Schools close as Milton expects a major hurricane to hit Florida

Tropical Storm Milton is gaining strength Sunday and is expected to hit Florida on Wednesday as a “life-threatening” Category 3 hurricane.

While the track and intensity of the storm was still emerging Sunday, officials warned Tampa Bay residents to prepare for a direct attack. The region, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene, could see up to 20 cm of rain next week.

A state of emergency is in effect in 51 Florida counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco, where all schools were also closed until Wednesday. Some local governments have begun offering sandbags around Tampa Bay.

Here’s what you should know.

1:45 p.m. Pinellas orders evacuations for healthcare facilities

Pinellas County issued a mandatory evacuation order for long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and hospitals in evacuation zones A, B and C. The evacuation includes six hospitals, 25 nursing homes and 44 assisted living facilities, with a total of approximately 6,600 patients.

—Ivy Nyayieka

1:00 p.m. Officials are encouraging residents to follow evacuation orders

Fear of looting is a common reason people have chosen to ride out a dangerous hurricane.

At a news conference Sunday at St. Petersburg College in Seminole, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and a half-dozen local and state officials urged residents to heed likely evacuation warnings issued ahead of Helene.

Their main message: Your home will be safe from looters.

“This is a stand-your-ground condition. We will not tolerate it,” Luna said.

–Kirby Wilson

12:45 p.m. Long lines for sandbags in St. Pete

In north St. Petersburg, more than 100 cars sat idle along 62nd Avenue Northeast Sunday morning as people waited to pick up sandbags from the Northeast Park East Baseball Field. To the left of the stationary traffic lining the streets was a clear reminder of the hurricane that passed through just a few days ago. Piles of rubble with rotting wood and soaked stuffed animals lay on the edges of dozens of houses. The remains of upended lives lay in heaps as a light rain showered years of belongings. It was a poignant image: Tampa Bay struggling to prepare for the next hurricane threat while struggling to pick up the wreckage of the last one.

—Max Chesnes

12:30 p.m.: Pinellas schools close

Schools in Pinellas County will not hold classes Monday through Wednesday as the district prepares for the second storm in two weeks.

Due to storm surge from Hurricane Helene, the district closed two schools. These courses have only recently become operational at various locations while repairs are being carried out.

Now it faces new circumstances as Milton threatens to become more of a wind and rain event, which could also bring more storm surges to the region depending on how it progresses.

Read more here.

12:15 p.m. Hillsborough cancels classes

Hillsborough County schools have canceled classes and are closed Monday through Wednesday. “Everything, including extracurricular activities, will be closed,” said spokeswoman Tanya Arja.

The district expects several schools to be used as evacuation shelters. Teams should begin preparing so they will be ready when the county government opens them.

Read more here.

11:45 a.m. Pasco schools are closed until Wednesday

Schools in Pasco County will not hold classes Monday through Wednesday as the Tampa Bay area prepares for the arrival of Tropical Storm Milton, Superintendent Kurt Browning said. The district was outraged because it remained open while other area schools closed in anticipation of Hurricane Helene.

Five Pasco schools will open as evacuation centers at noon Monday.

Read more here.

11 a.m. DeSantis extends state of emergency

Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a state of emergency Sunday morning as the threat of another hurricane looms over Tampa Bay.

Although the storm’s path and severity are still uncertain, DeSantis said he has ordered “all hands on deck” to clear debris left by Helene in the area. The executive order requires all landfills and waste disposal sites to be open 24 hours a day. He also assigned members of the Florida National Guard and State Guard to help clear debris.

Read more here.

8 a.m.: The weather forecast predicts a major hurricane

The National Hurricane Center continued to warn Sunday that already strengthening Tropical Storm Milton will strengthen into a major hurricane before reaching Florida on Wednesday.

“Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast over the next few days,” said Jack Beven, senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center. “Milton is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane later today and could become a major hurricane as it moves over the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico.”

The hurricane center said the risk of “life-threatening impacts” was increasing for Florida’s west coast.

Read more here.

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