Hurricane Milton threat prompts many Florida schools to close. See the latest list
Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico, as Florida residents from Jacksonville to Naples scramble to prepare for a hit from what's expected to become a major hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center announced at 1 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7, Hurricane Milton was moving "erratically" in the Gulf of Mexico and is likely to become a major hurricane later today.
A major hurricane is one with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph, making it a Category 3 — or higher — hurricane with the potential to bring devastating damage and numerous power outages.
Of particular concern with Milton is storm surge, which historically causes more deaths than winds.
Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded the number of counties under a state of emergency, saying, "Milton will be at or near a catastrophic major hurricane upon landfall along the Florida West Coast, accompanied by life-threatening storm surge and severe wind gusts for the Florida Gulf Coast.
"A major hurricane is the most likely outcome," DeSantis said. "This is not a good track for the state of Florida."
Of Florida's 67 counties, 51 are now under a state of emergency, including those still recovering from last month’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Counties under a state of emergency are: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.
As of Monday morning, the Florida Department of Education has listed schools are closed in the following counties:
Monday, Oct. 7:
- Collier County Schools
- DeSoto County Schools
- Hillsborough County Schools
- Lee County Schools
- Manatee County Schools
- Pasco County Schools
- Pinellas County Schools
- Sarasota County Schools
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024