WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US officials have warned that Milton is an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane and will make landfall on the western coast of Florida Wednesday night with maximum sustained winds near 155 mph.
Hurricane Milton briefly became a Category 5 storm before it was downgraded to category four. However, weather and White House officials do not rule out the threat to life as the storm makes landfall.
National Hurricane Center Miami said in its latest public advisory that while fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida.
The center of Milton is forecast to move just north of the Yucatan Peninsula today and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday.
A few tornadoes are possible over central and southern Florida beginning late tonight and continuing through Wednesday night.
NHC advised residents to follow the orders of local officials.
Vice President Kamala Harris said she has spoken with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell over the phone, and stressed that the residents in Florida, in the Tampa area, should listen to evacuation orders. 'Please listen to your local officials, because I know a lot of folks out there have survived these hurricanes before - this one is going to be very, very serious'.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said FEMA and other federal agencies are actively pre-positioning lifesaving resources in advance of the storm.
Monday, President Joe Biden approved Governor Ron DeSantis' request for an emergency disaster declaration in Florida, which unlocks additional federal resources to help the state respond to the storm.
Florida is heading for another major storm less than two weeks after it was hit by Hurricane Helene, which claimed the lives of 14.
51 counties in the state are currently under emergency warnings.
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