After losing strength overnight, as of 5pm eastern, Milton is back at category 5 hurricane status on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Milton was expected to re-intensify as it makes its way over warm waters, but according to AccuWeather forecasters, will experience some degree of weakening because of wind shear and other factors as it gets closer to the Florida coast. Regardless, Milton will arrive on Florida’s west coast as a major storm, with high winds and devastating storm surge not be taken lightly.
“This is an unusual and extremely concerning forecast track for a hurricane approaching the west-central Florida coast and the Tampa Bay area,” warned AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter, “For many, Milton may be a once-in-a-lifetime hurricane in terms of severity.” Hurricane Milton will strike Florida with the impacts of a 5 on AccuWeather’s RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes, which takes into account storm surge, flooding rainfall, the population affected, and economic impacts above and beyond the Saffir-Simpson scale, which is based solely on maximum sustained winds.
