Florida Map Shows Areas at Risk of Heavy Rain as Hurricane Milton Nears

A map produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that parts of central Florida could be inundated by up to 18 inches of rainfall over the next few days as Hurricane Milton makes landfall.
According to NOAA, the worst hit areas for rainfall will be the part of central Florida extending from Tampa Bay in the west to an area north of Orlando in the east, with the federal agency warning that wide swaths of the Sunshine State could face “catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding.”
Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm, is expected to make landfall along Florida’s west-central coast by Thursday morning. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicted maximum sustained winds of almost 160 mph, with some more powerful gusts. President Joe Biden has postponed a trip to Germany and Angola to monitor Milton’s arrival, and he is urging those under evacuation orders to leave immediately as “a matter of life and death.”
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The NOAA map shows the level of rainfall expected over Florida between 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday and the same time on Friday. The agency said: “Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches, with localized totals up to 18 inches, are expected across central to northern portions of the Florida peninsula through Thursday. This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding.”
While the worst-affected area is expected to be along that central belt, heavy rainfall is forecast over a much wider area, with up to two inches as far north as Jacksonville and 2-4 inches for Fort Myers in the south.
According to the NHC’s latest update, released at 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Milton was heading northeast towards Florida at around 12 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 30 miles from the center, with tropical storm force winds extending out up to 140 miles.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis began issuing emergency orders over the weekend, which are now in force across 51 counties, according to CBS News.
Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday about where Milton would make landfall DeSantis said: “I think the most recent models have it somewhere in Manatee County, just south of Tampa Bay.
“But I would just tell people, one, we’re going to have impacts far beyond wherever the eye of the storm is. Two, you can make landfall anywhere from Citrus County down into Southwest Florida.”
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Referring to the affected areas, DeSantis added: “Now is the time to execute your [evacuation] plan…but that time is running out.” States of emergency have already been declared for parts of Florida and Georgia.
The NWS in Tampa Bay said Milton would be “a historic storm for the west coast of Florida” and said it could be the worst to hit the area in over a century.
Millions of Florida residents were earlier urged to evacuate, with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor commenting: “There’s never been one like this. Helene was a wake-up call; this is literally catastrophic. And I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
On September 26, Hurricane Helene crashed into Florida as a Category 4 storm, causing 225 deaths as it made it hit multiple states across the Southeast.
Disney World in Florida has announced that some of its operations will be closed due to Milton beginning on Wednesday.
In a statement it said: “We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm, and the safety of our Guests and Cast Members remains our top priority. Looking ahead, we are making adjustments based on the latest weather forecast and some areas with unique environments.”