Hurricane Milton – Update #5 – 10/7/24

University of Florida officials are actively monitoring Hurricane Milton, which is expected to affect the west coast of Florida by midweek. While the storm’s exact path remains unclear, here is what we know this evening:

The National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Eastern Alachua County, which includes the UF campus in Gainesville, as of the 5 p.m. advisory. Additionally, western Alachua County was placed under a Tropical Storm Warning.

There is also a Flood Watch in effect for all of Alachua County.

Milton has maintained its intensity as a “powerful” Category 5 hurricane. It is expected to weaken slightly to a Category 3 as it approaches the west coast of Florida, which is considered a “major” hurricane by National Hurricane Center.

The storm’s track has not changed much since the Monday morning’s advisories. However, it is expected to grow in size late Tuesday and make landfall sometime Wednesday evening. Tropical storm-force winds are expected to begin in North Central Florida early Wednesday.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Jacksonville expect Hurricane Milton to bring heavy rainfall to the Gainesville area, ranging between 6 and 8 inches.

UF announced on Monday that it will close its offices and cancel classes, including online classes, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 and continuing through Thursday, Oct. 10.

UF/IFAS and other UF personnel outside of Alachua County should adhere to their county government closures and consult their supervisors. Other UF units throughout the state will have similar closings in keeping with their county government guidelines.

Online students who live in the path of the storm beyond the Gainesville campus should immediately contact their instructors to discuss whether special accommodations can be made.

UF Health hospitals and clinical practices are continuing normal operations in Alachua County. However, the operating hours of units throughout the state will vary. For up-to-date information about UF Health closures, visit UFHealth.org.

Any additional scheduling changes will be announced through official UF channels such as the UF home page and the UF Alert Emergency Notification System.

For additional information, please visit the National Hurricane Center.
Additional information:
Commonly asked questions regarding Hurricane Milton
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. 7 at 7:15 p.m.