Hurricane Milton is weakening slightly but remains a ferocious storm that could land a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg, engulfing the populous region with towering storm surges and turning debris from Helene’s devastation 12 days ago into projectiles. Follow AP’s coverage of tropical weather at .
Here’s the latest: How bad is Milton’s damage expected to be? The entire Gulf Coast of Florida is especially vulnerable to storm surge. came ashore some 150 miles (240 kilometers) away from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle and still managed to cause drowning deaths in the Tampa area due to surges of around 5 to 8 feet (1.5 to 2.
5 meters) above normal tide levels. Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge (2.4 to 3.
6 meters) in Tampa Bay. That’s the highest ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, hurricane center spokesperson Maria Torres said. The storm could also bring widespread flooding.
Five to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with as much as 15 inches (38 centimeters) expected in some places. Gov. Ron DeSantis assures residents there’s enough fuel for them to get away from Hurricane Milton “There is no fuel shortage.
Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida” despite long lines at gas stations, DeSantis said at a Tuesday morning news briefing. He said officials are working with fuel companies to continue .