Monday updates: Hurricane warning issued for Tampa Bay as Milton strengthens to Cat 5 storm (2024)

Editor’s note: Live updates for Monday have ended. Visit tampabay.com for continuing coverage on Tuesday.

Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene brought record flooding, Tampa Bay is bracing for another life-threatening storm — and this one could be even worse.

Hurricane Milton is continuing to rapidly intensify before its expected landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast sometime Wednesday and by midday Monday was a Category 5 storm. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for a stretch of the coastline including Tampa Bay, which remained roughly in the middle of the forecast cone.

Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have canceled classes through at least Wednesday. Pasco has closed schools through Friday.

Pasco ordered mandatory evacuations for Zones A, B and C on Monday. Hillsborough ordered evacuations for Zones A and B and mobile and manufactured homes throughout the county. Pinellas County has issued mandatory evacuations for residents in Zones A, B and C, and all mobile homes.

Here’s a list of places to get sandbags.

Check out Milton’s forecast track and wind speeds here.

And here are some tips to prepare for evacuations.

Here’s the latest:

8:45 p.m. Debris pickup is a race against time

Refrigerators, couches, dressers, bookshelves and desk chairs are among the destroyed possessions found piled high in the front yards of almost every single home in Shore Acres.

“It’s like you’re driving through a canyon of people’s lives on the curb,” said Kevin Batdorf, president of the neighborhood association where 82% of the 2,642 homes fell victim to Hurricane Helene’s historic storm surge less than two weeks ago.

Shore Acres and other low-lying areas in Tampa Bay are now bracing for double the storm surge with Hurricane Milton’s expected arrival Wednesday night. With Tampa Bay in its crosshairs, Milton comes with a new threat: Downed tree branches, waterlogged furniture and appliances, construction and demolition debris from Hurricane Helene could become millions of potential projectiles.

And as governments scramble with contracted trucks, much of the debris won’t be picked up in time.

— Colleen Wright and Justin Garcia

8 p.m. Milton poses an “extremely serious” threat

Hurricane Milton remains a powerful Category 5 storm. As of 8 p.m., the storm was about 650 miles southwest of Tampa and moving east at 10 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were 180 mph.

While forecasters expect Milton’s intensity to fluctuate, it is expected to remain “an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall.”

The National Hurricane Center offered a grim outlook in a 5 p.m. forecast discussion: “The system is expected to be a large and powerful hurricane at landfall in Florida, with life-threatening hazards at the coastline and well inland. Residents in Florida should closely follow the orders from their local emergency management officials, as Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”

— Emily Wunderlich

7 p.m. St. Petersburg may shut off sewage plants

St. Petersburg may shut off two of its three sewage plants ahead of Hurricane Milton, meaning 66% of St. Petersburg’s residents would not be able to flush toilets or take showers for at least 24 hours.

Mayor Ken Welch announced the possibility at a news conference Monday evening as Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened in the gulf with a track toward Florida’s west coast.

With potential storm surge of 10 to 15 feet, more than what Hurricane Helene brought two weeks ago, the city will “most likely” have to shut off the northeast and southwest sewage plants. City officials said they they can’t operate in that much floodwater.

Read more here.

— Colleen Wright

7 p.m. HART to extend Hillsborough transit services until Tuesday night

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority will offer emergency services until 8 p.m. Tuesday to accommodate the increased number of evacuees heading to shelters. After 8 p.m. Tuesday, all HART bus and TECO Line Streetcar services will be suspended. HART Plus paratransit service will not be available on Tuesday.

— Traci Johnson

6:50 p.m. Rental cars in high demand as residents try to evacuate

Vicki Donohue almost drowned in her Shore Acres home during Hurricane Helene.

Though she kept her life, she lost her car and all of her belongings to the storm. On Monday, as Hurricane Milton tracked toward Tampa Bay, Donohue was one of hundreds of people around the region trying to get a rental car so they could leave.

Read the full story here.

— Lauren Peace

6: 45 p.m. Pinellas debris being dropped off at county landfill, Florida State Fairgrounds

Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that the Florida Department of Transportation ordered this week that debris be picked up and relocated to the Pinellas County landfill.

Because the landfill was so busy with residents and getting full, truckloads of the debris are also being taken to Florida State Fairgrounds in Hillsborough County.

Gualtieri didn’t know how many truckloads of debris have been taken to the fairgrounds but thought that there were “a lot” dropped off there. Pinellas deputies, along with the Florida Highway Patrol and other agencies, have been escorting more dump trucks to drop the debris at both locations since yesterday, Gualtieri said.

The order came from Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gualtieri believes, and the sheriff supports the move.

“Every piece of debris they remove from the neighborhoods helps reduce the threat during Milton,” Gualtieri said.

He said the debris relocation will last until Tuesday night or Wednesday, depending on when the storm is projected to hit.

— Justin Garcia

6: 35 p.m. White House says it can’t get DeSantis on the phone

With one hurricane in the rearview and another on the horizon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been working directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but apparently leaving the White House on hold.

On Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged during a briefing in Washington that the president and vice president have yet to speak to DeSantis since Hurricane Helene hit the state as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26.

But it’s not for lack of trying on their part, she said.

— Alexandra Glorioso, Lawrence Mower and Danielle Battaglia

6 p.m. Pinellas residents who did not evacuate during Helene tell others to leave this time

The Times spoke to several Pinellas County residents who were ordered to evacuate during Hurricane Helene but did not. When asked their advice to people in the evacuation zones for Hurricane Milton, their guidance was unanimous: Get out.

Read the full story here.

— Max Chesnes

6 p.m. Milton could cause up to 15 feet of flooding

The most recent forecasts predict up to 10 to 15 feet of flooding above ground in parts of the region — up from an earlier prediction 8 to 12 feet, and potentially double what Helene had unleashed.

Tampa Bay residents need to prepare for “unthinkable destruction,” said Robert Weisberg, a professor of physical oceanography at the University of South Florida.

If the most severe forecasts prove accurate, Milton would be the third storm in two years to break recent records.

Read more here about what makes Milton different.

— Teghan Simonton

5:30 p.m. Hurricane warning issued for all of Tampa Bay

All of Tampa Bay was placed under a hurricane warning Monday afternoon as Milton continues to strengthen on its path across the Gulf of Mexico.

A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the warning area, and is typically issued 36 hours before the first tropical storm-force winds.

As of 5 p.m., Milton was about 675 miles southwest of Tampa and moving east at 10 mph with 180-mph winds.

Read more here.

— Jack Prator

5:25 p.m. Helene, Milton to deliver one-two punch

Coming on the heels of Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton could deliver to the Tampa Bay area a one-two punch uncommonly seen during hurricane season.

The National Weather Service Tampa Bay reported Monday that if Milton stays on its current track, it will be the worst storm to impact the region in more than 100 years.

“A storm like this is something most of us haven’t ever seen in our lifetimes,” said Spectrum Bay News 9 meteorologist Kyle Hanson.

Read more here.

— Dan Sullivan

5:15 p.m. State officials encouraged by response to evacuation orders

Traffic on Interstate 75 and Interstate 4 is already becoming congested, but Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said he was encouraged by it.

“This is actually a good sign that people are starting to get out of harm’s way,” he said.

Tolls are suspended and state officials have approved motorists driving on the shoulder on portions of I-75 and I-4 to try to free up traffic for motorists leaving in advance of Hurricane Milton, which is projected to make landfall somewhere on Florida’s west coast Wednesday evening.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said projections still show the storm weakening slightly before it makes landfall, but those projections also showed the storm being weaker than it currently is. The storm is now projected to bring 8-12 feet of storm surge, Guthrie said.

“We can hope and pray that it will weaken, but as of now, this is a ferocious hurricane,” DeSantis said.

He strongly encouraged people in evacuation zones to leave.

“This will produce major damage, no matter what ends up happening,” he added.

Expedia and Priceline have dedicated portals for Floridians to find emergency lodging, he noted.

All hotels in the state are accepting pets, he said.

DeSantis also denied statements by a White House spokesperson that he declined calls from both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. DeSantis has said he missed one call from Biden while he was in the air, and he declined an offer to meet the president when he visited Florida last week to survey damage from Hurricane Helene.

“Biden called me a couple days ago with Helene when I was on the helicopter,” DeSantis said Monday. “I’m not aware he’s tried to call since then. Certainly didn’t call my phone, so I don’t know quite where they’re getting that information.”

— Lawrence Mower

5 p.m. Heavy congestion on roads as evacuees leave

Tampa Bay drivers were sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic Monday afternoon as thousands evacuated from Hurricane Milton. Residents fleeing evacuation zones now face heavy congestion on highways and local roads.

Major roads such as the Howard Frankland Bridge, Interstate 4 and parts of U.S. 19 were crowded and slow, data collected by TomTom showed.

Around 4:30 p.m. Monday, Google Maps estimated it would take about 1 hour and 11 minutes to get to Wesley Chapel from parts of Downtown Tampa — approximately 40 minutes longer than on a normal day.

Here’s the state of Tampa Bay roads as of Monday afternoon.

— Shreya Vuttaluru, Ivy Nyayieka and Shauna Muckle

4 p.m. Pasco County issues mandatory evacuations for Zone C

Pasco County has called for mandatory evacuations orders of Zones A, B, C and all those in manufactured homes, mobile homes or RVs. The county also asks those who live in low-lying or flood prone zones to evacuate. The county will open an additional shelter at Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’Lakes, at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

— Emily Wunderlich

4 p.m. State allowing drivers to use inside shoulders on some interstates

Evacuees using interstates to get out of the Tampa Bay region should watch out for signs indicating where it’s OK to drive on the inside shoulder.

The state is activating its Emergency Shoulder Use plans for eastbound Interstate 4 and portions of northbound Interstate 75. Law enforcement and signage will alert motorists on when to enter and exit the shoulder.

— Tony Marrero

3:50 p.m. Tampa police chief calls Milton ‘the storm of the century’

At a news conference with high-ranking city and federal officials, Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw warned residents who have been asked to evacuate to take heed.

Bercaw said his officers have been going door to door warning residents in some evacuation zones. He said some officers met a man in his 90s on Davis Islands who did not wish to leave. Bercaw said he worried for his survival.

“This is the storm of the century,” he said.

“If you stay in an evacuation zone, I can’t promise you that I’m going to send my officers out and put their lives at risk during the peak of the storm,” Bercaw said. “You must evacuate.”

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said more than 500 FEMA personnel are on the ground ready to respond.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor encouraged residents who are struggling to evacuate to contact the city for help. She said she heard FEMA officials talk about the storm as a Category 6.

“This is a life or death situation,” she said.

County Commissioner Harry Cohen said all residents should be in place where they plan to shelter by 7 a.m. Wednesday.

— Divya Kumar

3:10 p.m. Pinellas County issues mandatory evacuations through Zone C

Pinellas County has issued mandatory evacuations for residents in Zones A, B and C, and all mobile homes.

On Sunday, the county issued evacuations for patients in long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and hospitals in those zones.

“If there were no lessons learned through Hurricane Helene, I’m hoping that people are going to respect the storm and the warnings that we’re going to give you,” said Kathleen Peters, the County Commission chairperson. “Be safe, move quickly and take care of your family.”

— Ivy Nyayieka

3 p.m. Pasco County schools create new calendar due to storms

Shortly after announcing it would remain closed through Friday, the Pasco County school district unveiled an updated student calendar for the next several months.

”We’re acting like this week wasn’t part of the calendar,” superintendent Kurt Browning said. “We’re taking this week and moving it to next week.”

The reason for doing so, he explained, is to ensure that students taking courses that yield graduation or college credit receive enough hours to qualify.

What it means to students is that a planned day off on Oct. 14 will be moved to Oct. 21.

The first quarter was extended to Oct. 18, instead of Oct. 11. The second quarter, which usually ends when winter break begins, will now run through Jan. 10, 2025. Students will return to classes from winter break on Jan. 6 instead of Jan. 7, and students will get time off on Jan. 13, which had been scheduled as a class day.

Report cards also will be issued later as a result.

These changes do not address any makeup time or days that the district will need to ensure that students meet state requirements for instructional time per semester.

“We’re going to deal with the (full-time equivalent attendance) issues, soon, but not right now,” Browning said.

— Jeffrey S. Solochek

2:45 p.m. Desantis defends decisions to send resources to other states after Helene

Three days after Hurricane Helene, Gov. Ron DeSantis sent Florida’s National Guard and dozens of state workers and equipment to Tennessee and North Carolina to help with Helene rescue efforts. Now those resources are being recalled as the state scrambles to clean up tons of potentially deadly debris ahead of Hurricane Milton.

On Monday, DeSantis defended his decision to send resources elsewhere while the state was tracking Milton’s progress. Here’s what he said.

— Lawrence Mower

2 p.m. The race to prepare at a packed Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport’s main terminal was packed Monday as travelers rushed home before Hurricane Milton hits Tampa Bay.

Flights will depart Tuesday morning until 9 a.m., when the airport will close to prepare facilities for lashing winds and rain.

Airport preparations are much more intense for this storm compared to Helene, said John Tiliacos, executive vice president of operations. Preparations could take 24 hours. That’s why the airport is closing down long before expected landfall.

Fifty-eight jet bridges must be chained down. Planes must be cleared from the airfield. Cars in the bottom level of the economy garage are being towed to higher ground. Most of the cars in the rental center — about 1,000 vehicles — are being relocated to another parking structure, Tiliacos said.

If Milton’s expected path stays the same, projections show a third of the airport’s west runway underwater, Tiliacos said, plus some parking lots and part of George J. Bean Parkway leading to the airport.

Brian and Susan Mowll of London were seated in the main terminal six hours before their flight takes off. This morning, the couple rebooked their Wednesday British Airways flight for a 7 p.m. flight on Monday.

The couple visited their daughter in Charlotte Harbor for two weeks. They weathered Helene, where they escaped flooding by inches.

They weren’t going to take another chance.

— Shauna Muckle

1:50 p.m. No deadline extension for voter registration, DeSantis says

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the deadline to register to vote in the general election won’t be extended despite Hurricane Milton approaching Florida.

“People can register today, there’s nothing inhibiting you registering today,” DeSantis said during a Monday news conference about the storm.

Amy Keith, executive director of Common Cause Florida responded, saying in an email that refusing to extend the deadline while people are recovering from one major storm and preparing for another is a “dereliction of duty.”

— Justin Garcia

1:45 p.m. Tolls on state roads suspended

Gov. Ron DeSantis directed tolls be suspended across west and central Florida starting at 10:30 a.m. today.

In Tampa Bay, that includes tolls for the following roads: Suncoast Parkway; Interstate 4 Connector; Selmon Expressway; Veterans Expressway; Gateway Expressway; Interstate 275 Express; Pinellas Bayway; and the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

Tolls for Alligator Alley have also been suspended, along with several roads in Osceola, Orange, Lake, Seminole, Sumter and Polk County.

The Florida Department of Transportation is also actively implementing emergency shoulder use along I-4 and parts of Interstate 75 to ease the flow of traffic as thousands of people begin evacuating out of their homes.

— Romy Ellenbogen

1:40 p.m. Debris truck convoys get official escort

Long convoys of dump trucks were being escorted by Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office vehicles Monday afternoon.

With lights flashing and sirens blaring, law enforcement officers escorted one convoy of empty trucks through heavy traffic across the Howard Frankland Bridge on Interstate 275 toward Pinellas County around 1 p.m.

About 25 minutes later, a convoy of full dump trucks carrying what appeared to be garbage from Hurricane Helene was escorted around heavy traffic on Interstate 4 in the emergency lane, headed east out of Tampa in the other direction.

— Christopher Spata

1:15 p.m. Debris collection site open near Azalea Park in St. Petersburg

The city of St. Petersburg has opened a debris collection site near Azalea Park where residents and haulers can bring their trash. A city spokesperson says that site has no long lines.

The park is located at 1600 72nd St N.

1:10 p.m. Resources for people who need help evacuating

Among the Tampa Bay locals who were killed in Hurricane Helene, almost all shared a tragic trait in common: They were over 60 years old. Nearly all of them lived in mandatory evacuation zones, but didn’t leave. Many also had mobility issues, such as needing walkers to get around.

For people who need help evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton — whose storm surge could be even worse than Helene’s — there are resources available. Here are the numbers to call in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties to get rides to shelters.

— Emily L. Mahoney and Justin Garcia

1 p.m. Neighbors helping neighbors with debris in Lutz

During a Monday morning news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis called for all hands on deck to help clear debris remaining from Hurricane Helene, before Hurricane Milton arrives.

A group of neighbors from one Lutz community in northern Hillsborough County took the message to heart. They drove four trucks and a trailer around the area, scooping up the branches, limbs and leaves left sitting by the side of the road.

“It’s just helping the neighbors,” Alex Gimenez said as he waited for one truck to arrive.

The group took their filled trucks to the landfill on Linebaugh Avenue, which they said was crowded but not so bad. Then they returned for more.

“You have to wait an hour,” Bob Dellagatta said. “But they’re well organized.”

Since Helene struck, the neighbors also have gone out to the gulf beaches to help with cleanup. And they said they expected to be back once Milton has departed.

“It’s time to be a good neighbor and help the community,” said Zoe Faircloth.

— Jeffrey S. Solochek

12:55 p.m. President Biden approves emergency declaration for Florida

President Joe Biden on Monday afternoon approved an emergency declaration for Florida, allowing FEMA to provide federal disaster assistance.

The emergency declaration covers 51 Florida counties, including all of those in the Tampa Bay area.

— Romy Ellenbogen

12:45 a.m. ‘Evacuate out, not up,’ state emergency director says

When preparing to evacuate ahead of massive expected storm surge, Florida Division of Emergency Management director Kevin Guthrie says “evacuate out, not up.”

Though people on high floors of high-rise condominiums may think they are safe, Guthrie warned that water damage could leave them stranded on the upper floors without elevator access.

Guthrie said his brother-in-law, who works in the elevator business, said after Hurricane Helene there were 380 elevators out of commission in the greater Tampa Bay area.

Guthrie said if someone is dependent on using the elevator, instead of using stairs, they must factor that into their evacuation plan.

— Romy Ellenbogen

12:35 p.m. Showers staged at Tropicana Field for post-Milton outages

Scores of mobile showers sat stationed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Monday for use after Hurricane Milton hits the area, a sign of the potential severity of the storm as officials prepare for widespread outages.

— Emily L. Mahoney

12:20 p.m. Hillsborough County to open nine shelters

Hillsborough County will open nine shelters at 2:30 p.m. for residents in Zone A, Zone B and in vulnerable homes.

The shelters are located at: Burnett Middle School, 1010 N Kingsway Road, Seffner; Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City; Erwin Technical College, 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa; Middleton High School, 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa; Pizzo Elementary School, 11701 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa; Shields Middle School, 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin; Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa; Sumner High School, 10650 County Road 672, Riverview; Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover.

All shelters with the exception of Pizzo Elementary are pet friendly. Strawberry Crest, Sumner and Erwin Technical are special needs only.

— Divya Kumar

12:10 p.m. Pasco, Hernando schools extend closures

The Hernando and Pasco school districts have extended their closures this week.

The Pasco district announced over the weekend that it would be closed through Wednesday. But as the path of Hurricane Milton still includes Pasco, which opened four schools as evacuation shelters at noon, the district decided to keep all schools and offices closed for the entire week. That includes all events and activities.

Schools being used as shelters are Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City; Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Avenue, Hudson; Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel; and River Ridge Middle/High School, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey.

The county has issued a mandatory evacuation for Zones A and B, with a voluntary evacuation for Zone C.

The Hernando district, which announced over the weekend it would cancel classes Tuesday and Wednesday, has added Thursday and Friday to its days off. That includes all activities and events.

“It is likely that Hernando County shelters will need to remain available for evacuees through Friday,” spokesperson Karen Jordan said.

— Jeffrey S. Solochek

12:05 p.m. Milton strengthens to Category 5 storm

Hurricane Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm at noon Monday, with 160-mph winds.

Milton’s rapid intensification rivals nearly every storm before it, forecasters said. Its wind speeds grew more than 90 mph in 24 hours, behind only Felix in 2007 and Wilma in 2005, according to the National Hurricane Center’s records.

In an 11 a.m. update, forecasters put it bluntly: “Milton’s remarkable rapid intensification is continuing.”

Read more here.

— Jack Prator

12 p.m. Forecaster Denis Phillips: ‘This storm is the real deal’

Popular Tampa Bay forecaster Denis Phillips, whose “Rule #7: Don’t Freak Out” advice has carried many longtime residents through past storms, shared an update on his Facebook page as Hurricane Milton continued to strengthen about 11:30 a.m.

He said the exact landfall location remains uncertain, but everyone should be getting their homes and families ready.

“Unfortunately, this storm is the real deal. The one we always knew was possible, but dreaded even thinking about it,” he wrote. “So, now is the time to act. You still have 1½ days. Follow evacuation warnings. Make your final preps.”

— Zachary T. Sampson

11:40 a.m. Pinellas opens six emergency shelters

Pinellas County has opened six shelters ahead of Hurricane Milton’s arrival.

Largo High School, Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor University High School are all general-population shelters, and all are pet-friendly.

Palm Harbor University High’s Building 19 will serve as a shelter for residents with special needs, as will Dunedin Highland Middle School and Oak Grove Middle School in Clearwater.

The county has issued a mandatory evacuation order for special-needs and electricity-dependent residents in Zones A, B and C, and it is encouraging all residents in those zones and in mobile homes to evacuate now, with additional evacuation orders expected.

— Jack Evans

10:50 a.m. Tampa Bay closures

Here is a list of what has closed around Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Milton. We’ll be updating this list constantly.

— Sharon Kennedy Wynne

10:45 a.m. Time running out to book emergency flights

For Tampa Bay residents, the window has nearly passed to book an emergency flight out of town ahead of the storm.

Delta Air Lines, for example, had no remaining Monday flights from Tampa to Atlanta as of 10:30 a.m. Customers would have to shell out more than $800 for a roundabout Delta flight to Washington, D.C., later Monday evening — and there was only one flight left at that price.

American Airlines flights to Atlanta on Monday ranged from $641 to more than $2,400. Each flight had at most one or two seats remaining.

American, Delta, Allegiant, Frontier, JetBlue, United, Southwest and Spirit airlines have all issued travel advisories as Hurricane Milton approaches.

— Shauna Muckle

10:40 a.m. State officials urge Floridians to heed evacuation orders

In a Monday news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis told Floridians to heed evacuation orders and prepare for Hurricane Milton now.

In the state’s emergency operations center, where staff had marked the top of the wall with a note indicating it was 10 feet tall, DeSantis and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie warned Floridians not to take the avoidable risk of drowning in storm surge.

In some parts of Tampa Bay, storm surge peak could be eight to 12 feet tall.

“Drowning deaths due to storm surge are 100% preventable if you leave,” Guthrie said. “You had situations where people died drowning in Hurricane Ian, had they just gone across the bridge … to the first available shelter that had capacity, they would still be alive.”

A flurry of evacuations would likely come down today, Guthrie said. He begged residents to heed those warnings.

The state would begin suspending tolls in the central west part of the state starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday to help people evacuating.

The state also has prepared the shoulders of the highway for emergency use if traffic slows too much. As the storm gets closer to landfall, the state has been helping local governments with debris removal.

In the last 24 hours, the state has removed almost 500 truckloads of debris – 9,000 cubic yards of debris – just from the barrier islands in Pinellas County, DeSantis said.

The state is also preparing to set up supplemental shelters, including in counties outside of the storms’ path where people could evacuate to.

— Romy Ellenbogen

10:15 a.m. Column: Hurricane Milton, you cannot be serious right now

Are we to believe that just a sliver of an iota of a moment after Hurricane Helene unleashed the worst storm damage on Tampa Bay in more than a century, we are repeating this whole traumatic process? Again? Before we have cleaned up from the last one? Columnist Stephanie Hayes unpacks the surrealness of this storm.

10 a.m. Tampa International, St. Pete-Clearwater airports to close

Tampa Bay’s major airports will suspend operations prior to Hurricane Milton’s landfall.

Tampa International Airport will close at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Its reopening date is uncertain, as crews assess damage before restarting commercial flights.

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will close Tuesday afternoon, after the last flight departs.

— Shauna Muckle

9:35 a.m. Hillsborough County orders evacuations for Zones A and B, mobile and manufactured homes

Hillsborough County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for evacuation Zones A and B, and for all mobile homes and manufactured housing throughout the county, starting at 2:30 p.m. today.

The county will open nine shelters for those residents in the mandatory evacuation zones and for those whose homes are vulnerable to storm surge, flooding, and those that may be more susceptible to wind damage, according to a county news release.

Residents in these zones and structures should be in a safe location no later than 7 a.m. on Wednesday.

Click here for a list of shelters that will be open to residents.

9:15 a.m. Milton strengthens to Category 4 storm

Hurricane Milton has intensified to a Category 4 storm with wind speeds at 150 mph, according to a 9 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center.

Milton was 735 miles west-southwest of Tampa and moving east-southeast at 8 mph.

Forecasters expect the storm to hurtle toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as a strong Cat 4 before weakening slightly before landfall. But forecasters say not to underestimate Milton.

“We don’t want people to be too concerned whether it’s a Category 4 or Category 3, the impacts locally are going to be tremendous,” Davis said.

Read more here.

— Jack Prator

8:50 a.m. State, federal court closures

State and federal courts in Hillsborough County are open Monday, but will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to the approach of Hurricane Milton. All jury trials set for this week will be rescheduled.

Courts in Pinellas and Pasco counties had previously announced they will be closed through Wednesday.

— Dan Sullivan

8:30 a.m. City of St. Pete Beach to shut off water Tuesday morning

Although Pinellas County officials had not officially ordered for mandatory evacuations for the entire barrier islands by 8:30 a.m. Monday morning, residents on St. Pete Beach have good reason to start leaving.

The city will shut off all waterlines starting 9 a.m. Tuesday to prepare for Hurricane Milton. By noon Tuesday, “waterlines will be completely offline until further notice,” the city’s website says.

That means residents of St. Pete Beach won’t have water come out of their faucets, nor will they be able to flush toilets. City officials said the measure is necessary to protect water infrastructure.

Local governments in Sarasota and Manatee counties shut off the water to barrier islands in those areas before Helene for the same reason, saying that extreme storm surge can cause barrier islands to shift and cause the water systems to break.

It’s likely the water shutoffs will also push people to evacuate. In its online update, the city of St. Pete Beach encouraged residents to begin leaving voluntarily ahead of likely mandatory orders for the beaches.

— Emily L. Mahoney

7:20 a.m. Milton strengthens to Category 3 storm

Hurricane Milton has now strengthened to a Category 3 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory.

Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane that could be the worst Tampa Bay has seen in a lifetime.

The storm was about 750 miles west-southwest of Tampa as of 7 a.m. It was moving east-southeast at 8 mph with 120 mph winds.

While forecasters are confident Milton will be a powerful, life-threatening storm for the Gulf Coast, there is still uncertainty in its track. The hurricane center cited a 100 mile margin of error for landfall Monday.

“There remains significant differences in both the location and timing of landfall,” forecasters wrote in an advisory Monday.

Read more here.

— Jack Prator

7 a.m. Schools closed, shelters opening

Schools across the Tampa Bay region and throughout Florida have closed Monday in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Milton. Several school districts have opened evacuation shelters as well.

School districts closed Monday are:

Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Lee County, Collier County and DeSoto County.

The University of South Florida and New College of Florida have closed Monday, along with Florida A&M and Florida Gulf Coast.

Additional closures are set for Tuesday and Wednesday. Schools announced as opening as evacuation shelters in the Tampa Bay area include:

Hillsborough County — Middleton High School, 4801 N 22nd St, Tampa.

Pasco County — Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City; Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Avenue, Hudson; Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel; River Ridge Middle/High School, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey; along with the Fasano Regional Hurricane Center, 11611 Denton Avenue, Hudson (Special Needs Only)

Hernando County — Challenger K-8, 13400 Elgin Blvd., Spring Hill

Pinellas County — has not announced shelters yet

— Jeffrey S. Solochek

5 a.m. Milton strengthens to Category 2, surge map released

Milton intensified to a Category 2 storm overnight, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The advisory showed the Tampa Bay region is roughly in the middle of the forecast cone. The hurricane center issued a hurricane watch for stretch of the gulf coastline extending from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwannee River. That includes Tampa Bay. The hurricane center has also issued its first peak storm surge forecast for Milton, and it’s not good news.

The graphic shows Tampa Bay’s vulnerable, low-lying region could face up to 12 feet of dangerous storm surge. That’s worse than Hurricane Helene’s surge that inundated thousands of homes and claimed the lives of at least a dozen people just a few days ago.

“There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday,” forecasters wrote during a 5 a.m. advisory as they placed storm surge and hurricane watches for portions of Florida’s west coast.

If you live in an evacuation zone or are vulnerable to flooding, please heed the calls today to leave. Up to 12 feet of surge is an incredibly dangerous situation.

— Max Chesnes

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