'Worst storm in a century': Florida braces for Hurricane Milton after Category 5 storm barrels through Mexico

8 October 2024, 22:24 | Updated: 9 October 2024, 08:58

Hurricane Milton continues to barrel towards Florida after striking Mexico - with more than a million people having been ordered to flee ahead of the "worst storm in a century".

Floridians continued to flee the state on Wednesday in a desperate race to escape the sunshine state ahead of the Category 5 hurricane making landfall.

Hurricane Milton recorded wind speeds of 160 mph on Wednesday morning according to an update from the National Hurricane Centre, having regained its strength from a Category 4 in recent hours.

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Evacuation warnings issued early on Monday remain in place for 5.5million people, with US highways gridlocked and fuel supplies running low in many areas as residents flee for their lives.

Hurricane Milton joins 2018 storm Hurricane Michael as the strongest - and only Category 5 hurricanes - to hit Florida in October since records began.

The storm's winds reached 180mph on Monday night, with the Category 5 hurricane - the highest level - weakening to a Category 4 with winds of around 155mph as of Tuesday morning before returning to a Category 5 on Wednesday.

Milton expanded as it struck the Gulf of Mexico towards Tampa later in the day, making it potentially "one of the most destructive hurricanes on record".

It is expected to reach the US coast overnight on Wednesday.

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President Joe Biden warned on Tuesday that the hurricane could be one of the worst storms Florida has seen in more than a century.

He added that he had approved an emergency declaration for Florida and called on airlines to accommodate evacuations without engaging in price-gouging.

It came after Florida governor Ron DeSantis warned residents that “time is running out” to flee the state as Milton nears its coastline.

"There's no guarantee what the weather's going to be like starting Wednesday morning," DeSantis said during a press conference at the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

"You may have a window where it may be safe, but you may not," he said.

"So use today as your day to finalize and execute the plan that is going to protect you and your family."

He added that, as things stand, fuel supplies are holding and the state is working with petrol companies to increase availability.

Major highways, including the i-75, were gridlocked early on Tuesday as thousands of residents desperately attempted to flee Milton’s path.

Residents have taken to social media over the last 24 hours, with some saying they don’t have the financial means to evacuate.

One user shared a clip of a gridlocked i-75 on X, writing: “This is why a lot of people are staying behind, at a certain point traffic is so bad you cannot get out of Florida, or there's no gas. So you're stuck outside of Gainesville.”

While another said her son is trapped at home due to fuel shortages.

She wrote: “Everywhere is out of gas and roads are too backed up for him to evaluate.

“He has family in Georgia but can't get there. This is scary. He is scared. I am terrified for him.”

Milton risks causing unprecedented destruction in the sunshine state, with one meteorologist breaking down on live TV at the thought of it.

John Morales was reporting on the hurricane on NBC affiliate WTVJ, explaining just how dangerous the storm could be.

At one point, Morales breaks down as he says: “I apologise – this is just horrific.

”It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped...,” he continued.

“It has dropped 50 millibars in ten hours.”

He added: “I apologize, this is just horrific.”

Some experts have said Milton could be declared the first Category 6 hurricane after it reached the max limits of Cat 5.

Fox News meteorologist Noah Bergren said: "This hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth's atmosphere over this ocean water can produce."

The hurricane is heading for Tampa, a coastal city of around 400,000 people that is thought to be particularly vulnerable to storm surges. Some 3.3 million live in the city and its suburbs.

Tampa Bay, midway down the west coast of Florida, has not been hit directly by a major hurricane since 1921.

It comes after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the same region less than two weeks ago, killing 12 people in the Tampa area, and around 200 overall in the US.

The Tampa mayor warned residents to leave the area before the hurricane makes landfall.

Jane Castor said: "I can say this without any dramatisation whatsoever; if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.”

She added: "This is the real deal here with Milton. If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time."

Around 15 million people in the wider region have been placed on hurricane watch.

Forecasters warned that Milton could bring a possible eight- to 12-foot (2.4- to 3.6-metre) storm surge, leading to evacuation orders being issued for beach communities all along the Gulf coast.

The hurricane will also bring very heavy rain, which is likely to cause flash flooding.

US officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the hurricane "poses an extremely serious threat to Florida and residents are urged to follow the orders of local officials."

US representative Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers were mobilised to help in one of the largest mobilisations of federal personnel in history.

The strongest Atlantic hurricane on record is 1980's Allen, which reached wind speeds of 190 mph as it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf before striking Texas and Mexico.

The Tampa Bay area is still rebounding from Helene and its powerful surge - a wall of water up to eight feet it created even though its eye was 100 miles offshore.

Twelve people died there, with the worst damage along a string of barrier islands from St Petersburg to Clearwater.