Map shows where Hurricane Milton will hit as people are warned ‘you will die’ if they try to sit it out --[Reported by Umva mag]

Florida is bracing itself for Hurricane Milton, a category 5 storm expected to devastate the Tampa Bay area.

Residents have been ordered to evacuate from the storm’s path, as Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents ‘there’s never been one like this’.

She warned: ‘Hurricane Helene was a wake-up call, this is literally catastrophic. And I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.

‘If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.’

Storm surges of up to 12 feet are expected in some areas as winds of 165mph will slam into the Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Milton’s centre could come ashore on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane in more than a century.

Tampa Bay has not been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921, and authorities fear luck is about to run out for the region and its 3,300,000 residents.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and US representative Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers have been mobilised to help in one of the largest mobilisations of federal personnel in history.

The Tampa Bay area is still rebounding from Helene and its powerful surge – a wall of water up to 8 feet hit the area even though the centre of Helene was 100 miles offshore.

In Florida, anyone who stays despite the evacuation orders is on their own and first responders are not expected to risk their lives to rescue them at the height of the storm.

The storm is so bad that a Florida meteorologist who has been covering hurricanes for decades became visibly choked up on air when speaking about the storm.

Speaking of the hot temperatures driving the hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, John Morales said: ‘You know what’s driving that.

‘I don’t need to tell you. Global warming, climate change has led to this.’

What time will Hurricane Milton hit Florida?

Category 5 Hurricane Milton is moving quickly towards the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Around 2pm local time in Florida on Wednesday, the storm will be right off the coast of Tampa Bay and will likely make landfall shortly after.

From there, it will move across central Florida until moving out to sea around 3am local time on Thursday morning.

Stragglers were a problem during Hurricane Helene and 2022’s Hurricane Ian. Many residents failed to heed ample warnings, saying they evacuated during previous storms only to have major surges not materialise.

But there was evidence on Monday that people were getting out before Milton arrives.

A steady stream of vehicles headed north towards the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 75, the main highway on the west side of the peninsula, as residents heeded evacuation orders.

Traffic clogged the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.

On Monday, the few residents who could be found were racing against the clock to safeguard their buildings and belongings. None said they were staying.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

The following news has been carefully analyzed, curated, and compiled by Umva Mag from a diverse range of people, sources, and reputable platforms. Our editorial team strives to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information we provide. By combining insights from multiple perspectives, we aim to offer a well-rounded and comprehensive understanding of the events and stories that shape our world. Umva Mag values transparency, accountability, and journalistic integrity, ensuring that each piece of content is delivered with the utmost professionalism.