Tropical Storm Milton forms in Gulf; headed toward Florida

The National Hurricane Center said on Saturday that Tropical Storm Milton has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane headed toward Florida, possibly impacting its western coast. 

Milton is forecast to undergo a period of rapid intensification and “bring the risk of life-threatening impacts to portions of the west coast of Florida next week,” the hurricane center said. It is forecast to become a hurricane Sunday night and strengthen into a major hurricane over the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico. 

A major hurricane is a Category 3 storm or more significant with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour. 

As of 5 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, Milton was centered 245 miles north of Veracruz, Mexico, and 385 miles west-northwest of Veracruz, Mexico. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was inching north-northeast at 3 mph. 

Milton is forecast to move across the southwestern Gulf of Mexico through Sunday night, then across the south-central Gulf on Monday and Tuesday before reaching Florida’s west coast by the middle of the week, the hurricane center said.   

The forecast comes a little more than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and across the Southeast, killing at least 229 people in six states and causing immense destruction. President Biden on Thursday took an aerial tour of Florida’s Big Bend, where Helene struck as a Category 4 storm. Hundreds of people are still missing, and Mr. Biden said the work to rebuild will cost “billions of dollars” as communities suffer still without power, running water, and passable roads.

In a news release Saturday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Milton could bring “storm surge and heavy rainfall to areas recovering from hurricanes Helene and Debby and affect areas far from the coast.”

FEMA said it already had hundreds of staff in Florida assisting with Helene’s recovery, who will also help prepare for Milton’s potential arrival. 

CBS Miami reported that heavy rain is possible in the region starting Sunday into Monday, and more rain and heavy winds will most likely arrive on Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center said hurricane and storm surge watches will most likely be required for portions of Florida starting Sunday.