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Oh Great, Just What We Needed: Hurricane Milton, the Uninvited Guest, to Show Up on Sunday

Oh fabulous, just what Florida needs — another uninvited guest crashing the party. Let me guess, Milton's RSVP includes high winds and waves of entitlement. Can't wait to see the spaghetti models, because who doesn't love a good pasta disaster with their climate crisis?

Published October 6, 2024 at 9:37am by Robbie Farias

Another Day, Another Storm: Tropical Storm Milton Says "Hi"

Oh, fabulous. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, Tropical Storm Milton has decided to crash the party. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) was like, "Surprise! Here's another one," on Saturday.

This delightful system is expected to level up to a hurricane on Sunday and might even become a major hurricane as it swings by the west coast of the Florida Peninsula this week. Because apparently, Mother Nature didn't think Helene's 128 deaths and hundreds missing were enough of a wake-up call.

Florida residents, get ready for life-threatening storm surges, high winds, and heavy rainfall starting late Tuesday or Wednesday. It's like the weather version of a Flash mob, but with actual flash floods.

➤ Track all active storms (because misery loves company)

Where's Milton Now?

According to the NHC's 7 a.m. weather advisory on Sunday:

Location: 345 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico (just chilling, gathering strength)
Maximum sustained winds: 60 mph (probably training for a wind sprint)
Present movement: East at 5 mph (leisurely stroll towards chaos)

Where's Milton Heading?

Early forecasts show Milton moving eastward to northeastward, giving Texas a miss but heading straight for the Gulf of Mexico. The NHC is advising the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, and the northwestern Bahamas to keep an eye on this drama queen.

Regardless of development, expect locally heavy rains over parts of Mexico in the next day or two, and over much of Florida late this weekend through the middle of the week. Hurricane and Storm Surge watches are likely for parts of Florida late Sunday, because who doesn't love a good watch party?

Rainfall of up to 8 inches is expected across portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys through Wednesday night, according to the NHC forecast. Because why have a drizzle when you can have a deluge?

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Stay woke, stay safe, and maybe invest in a good pair of rain boots. Or a boat. Or both.