Hurricane Milton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hurricane Milton

Milton near peak intensity just north of the Yucatán Peninsula on October 7
Meteorological history
Formed	October 5, 2024 (2024-10-05)
Extratropical	October 10, 2024 (2024-10-10)
Category 5 tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS)
Highest winds	180 mph (285 km/h)
Lowest pressure	897 mbar (hPa); 26.49 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities	18+
Injuries	14+
Areas affected	Mexico (Gulf Coast of Mexico and northern Yucatán Peninsula) Greater Antilles (Western Cuba) Southeastern United States (especially Florida and Georgia) Lucayan Archipelago (The Bahamas)
Part of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Milton was an extremely powerful Atlantic hurricane which became the second-most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, behind only Hurricane Rita in 2005. Milton made landfall in the U.S. state of Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the state's Big Bend region. The thirteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, fourth major hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Milton was the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2024 so far.

Milton formed from a long-tracked tropical disturbance that originated in the western Caribbean Sea and consolidated in the Bay of Campeche on October 5, 2024. Two days later, the storm underwent explosive intensification and became a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 180 mph (285 km/h). At peak intensity, it had a pressure of 897 millibars (26.49 inHg), making it the fifth-most intense Atlantic on record. Milton weakened to Category 4 after an eyewall replacement cycle, then reintensified to Category 5. Increasing wind shear caused the hurricane to weaken as it turned northeast towards Florida, falling to Category 3 before making landfall near Siesta Key during the evening on October 9, 2024.

Ahead of the hurricane, Florida declared a state of emergency in which many coastal residents were ordered to evacuate. Preparations were also undertaken in Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The hurricane caused a tornado outbreak and widespread flooding in Florida. As of October 11, 2024, Hurricane Milton had killed at least 18 people: 16 in the United States and two in Mexico.

Meteorological history

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) first outlined an area for possible development in the western Caribbean Sea on September 26. A broad area of low pressure formed in the western Caribbean, producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms before degenerating into an open trough two days later. The disturbance then interacted with the remnants of Tropical Depression Eleven-E in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and a stationary front, and consolidated in the Bay of Campeche. By October 4, showing more signs of development, it was designated Invest 92L. The next day, as associated showers and thunderstorms organized further, the NHC upgraded it to Tropical Depression Fourteen, then to Tropical Storm Milton less than three hours later as satellite wind data indicated the storm was producing gale-force winds. The system gradually strengthened as it moved erratically in the Bay of Campeche due to weak steering currents. A developing mid-level trough over the Central United States eventually helped steer Milton eastward across the Gulf of Mexico. Milton's radius of maximum winds (RMW) was only 30 nautical miles (56 km), marking it as a relatively small storm. Spiral banding and consistent bursts of convection continued through the early morning of October 6.

By the afternoon of October 6, Hurricane Hunters had found that Milton had intensified into a hurricane, with an intermittent eye feature. Overnight, Milton began to undergo explosive intensification, enabled by highly favorable environmental conditions consisting of very warm sea surface temperatures (SSTs) near 31 °C (88 °F), high mid-level relative humidity values and low wind shear. As it did so, a pinhole eye measuring 4 nautical miles (7 km) soon developed within very deep convection of around −80 °C (−112 °F), becoming a major hurricane and soon after a Category 5 hurricane, by 11:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC respectively on October 7, making it the second Category 5 hurricane of the season. Milton reached its peak intensity at 00:00 UTC on October 8 with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 897 mbar (26.49 inHg), the most intense since Wilma in 2005, making Milton the fifth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record. In the 24-hour period from 00:00 UTC October 7 to 00:00 UTC October 8, the pressure fell from 981 mb (28.97 inHg) to 897 mbar (26.49 inHg), a drop of 84 mb (2.48 inHg), while the winds increased by 90 mph (145 km/h). This was also the third-fastest period of rapid intensification in the Atlantic after Wilma and Hurricane Felix, and the fastest in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricane seen from the International Space Station on October 8

After peaking in intensity, further strengthening was halted by an eyewall replacement cycle, causing the storm to weaken to Category 4 intensity later that night. But a larger eye became increasingly well-defined, and Milton re-achieved Category 5 intensity by the afternoon of October 8, by which time the hurricane had undergone a second round of rapid deepening to a secondary peak with winds of 165 mph (270 km/h) and a pressure of 902 mbar (26.64 inHg) at 00:00 UTC on October 9. By this time, Milton had begun to turn towards the northeast and accelerate from the trough steering it towards Florida. The following day on October 9, increasing wind shear began to affect Milton, and the storm fell below Category 5 intensity early that morning. The eye of the hurricane became cloud-filled and increasingly ill-defined while the convection became more ragged-looking as strong southwesterly wind shear of 35–40 mph (56–65 km/h) overtook the hurricane. Milton made landfall at about 00:30 UTC on October 10 (8:30 p.m. local time on October 9) near Siesta Key, Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h). Milton quickly weakened over land and emerged over the Atlantic Ocean as a Category 1 hurricane. On the afternoon of October 10, Milton transitioned to a hurricane-force extratropical low.

Preparations

Mexico

On October 6, 2024, the Mexican government issued a tropical storm watch for the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, from Celestún to Cancún. The watch was upgraded to tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches later in the day, then hurricane warnings the following day. Some 2,711 people voluntarily evacuated from Isla Holbox, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama reported. The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) mobilized hundreds of workers and pieces of equipment to be placed in Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo in preparation for Milton. The Secretariat of the Navy announced that the Mexican Navy would be distributed around affected regions for distribution of resources. Services on the Tren Maya were suspended.

Panic buying was observed in Mérida ahead of the storm. Non-essential government services, including public transportation, were suspended in parts of Yucatán as Milton rapidly intensified on October 7. Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena ordered the closure of all schools and ports in Yucatán.

United States

Florida

Emergency shoulder use (left shoulder only) on eastbound I-4 near Lakeland on October 7

A house in Port Charlotte boarded up in anticipation of Hurricane Milton

On October 5, 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency. He also issued an executive order requiring debris management sites and landfills in counties affected by Hurricane Helene to remain open around the clock to help remove debris before Milton made landfall. The order also increased the number of Florida National Guardsmen working on debris removal from 800 to 4,000 to keep debris becoming a hazard in Milton's high winds. Dump trucks were deployed to help remove mounds of debris. Sandbagging sites opened across the state.

Two days later, hurricane and tropical storm warnings were declared for the Florida West Coast, nearly 15 million people across Florida were under flood watches, and President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the state. DeSantis ordered the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Division of Emergency Management to coordinate resources. He suspended tolls on many roads in western Florida, including Florida's Turnpike. Public schools in over 50 counties as well as 23 public colleges and universities across the state canceled classes or were closed, including the University of South Florida in Tampa and Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. Rollins College evacuated campus. Several counties opened schools up as emergency shelters.

Amtrak suspended its Silver Service between Jacksonville and Miami from October 7 to 11 and cancelled the Auto Train from October 8 to 10. Many airports throughout the state, particularly in Central and Southwest Florida, temporarily closed during the storm including Tampa International Airport, Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport, St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, and Orlando International Airport. Thousands of flights intending to arrive or depart from Florida were cancelled. Several cruise lines had their schedule affected due to the storm. The October 7 launch of Hera occurred as planned, but the launch of the Europa Clipper spacecraft was delayed. SpaceX Crew-8's return was postponed to October 13. Brightline operations were suspended between West Palm Beach and Orlando station from October 8 to October 10. Several attractions were to close at Walt Disney World, with the whole park eventually closing; Legoland Florida closed as well. Starting on October 8, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay was to close for three days.

An estimated six million Floridians were ordered to evacuate, marking one of the largest evacuation orders since Hurricane Irma in 2017. The evacuation orders were primarily situated in Hillsborough and surrounding counties. Volusia and Marion counties also issued evacuation orders for homes at risk. Throughout the Tampa Bay area, comfort stations and locations to do basic utilities that were opened due to Helene were closed due to Milton. In Longboat Key, officials stated that residents should evacuate from the town. In coordination with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Uber offered free rides to and from state shelters.

Zoos such as the Florida Aquarium, the Palm Beach Zoo, and the ZooTampa activated their emergency plans and moved animals into higher ground locations or secure areas such as bathrooms. A few of the workers planned on staying at the zoos to continue to monitor the animals, feed them and provide care if needed. Some national organizations such as Wings of Rescue and Best Friends Animal Society, worked with others to evacuate shelter animals to partner shelters in other states.

The National Hockey League cancelled the preseason finale for the Tampa Bay Lightning, which was initially postponed from Helene. Additionally, the Lightning's season-opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on October 12 was postponed. All University of Central Florida sporting events scheduled for October 9 and 10 were cancelled as well. The South Florida Bulls football game against the Memphis Tigers was postponed from October 11 to October 12 and moved from Tampa to Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

The National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers relocated to New Orleans ahead of their game against the New Orleans Saints on October 13. Publix and Walmart altered store hours and closed several other of their locations in preparation for the storm and their locations among other stores faced shortages of items such as bottled water, canned goods, and snacks due to panic buying. Gas station shortages occurred across the state, with 16.5% out by the afternoon of October 8, including 43% in the Tampa Bay area according to GasBuddy. Governor DeSantis said fuel replenishment efforts were underway and said that there was not a fuel shortage. The Florida Highway Patrol began escorting fuel tankers to help replenish gas stations ahead of landfall to aid in evacuation efforts. DeSantis also urged that people consider evacuating "tens of miles" instead of "hundreds of miles". The American Automobile Association advised Floridians to "take only what you need" and to avoid letting one's gas tank getting too low before looking for a place to fill up. Thirty-three Waffle House locations in Milton's projected path were closed, indicating a red level on the Waffle House Index.

President Joe Biden postponed a planned trip from October 10 to 15 to Angola and Germany in order to oversee preparations and the response and urged those living in areas at risk to evacuate, saying that it was a matter of life and death.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suffered a staffing shortage ahead of the storm, with only 9% of the agency's staff available. According to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the agency remained ready to respond, saying that "we can respond to multiple events at a single time". Over the previous five years at least 25% of staff remained available by October 7. This figure was lower than in 2017 when FEMA's staff availability dropped to 19% as FEMA staff responded to Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ended a briefing, accusing journalists of spreading misinformation related to disaster funding.

There were casualties involved as a result of evacuating: one fatality occurred after a car accident in Marion County southeast of Orange Lake, while three people were injured after the plane they were in crashed into Tampa Bay after its engine failed while taking off from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg. In addition, two people died on eastbound SR 82 while evacuating.

Georgia

Coastal Georgia was placed under tropical storm warning.

On October 7, 2024, Atlanta Motor Speedway opened its campground for evacuees with pop-up campers and tents with access to a complementary shower house, including those from Florida, in collaboration with the Henry County Emergency Management Agency. A limited number of camping spaces with water, power, and sewer hook-ups were made available as well.

On October 8, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order which declared a state of emergency across 40 counties and ordered the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the Georgia Emergency Operations Plan and Georgia Department of Transportation and Georgia Department of Public Safety to take action to ensure the expeditious movement of utility vehicles, equipment, and personnel throughout the state to eliminate any potential power outages. The order also called up to 250 Georgia National Guard troops to be used in preparation, response, and recovery efforts.

Cumberland Island National Seashore closed indefinitely on October 8.

The Bahamas

A tropical storm watch was issued for Extreme Northwest Bahamian Islands on October 8, 2024, upgraded six hours later to a tropical storm warning. Grand Bahama activated their emergency operations center. The Royal Bahamas Defence Force went on standby with supplies prepared for Hurricane Milton. In-person schools on Grand Bahama, Bimini, Abaco, and Grand Cay were closed. The Anglican Central Education Authority closed two campuses. Bahamian students in Florida were ordered to evacuate; Bahamasair made two flights on October 7 and 8 to Orlando. Bahamas Power and Light offices in northern islands closed October 9. Banks on Grand Bahama and Abaco closed October 10.

A large surge in sales of hurricane-related supplies occurred.

Impact

Mexico

Heavy rainfall from Milton caused flooding in the city of Campeche. Dangerous storm surge and torrential rainfall impacted the state of Yucatán, with the seawall at Progreso being inundated by high waves. Over 12,000 people were affected in the state by power outages. Flooding from the storm surge led to evacuations being carried out during the hurricane in Celestún. Strong waves caused sections of the Ciudad del Carmen–Isla Aguada federal highway to be inundated by sea waters. Heavy winds from Milton caused an old house in Progreso to collapse, and in Chuburná heavy winds and rainfall nearly demolished a home.

The municipalities of Sisal and Celestún suffered the most damage, with flooding, fallen trees, and blackouts affecting the cities. In Sisal, there were reports of some roofs of softball field stands and palapas collapsing. Over a thousand people from El Cuyo, Río Lagartos, and Las Coloradas needed to be transferred to shelters. Heavy swells and intense winds from Milton destroyed the dock of the port of Chelem. Cancún International Airport cancelled several flights due to Milton.

Cuba

As Milton neared Cuba, its rainbands caused flooding to be reported in Surgidero de Batabanó. In Havana Bay, deteriorating weather conditions from Milton caused officials to suspend ferry services on October 8. The Cuban Weather Service reported that Western Cuba experienced winds of 25–30 miles per hour (40–48 km/h) and maximum gusts in Casablanca, Havana, of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).

United States

Florida

A filled dry detention basin during Hurricane Milton

A tornado in Fort Pierce, Florida

On October 9, at least 19 confirmed tornadoes touched down in Florida before the storm made landfall as a result of a tornado outbreak that occurred that morning and afternoon, focused on the Florida Heartland, the Treasure Coast and the Space Coast. After Milton made landfall, 38 tornadoes were reported. At least two tornadoes moved across I-75. Another tornado touched down in North Fort Myers around 1:00 p.m., causing extensive damage to the area. A likely tornado in Cocoa Beach ripped off the roof of a Wells Fargo bank. At 6 p.m., the National Weather Service office in Miami, which covers much of South Florida except the Florida Keys of Monroe County, reported that they had issued 55 tornado warnings, a record high in one day beating out the previous record of 37 on September 27, 2022 during Hurricane Ian, and confirmed nine tornadoes on a preliminary basis. The NWS in Tampa Bay also set a record high of 29 Tornado Warnings in one day, beating the previous record of 23 during Tropical Storm Andrea on June 6, 2013. At least six people were killed in St. Lucie County due to two tornadoes on October 9 that touched down at 4:30 p.m. A spokesperson for the county has confirmed that dozens of homes were damaged from a large tornado near Fort Pierce. A total of nine tornadoes struck the county, including three in the span of 25 minutes. In total, a record 126 tornado warnings have been issued throughout the state, and the second-most of any state in one day, only behind Alabama on April 27, 2011. A sinkhole opened up in Hillsborough County as a result of Milton. U.S. Route 17/92 collapsed with a sinkhole in Orange City, as well.

Key West saw a large decline in commercial activity as a result of Milton and the closure of the Port of Key West.

Ten people were injured in Wellington. Two people were killed in St. Petersburg. One person was killed in Ormond Beach due a tree falling into a roof. A woman in her late 70s was killed in Hillsborough County. Six people were killed in St. Lucie County, four in Volusia County, two in Pinellas County, and one in Citrus County. In total, 16 people were killed as a result of Milton.

Tropicana Field, which had been set up to house first responders, lost a large part of its fiberglass roof as a result of wind gusts. The Tampa Bay Times building, which is over 100 years old, was severely damaged by a construction crane from a nearby skyscraper collapsing into it.

In Marineland, sustained winds reached 75 mph (121 km/h) with gusts reaching 83 mph (134 km/h). In Daytona Beach, sustained winds reached 60 mph (97 km/h) with gusts reaching 87 mph (140 km/h). Gusts reached 107 mph (172 km/h) in Sarasota and 92 mph (148 km/h) in West Palm Beach. Heavy rain also occurred in the state, with over 13 in (330 mm) of rain in Plant City.

Across the state, about 125 homes were destroyed before Milton made landfall, and more than 3 million homes and buildings were left without power. Nearly 1000 people and 105 animals were rescued as of October 10.

Multiple areas across the state experienced significant flooding including parts of Orlando, Saint Johns, and throughout Hillsborough County. In Astor the Saint John’s River is expected to crest near 4.7 feet, putting flood levels near the record previously set by Hurricane Ian. 500 people were saved from one Clearwater apartment building alone, due to flooding in neck deep water.

Hillsborough County reported severe damage.

See also

In Spanish: Huracán Milton para niños

• Weather of 2024
• Tropical cyclones in 2024
• Timeline of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
• List of Category 5 Atlantic hurricanes