Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida Wednesday night and possibly weaken in strength down from a Category 4 hurricane , but that doesn’t mean Hoosiers aren’t concerned about the storm.
The storm could still be one of the region’s most devastating storms ever , as Indiana residents are forced to alter vacation plans and try to maintain the safety of loved ones from afar.
Milton became a hurricane Sunday as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico. On Monday, Milton intensified from a Category 2 hurricane into a Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center . On Wednesday morning it dropped to Category 4.
Hurricane hunters flew “Miss Piggy,” one of The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) two Lockheed WP-3D Orion “Hurricane Hunters,” into the eye of Hurricane Milton to collect data.
AccuWeather forecasters expect Milton to make landfall near St. Petersburg late Wednesday as a “formidable Category 3 hurricane.” Especially concerning: a potential record storm surge of 15-20 feet for the Tampa Bay, Sarasota and St. Petersburg areas.