NBC6 spoke to Edgewater residents on Saturday, as they prepare for potential effects of Tropical Storm Milton.
Hurricane Milton is strengthening Sunday over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as it becomes officially a hurricane expected to slam into the west coast of Florida later this week.
As of 4:00 PM CDT, the center of the hurricane was located 275 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 805 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida. It had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving east at 7 mph. Milton is expected to reach major hurricane status in a day or two; Minimum sustained winds of 111 mph would be needed to become a Category 3.
According to the NHC bulletin, hurricane warnings have been issued for the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Celestún to Cabo Catoche, and a tropical storm warning from east of Cabo Catoche to Cancún. A flood watch is in effect for South Florida through Thursday morning.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Milton is forecast to rapidly intensify during the next couple of days and become a major hurricane on Monday.
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Governor Ron DeSantis increased the number of Florida counties under a state of emergency from 35 to 51 on Sunday ahead of the Milton's impact.
DeSantis issued Executive Order (EO) 24-214, Emergency Management – Tropical Storm Milton on Saturday evening only including 35 counties, now 16 more have been added under precaution to what is expected to be a “catastrophic major hurricane.”
Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties are all included. For the full list of counties under state of emergency, click here.
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Miami-Dade Mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, shared in her X account that “crews are hard at work clearing storm drains, ensuring pumps are ready and focusing on areas prone to flooding.”
FDOT also shared through their X account that under Gov. DeSantis’ direction, they have “activated available state personnel and resources to supplement local communities … in preparation for Tropical Storm Milton.”
