The latest forecast has many warnings and watches for East Central Florida as Major Hurricane Milton draws closer. The storm will threaten intense damaging winds, considerable rainfall flooding, a few tornadoes, and battering surf and coastal flooding along portions of the coast. Residents in the area are advised to make preparations, which should be ongoing and completed by the end of today, as the situation is expected to deteriorate from Wednesday into Thursday, according to a report released by the National Weather Service in Melbourne issued early this morning.
Orlando and its surrounding counties are under hurricane watch and warnings, and a storm surge watch is in effect north of Sebastian Inlet. Those in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Lake counties are now facing a hurricane warning, while other areas, including Indian River County northward, are bracing for a potential escalation in alerts. In the words of the National Weather Service Melbourne, FL, "A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for Lake, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties, with a Hurricane Watch along the coast from Indian River County northward."
The hurricane is poised to approach Florida's west coast as a strong Category 3 event by Wednesday evening before crossing central Florida and entering the Atlantic Thursday morning. The NWS cautions, "Major Hurricane Milton will continue to move eastward across the southern GoMex and at some point begin to take on a more NERLY track toward the FL west coast." Coastal regions, in particular, may experience significant impacts and are strongly advised to avoid water activities due to "numerous, strong, life-threatening rip currents and rough surf."
Moreover, road and marine travel are expected to become perilous. The NWS warns that boating conditions will rapidly degrade to extremely dangerous levels by late Wednesday. As for road travel, residents are advised to remain vigilant, particularly in low-lying and poorly drained areas, as river levels along the Saint Johns at Astor are forecasted to approach Moderate Flood Stage again later today or by Wednesday, which could lead to considerable flooding impacts.
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