(This story was updated to add new information)
As rain-heavy Tropical Storm Milton trudges east through the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters predict it will become a hurricane tonight , one that’s heading right for Florida’s west coast.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday that includes Lee, Collier Hendry and Charlotte counties. Lee and Collier counties are under a flood watch through Thursday morning.
Lee County officials will host a live Facebook meeting at noon on the storm; Sanibel’s is at 1:30 p.m. and Fort Myers Beach is expected to declare a local state of emergency at 4 p.m.
In a 5 a.m. bulletin Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said the storm “is forecast to move across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by midweek.” What that means for Southwest Florida, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene , remains to be seen.
It called for heavy rainfall over portions of Florida today and Monday “well ahead of Milton,” with heavy rainfall more directly related to the system expected later on Tuesday through Wednesday night.