Author: Terry Spencer and Haven Daly
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida's west coast on Wednesday on a potentially catastrophic collision course, with some residents insisting they would stay after millions were ordered to evacuate, officials said They warn that those left behind will face grim chances of survival.
The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, faces the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Milton, a terrifying Category 5 hurricane, will likely weaken during much of its approach but remain a major hurricane when it makes landfall late Wednesday.
Milton was centered about 405 miles (650 kilometers) southwest of Tampa late Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), the National Hurricane Center reported.
Forecasters predict the storm will maintain hurricane strength as it moves through central Florida and east into the Atlantic on Thursday. The hurricane's precise path remains uncertain, with forecasters pushing its projected path to the south of Tampa Tuesday night.
Thousands of fleeing cars clogged Florida highways ahead of the storm, but time was running out to evacuate Wednesday. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said the storm surge in the city was expected to reach 15 feet (4.5 meters), enough to swallow entire houses.
“So if you're in there, this is basically the coffin you're in,” Custer said.
Milton took aim at still struggling communities two weeks after Hurricane Helene tore through western Florida, flooding streets and homes and killing at least 230 people across the South.
On Tuesday, streets in the bayside town of Punta Gorda, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa, were still filled with 5-foot-tall (1.5-meter) piles of soggy furniture pulled from damaged homes. Clothes, books, appliances and other trash.
Many of the homes are vacant, but accountant and art collector Scott Joiner still lives on the second floor of a New Orleans-style home he built 17 years ago. Joiner said bull sharks swam along flooded streets and he had to rescue Helen in a canoe when she passed by and flooded the first floor of a neighbor's home.
“Having water is a blessing,” Joyner said, “but it can also be very deadly.”
Joyner said despite the risks, he plans to go one more round and beat Milton.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders for 11 Florida counties with a total population of about 5.9 million.
Officials warned that anyone left behind must take care of themselves, as first responders were not expected to risk their lives by attempting rescues during the worst of the storm.
On Tuesday, several drivers waiting in line for gas in Riverview, south of Tampa, said they had no plans to evacuate.
“I think we're going to hold on, you know – hang on,” said Martin Oakes of nearby Apollo Beach. “We have the shutters up. The house is ready. So this is the last piece of the puzzle.
After Helen, no one else took the risk.
On Anna Marie Island on the southern edge of Tampa Bay, Evan Purcell was gathering his father's ashes and trying to hold on to his 9-year-old cat, McKenzie, as he prepared to leave Tuesday. When his home flooded, Helen caused him thousands of dollars in damage. He worried that Milton might be responsible for the rest.
“I'm still shocked from the first round, and the second round came again,” Purcell said. “I feel very uncomfortable about this.”
State and local governments scrambled ahead of the storm to remove the piles of debris left in Helen's wake, fearing the incoming hurricane would turn loose debris into flying missiles. Governor Ron DeSantis said the state deployed more than 300 dump trucks and removed 1,300 truckloads of trash.
In Mexico, authorities in the state of Yucatán reported minor damage to the Milton as it passed offshore. Yucatán Gov. Joaquín Díaz said power lines, light poles and trees were knocked down near the coast and some small thatched-roof buildings were destroyed. He reported no deaths or injuries.
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Spencer reported from Fort Myers Beach. This report was contributed by Associated Press reporters Curt Anderson and Kate Payne in Tampa; Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale; Russ Bynum Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C., and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City.
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