Hurricane Milton

[KenAdams]

Couldn't see a thread for this in Weather.

This looks like it's going to be really bad. Helene has already caused enough devastion in the area and the poor people of Tampa are in for a lot more today.

Some people are refusing to evacuate from what I understand but the Mayor of Tampa has warned if you don't evacuate you die.

I can't imagine how scary it must be for them.

The people who fly through hurricane go collect data also had a bit of a time of it today - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA3yknfN3Bn/?igsh=MTlzMXVzcmphMHJhaw==

It does make you reevaluate that romantic seaside house dream somewhat 😳 🌊

Really?? Shouldn't you worry not about the people who love there and who can't just sail away?

Well if it said it on tiktok it must be right!

What a horrible thing to repeat. You do realise that it's not actually possible for the entire state (or even 'only' those with the an evacuation order) to leave their homes? Where do you think they would go? And how the hell do you think they would get there?

The roads to to the North of Tampa are currently at a total standstill and there's no fuel. Family that live there have decided to stay which is worrying, but they would rather see out the hurricane in their house/shelter than stuck on the highway with no fuel.

Yes, there are category 5 hurricane shelters and shuttles to get people to them. I feel they dropped the ball in making sure the people knew about the shuttles and shelters though. I saw a lot of people today talking about how they cannot evacuate because of the gridlocks, including cars that had run out of gas, and they truly did not know about the shuttles and Cat 5 shelters.

Disney and Universal could be hit hard, but I am pretty sure they have strategies in place for their guests.

I'll be watching the WC and praying for friends and strangers in harm's way.

Nobody can "just sail away"!

@Bananalanacake Cruise ships can avoid hurricanes - it might mean itineraries get changed and/or extended but they're not in any danger.

@amoreoamicizia The cruise lines will have been watching this and will be nowhere near.

@ChangeEmailAddress it's true. That is exactly what people were told ahead of Helene. If you are in certain areas and do not follow evacuation orders you will likely die. And to write your name and DOB in permanent marker to aid identification.

There are still over 1000 people missing following Helene

www.newsweek.com/residents-not-evacuating-hurricane-helene-told-id-selves-marker-1960174

It is very concerning😨

I think closing Disney World is the least of their worries.

Ian was feared would be the 'perfect storm' and hit Tampa directly. There was LOADS of tv coverage and then it moved slightly and Tampa avoided the worst of it.

Milton is producing a similar fear.

This picture shows why, well.

That is scary stupid. Boats do not fare well at docks or harbors when it's less than Cat 4-5.

I truly hope he survives to tell the tale.

Would that offer protection in a massive storm surge though?

It’s true I have seen the news report a lady official actually said that!

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned the city’s almost 400,000 residents to urgently evacuate. She told CNN: “I can say this without any dramatisation whatsoever: if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die."

God help them all.

It's reaching sustained winds of 290kph. I don't think you have grasped the severity of this hurricane and the implications for the area.

I'm in Orlando atm on holiday. It's due late tomorrow or early Thursday morning.fortunately we are at a hotel that is built to withstand these things (hopefully), but it is scary. The hotel has been great and I know we will be well looked after. Locals have moved in too with their pets as have staff + their families/pets . It's a horrible situation and I really feel for people who can't afford to evacuate or afford a hotel. I'm hoping the hurricane loses a lot of its strength, but I keep watching the news here and it's getting worse

This is a catastrophic storm. If it swerves even a tiny bit north the situation will be even worse.

For those saying Orlando (and thus Disney) are far enough inland to worry but this is woefully untrue. Orlando is still likely to be hit by 140-150kmh winds and 20cm of rain in the space of a few hours. Choosing not to close until tomorrow afternoon means their tens of thousands of employees are unable to evacuate (there is no employment protection or alternative pay for employees who miss shifts), and a huge portion of them live in huge trailer parks and cheap housing (i.e. not built to current storm standards and in low-lying areas) near the parks that should evacuate even if guests and other area residents are safe to shelter in place. And tourists are taking lodging and resources from evacuees. It's pure greed.

And yes, officials in some of the worst hit areas will ask people to write names and key info on their arms in sharpie as they did for Helene and Katrina and other deadly storms.

Yes, @amoreoamicizia, I know that. I was questioning the OP's concern about cruise ships and Disney visitors instead of focusing on people who actually live in Florida!

It’s absolutely horrific, I’m so glad we cancelled our trip (for other reasons) or we would be out there now. We’ve got friends who live out there and it’s bloody scary.

My friend's parents just arrived in Florida, and friend is due to fly in a week to meet up with them.

I know a couple of people affected by Helene, and they've been feeding back stories of low fuel/food/medicine supplies and so on. This is so frightening for so many people.

Apparently they're not becoming more frequent - but the intensity is growing (more category 3, 4 and 5's). And yes, because of global warming - the hurricanes are now bringing more rain with them. Hence the flooding and landslides in Japan when a typhoon hit a few weeks ago.

Wow.

"Will they have to close it?"

Yes they will have to close it.

What about all the animals shelters/dog shelters. I really hope they are evacuating them too!