Tropical Storm Milton – Update #2 – 10/6/24
University of Florida officials are actively monitoring Tropical Storm Milton, which is expected to impact the west coast of Florida by midweek. While the storm’s exact path remains unclear, here is what we know today:
On Sunday, the National Hurricane Center made a slight adjustment to the track of Tropical Storm Milton as the storm’s eyewall formed and became better organized overnight. While there is still “significant uncertainty” with its track, forecasters are still expecting Milton to start affecting portions of the west coast of Central Florida sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
As of the 11 a.m. advisory on Sunday, the National Hurricane Center predicted Milton would rapidly intensify over the next couple of days, becoming a hurricane by Sunday evening and a major hurricane by late Monday. Storms that are capable of producing wind speeds that are the equivalent of Category 3 or above are considered “major hurricanes” by National Hurricane Center.
No tropical storm or hurricane watches or warnings had been issued for any portion of the Florida peninsula as of Sunday’s 11 a.m. advisory. The National Weather Service in Tampa, however, issued a Flood Watch for portions of southwest and west central Florida – which include Citrus, Levy, Pinellas, Citrus and Hillsborough counties.
All UF units statewide – especially in the west coast of Central Florida – should closely monitor forecasts and follow guidance from local officials.
Students, faculty and staff should use the next few days to prepare, including reviewing their emergency kit. Additional preparedness information is available at https://emergency.ufl.edu/get-ready.
UF will continue to monitor and update all on expected impacts or operational changes as information becomes available. Regularly check the UF homepage for updates. Any announcements regarding operational changes will be made through official UF channels, including the UF Alert Emergency Notification System.
For additional information, please visit the National Hurricane Center.
Additional information:
Here’s how to prepare for hurricane season
Pre-storm preparation for students in UF housing
UF/IFAS Disaster Preparation & Recovery
This update was posted on Oct. 6 at 12:35 p.m.
