Hurricane Milton explodes into a powerful Category 5 storm as it heads for Florida

Satellite data shows Hurricane Milton on Oct. 8, 2024, as it moves across Gulf of Mexico. NOAA by Zachary Handlos, Georgia Institute of Technology and Ali Sarhadi, Georgia Institute of Technology Hurricane Milton became one of the most rapidly intensifying storms on record as it went from barely hurricane strength to a dangerous Category 5 storm in less than a day on a path across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. With sustained winds that reached 180 mph on Oct. 7, 2024, and very low pressure, it also became one of the strongest Atlantic storms. Milton’s winds dipped to Category 4 strength early on Oct. 8, but forecasters warned that it would still be an extremely dangerous hurricane at landfall. Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact, this kind of storm was the last thing Florida wanted to see. Hurricane Milton was expected to make landfall as a major hurricane on Oct. 9 and had already prompted widespread evacuations. Hurricane Milton’s projected storm track, as of midday Oct. 7, 2024, as it grew into a major hurricane (M). Storm tracks are projections, and Milton’s path could shift as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. The cone is...