The Fourth Atlantic Hurricane Season: Warnings, Watches, and Warnings for the West Coast and South-West of the Florida Peninsula, and Implications for Fort Myers

The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June through November. It is the fifth in a row, breaking a previous record of two.

The storm is moving west-west and moving west-southwest. There are warnings and watches for the west coast of the Florida peninsula as well as warnings and watches for parts of the south-central coast.

The NHC says most models agree with their views on who will cross the Florida Peninsula, but they still disagree about the exact location and timing of landfall.

Communities like Sarasota, Tampa and Fort Myers, as well as others along the western Florida coastline, are bracing for what officials warn will be a life-threatening storm. Storm surges are predicted to reach up to 15 feet high, and several towns were placed under a mandatory evacuation.

Parts of Florida’s west coast face a potential life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds beginning late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Forecasters say it could raise water levels to as high as 8 to 12 feet in coastal areas of Florida, including Tampa Bay.

The NHC said residents should follow any advice given by the local officials and evacuate if ordered to do so.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has already expanded an emergency declaration to cover 51 of the state’s 67 counties and is warning people across the peninsula to prepare.

Do not marriage to the cone, he stated on Sunday. Even if you live outside of the forecast cone, you should prepare for potential impacts. We recommend following your local officials’ orders to evacuate.

But city officials continue to deal with residents refusing to evacuate. Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson has been encouraging people to leave and to expect the worst due to the unpredictability of the storm. Anderson told people in the video on Facebook that they should prepare themselves for a deathly blow on Fort Myers. It would be a blessing to have anything less.

But he also cautioned inland residents who don’t live in an evacuation zone or depend on electricity for medical needs that “it may be better for you to just stay in place.”

Manatee County and Pasco County have ordered the evacuation of residents in certain low-lying areas, mobile homes and RVs, while Pinellas County ordered the evacuation of all residential healthcare facilities within certain zones.

Many Floridians were still recovering from Helene so they should account for how much water, food, pets they used up. Is it necessary for them to buy fresh batteries? Have they restocked their supply kits to last each family member up to seven days?

It notes that public school districts in many counties will be closed from Monday through at least Wednesday and that Florida Gulf Coast University — near Fort Myers — will close its campus Tuesday and Wednesday, after shifting to remote operations.

But it is expected to exit into the Atlantic Ocean, sparing many of the southeastern states that were hit hardest by Helene, including Georgia and the Carolinas.

At least 149 people were killed in Hurricane Ian due to flooding, brought on by 15-foot storm surges, and 155-mph winds. It was the third-costliest storm on record.

Abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, fueled by human-caused climate change, has made it easier for hurricanes to strengthen rapidly and bring even more wind and rain ashore.

It is the first time ever that there have been three hurricanes in the ocean after September. In addition to Milton, Hurricanes Kirk and Leslie are also brewing.

SARASOTA, Fla. — Chris Smith hustled to the entrance of his local Sarasota Walmart on Tuesday afternoon looking to stock up on food, water and other supplies as Hurricane Milton approached Florida’s west coast.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “Floridians reconsider staying home as Hurricane Milton edges closer” after the Hurricane-Shell-Induced Hurricane

“I have a friend that lives downtown in one of the high-rise condos, so I can park my car at a higher level. Smith said that there was no way that building would be affected.

Before driving over there, he is fortifying his home’s windows. Seeing the massive destruction of Hurricane Helene, which was a Category 4 when it hit Florida nearly two weeks ago, has Smith feeling paranoid about this storm, he said.

He said it was very serious. I never feel that way. With all the information, all the numbers and everything, it’s going to be destructive,” he said.

Smith didn’t want to drive away from his home and into Georgia due to the gas shortage, but he saw traffic and decided against it.

GasBuddy’s Fuel Availability Tracker showed that as of 11 a.m. ET, 43% of gas stations in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area run out of fuel. Almost 32% of the gas stations in the area were out of gas.

“We have been dispatching fuel over the past 24 hours as gas stations have run out. We have an additional 1.2 million gallons of both diesel and gasoline that is currently en route to the state of Florida. “Fuel still arrives in Florida by port,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said during the press conference Tuesday morning.

Source: Floridians reconsider staying home as Hurricane Milton edges closer

Robert Parker and his family had a fort in the Caloosahatchee River after Hurricane Ivanhoeel II: The fort is closed

In other parts of the state, there is a storm from two years ago that is more important than recent damage or fears of an upcoming storm.

Robert Parker, 37, stayed in his house with his son and fiancé when Hurricane Ian hit. His property is near the Caloosahatchee River, which is prone to floods due to the storm surge. They almost drowned during Hurricane Ian.

We are going to board everything, then take it to a hotel. After the storm is over, I have to go back to the property and make sure everything is okay.

“I know more people leaving this time than ever left,” Husz told NPR. But she’s not leaving. Husz said that she wanted to guard the fort and that she had shutters and a generator. I have given myself some degree of security, no matter what it is, I have done all I know to do.