Hurricane Milton Intermediate Advisory Number 18A

• MILTON GROWING IN SIZE AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA 
• LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE, DAMAGING WINDS, AND FLOODING RAINS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN FLORIDA 

• Florida west coast from Flamingo northward to Yankeetown, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
• Sebastian Inlet Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia, including the SAINT Johns River

•      Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay
• Florida east coast from the SAINT Lucie/Martin County Line northward to Ponte Vedra Beach

• Dry Tortugas
• Lake Okeechobee
• Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach
• Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the SAINT Marys River
• Florida east coast from the SAINT Lucie/Martin County Line to the Palm Beach/Martin County Line

• Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay
• Lake Okeechobee
• Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
• Florida west coast from north of Suwanee River to Indian Pass
• Florida east coast south of the SAINT Lucie/Martin County Line to Flamingo
• North of Ponte Vedra Beach Florida to the Savannah River
• Extreme northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island, the Abacos, and Bimini

•      North of the Savannah River to South Santee River South Carolina

1. A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations.
2. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic, available at hurricanes.gov.
3. This is a life-threatening situation.
4. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions.
5. Promptly follow evacuation and other instructions from local officials.
6. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
7. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
8. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
9. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.
10. A Hurricane Watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.
11. A watch is typically issued 48 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical-storm-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous.
12. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
13. For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
14. For storm information specific to your area outside of the United States, please monitor products issued by your national meteorological service.

• At 2:00 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME (18:00 Coordinated Universal Time), the center of Hurricane Milton was located near latitude 26.3 North, longitude 84.0 WEST.
• Milton is moving toward the north-northeast near 16 Miles Per Hour, (26 Kilometers Per Hour).
• A turn toward the northeast with a decrease in forward speed is expected this evening and tonight.
• A turn toward the east-northeast and east is expected on Thursday and Friday.
• On the forecast track, the center of Milton will make landfall along the west-central coast of Florida tonight, cross the Florida peninsula overnight and early Thursday, and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
• Maximum sustained winds are near 130 Miles Per Hour, (215 Kilometers Per Hour) with higher gusts.
• Milton is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
• Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and remain at hurricane strength while it moves across the Florida peninsula through Thursday.
• Gradual weakening is forecast while Milton moves eastward over the western Atlantic, and it is likely to become an extratropical storm by early Friday.
• Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 Kilometers) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 250 miles (280 Kilometers), especially to the north.
• A NOAA saildrone (SD-1083) located about 50 miles east of the center recently reported a sustained wind of 52 Miles Per Hour, (84 Kilometers Per Hour) and a wind gust of 70 Miles Per Hour, (112 Kilometers Per Hour).
• The minimum central pressure based on Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter data is 944 Millibar, (27.88 inches).

hurricanes.gov/text/MIATCDAT4.shtml

• The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.
• The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide

• • Anna Maria Island, FLORIDA to Boca Grande, FLORIDA 9-13 ft
  • Anclote River, FLORIDA to Anna Maria Island, FLORIDA 8-12 ft
  • Tampa Bay 8-12 ft
  • Boca Grande, FLORIDA to Bonita Beach, FLORIDA 8-12 ft
  • Charlotte Harbor 8-12 ft
  • Bonita Beach, FLORIDA to Chokoloskee, FLORIDA 5-8 ft
  • Aripeka, FLORIDA to Anclote River, FLORIDA 3-5 ft
  • Chokoloskee, FLORIDA to Flamingo, FLORIDA 3-5 ft
  • Sebastian Inlet, FLORIDA to Altamaha Sound, Georgia 3-5 ft
  • Yankeetown, FLORIDA to Aripeka, FLORIDA 2-4 ft
  • Dry Tortugas 2-4 ft
  • SAINT Johns River 2-4 ft

• The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the south of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves.
• Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.
• For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office.
• For a complete depiction of areas at risk of storm surge inundation, please see the National Weather Service Peak Storm Surge Graphic, available at

hurricanes.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?peakSurge

• Rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches, with localized totals up to 18 inches, are expected across central to northern portions of the Florida Peninsula through Thursday.
• This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding.
• For a complete depiction of forecast rainfall associated with Hurricane Milton, please see the National Weather Service Storm Total Rainfall Graphic, available at

• Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area across Florida beginning this evening through Thursday morning and are possible in the hurricane watch area on Thursday.
• Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in the warning area on the west coast of Florida in a few hours, spreading across the peninsula and reaching the east coast tonight.
• Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin in the warning area along the Georgia coast on Thursday.
• Tropical storm conditions are expected in portions of the northwestern Bahamas on Thursday.
• Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area on the South Carolina coast on Thursday.

• Several tornadoes are likely today and tonight across parts of central and southern Florida.