TAMPA, Fla. — Tropical Storm Milton has developed in the SW Gulf of Mexico. The first track from the NHC brings it to Florida's West Coast Wednesday as a strong Category 2 hurricane.
As the Tampa Bay area begins to recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene, many are worried there could be another hurricane is headed for our area yet again. ABC Action News Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips has everything you need to know about Milton and what the effects could bring to the area.
Here are Denis' thoughts:
- Landfall will occur in Florida. Timing is Wednesday. No changes are expected.
- A strong cold front is going to head South early next week. Our hope is, it sends dry air and shear to limit development. Problem is, by then, it will probably already be a hurricane. Still, limiting max winds would be a huge help. It's a very close call in timing. It's pretty simple. The models showing a weaker storm are impacted by dry air and shear. The models that show a stronger storm aren't.
- Surge will occur just to the South of landfall. If you're North, winds will blow offshore and you won't see surge. So in this case, exact track is massive. 10 miles will make a big difference. No way this early to be that precise, so it's a waiting game.
- In addition, strongest winds will be within 10-15 miles of the eye. So unlike Helene which covered a large area, Milton will be more landfall specific with impacts. It's a big coastline. Unfortunately, someone will see this, but the overall threat of any particular area seeing landfall this early is low. The track will shift. It always does. The margin or error this far out is 150 miles.
- We'll be updating 24/7. Hopefully you'll find the information useful. Our goal is always to give you more than you need than not enough. The last thing we ever want to hear is "I didn't know". Now is the time to prepare. It's cliche but it's true. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."
Updates 24/7 as always.
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