ORLANDO, Fla. – This could be the first time a Category 2 hurricane has struck Orlando.
Hurricane Milton is gearing up to strike Florida’s Gulf Coast this week, and it’s expected to ram the Orlando area as a strong category 1 or 2 storm.
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While any hurricane can be a threat, just how dangerous would a Category 2 hurricane be?
To start with: hurricanes are graded on Category 1 - 5, with each category representing a different threshold of wind speed.
Even at the lowest level, a Category 1 hurricane can still reach wind speeds of up to 95 mph. That gets bumped up to 110 mph when the storm reaches Category 2.
Only four Category 5 storms have struck Florida in the state’s history. While Milton strengthened to a Category 5 storm on Monday, it’s expected to weaken to Category 3 by the time it reaches the Tampa Bay area.
[READ: This was Florida’s strongest hurricane ever. Here’s what happened]
As Milton heads inland, the storm is forecast to weaken further to a Category 2 hurricane, though it’s still capable of plenty of destruction.
According to weather experts, a Category 1 hurricane can cause heavy damage to shrubbery, knock down trees, toss over weak structures, and wreck unanchored mobile homes.
This type of hurricane can also cause storm surge to rise 4-5 feet above normal levels, leaving tons of flooding in low-lying areas and streets.
But despite how it may sound, a Category 2 hurricane wouldn’t necessarily be twice as destructive as a Category 1 storm.
Instead, the potential damage increase could actually reach upward of 20 times as much, the NOAA reports.
“Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks. (Hurricane) Frances of 2004 was a Category 2 when it hit just north of Palm Beach County, along with at least 10 other hurricanes which have struck South Florida since 1894.”
National Weather Service
While Florida has been battered by plenty of Category 2 hurricanes, this could mark the first time that the City Beautiful has seen one up close.
News 6 meteorologist Jonathan Kegges tells viewers what they should expect as Milton gets ever closer:
“Milton could rival some of the worst hurricanes on record for Central Florida. It could match — if not exceed — Charley’s wind gusts as it blows through Central Florida. The time of hurricane force wind gusts are also expected to last longer than what Charley brought in 2004.”
News 6 meteorologist Jonathan Kegges
To stay up-to-date on the latest with Milton, click here.