Hurricane Milton - the latest storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season - strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on October 6.
Many hurricane forecast models predict Milton could rapidly strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane and hit the west coast of the Florida peninsula on October 9.
Milton's landfall comes less than two weeks after Helene devastated Florida's Big Bend with a Category 4 intensity.
The latest hurricane report from the Washington Post shows that the likelihood of another hurricane in Florida is particularly worrying, especially after Helene, coastal residents are still recovering from the storm's effects.
If Milton hits Florida as a hurricane, it would be the fifth hurricane to hit the US Gulf Coast during the 2024 hurricane season, after Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, Francine and Helene.
According to the Washington Post, there are three specific reasons to be concerned about Milton's development:
First, heavy rains are expected to sweep across the Florida peninsula ahead of the main storm in midweek. This has soaked the ground and increased the risk of flooding, similar to what happened in the southern Appalachians before Helene hit.
Second, forecast models for typhoon intensity have been revised upward. Earlier this week, it was forecast that Milton could make landfall as a weak tropical storm, or even not be named. But since then, hurricane experts have significantly raised the threshold for Milton's projected intensity.
Third, if Milton makes landfall as a tropical storm, it could still bring dangerous weather to some of the same areas in the western Florida peninsula already affected by Helene.
According to the latest hurricane report from Fox News, considering Florida's special coastline, the landing angle could make Milton the worst storm in more than 100 years affecting parts of west and central Florida.
The area has already been hit by a series of typhoons, with impacts from Helene, Debby, Ian and Idalia. And FOX's Forecast Center warned that Milton's direct landfall perspective could make the situation very serious.
Milton's path is expected to pass through or approach the northern part of the Tampa- Sarasota urban area. This means that the amount of water will accumulate significantly more than previous storms.
Fox News noted that the US has been preparing for a direct storm to hit Florida for years. In 2009, the "Phoenix Project" that simulates the impact of a Category 5 storm making landfall directly in the state was created.
The storm is projected to cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. This means that if it does happen, the storm will be the most disastrous and costly disaster in US history.
Although the National Hurricane Center and a series of hurricane models do not predict Milton will reach Category 5 strength, there are some precedents for a Category 3 storm that made landfall in northern Tampa in 1921. Tampa Bay in 1921 made landfall near tarpon Springs as a Category 3 storm with winds of about 190 km/h and caused extensive damage.
In more than 180 years of data, Tampa has only recorded two direct major storms: a Category 3 storm in 1921 and a Category 4 storm in 1848.
