos and pizzas, he says he plans to weather the dangerous storm ahead despite living in Sarasota Country, where a sweeping evacuation order is in place.
Local leaders have not been vague in their advice to Floridians in evacuation zones.
"If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN on Tuesday.
U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters in Washington, D.C. that Milton 鈥渃ould be one of the worst storms in 100 years to hit Florida.鈥�
6 a.m. EDT: Gas shortages, landfall possible within 24 hours
U.S. forecasters say the storm could make landfall within 24 hours and reach the eastern coast on Thursday. On Tuesday, local leaders repeatedly called on residents to leave, leading to serious congestion on northbound roadways and gas shortages.
鈥淭here have been a lot of lines at gas stations,鈥� Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters on Tuesday. He says highway police have been authorized to escort fuel trucks to restock gas stations that have run out. While there may be gas shortages at certain locations, there is supply available, DeSantis said.
After more than 24 hours of major slowdowns on the interstate, Google Maps traffic data suggests major roadways north of Tampa are clear so far this morning.
Meanwhile, response crews have been working to clear debris left by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago from neighbourhood streets.
5:15 a.m. EDT: The eye is picking up speed
Milton鈥檚 eye is now in the eastern waters of the Gulf of Mexico, northwest of Havana. It is expected to pick up some speed as it continues to move northeast towards the coastline 鈥� a densely populated part of the state.
Residents of Tampa and the surrounding area have been told to leave their homes. The waters of Tampa Bay could reach 10-15 feet above ground level should a storm surge occur at the same time as high tide.
