ORLANDO, Fla. – Milton officially made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Milton is bringing strong damaging winds, considerable rainfall, the threat of flooding, tornadoes and coastal storm surge through the duration of the storm.
The combination of storm surge and heavy rain will force the St. Johns River at Astor to jump into major flood stage later Thursday.
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Milton squall lines are increasing the threat for tornado-warned supercells. Tornadoes have reportedly touched down in several parts of Central and South Florida.
The highest tornado threat occurs Wednesday afternoon through the early morning hours Thursday.
The worst of the weather is still expected to be late Wednesday night into Thursday evening as the center of Milton tracks along or south of I-4 and finally exiting the east coastal communities.
The heaviest rainfall will fall north of the center of Milton, with rainfall amounts, especially north of I-4 approaching or exceeding 10 inches.
Make sure you are in place to ride out the storm by noon on Wednesday.
Here’s what the timing looks like in Central Florida as Hurricane Milton moves through the state.
Wednesday 11 a.m.
Wednesday 6 p.m.
Thursday 7 a.m.
A hurricane warning has been issued for all of Central Florida. Click here for updates on watches and warnings.
Significant improvements in the weather arrive Friday morning.
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