Category 5 Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen in the southwestern Gulf. Milton is expected to continue to move slowly east, picking up forward speed, impacting the Florida Peninsula mid-week as a major hurricane. As of the 7PM CDT Intermediate Advisory from the NHC, Milton has strengthened to the point of being the 5th strongest storm ever in the Atlantic basin.
From the 10pm NHC discussion - Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. A large
area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas
should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so.
Milton is not expected to cause any direct land impacts to the local area of southeast LA or southern MS, but some high waves/winds will be possible over marine areas along with minor coastal flooding for east-facing shorelines. A few safety tips include: Monitor the forecast for changes; Follow and share info from official sources; Review your plans before they're needed.