Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Milton, which could bring Category 3 winds and surge, or worst, to the Florida peninsula.
Areas at the greatest risk are communities still reeling from last month’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Ian in 2022.
The state of emergency includes the following counties: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia.
Milton is expected to rapidly intensify over the next 36 hours and could be a major Category 3 hurricane when it reaches the west coast of the Florida peninsula mid-week and brings the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the state’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center said.