Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico, as Florida residents from Jacksonville to Naples scramble to prepare for a hit from what’s expected to become a major hurricane.
The National Hurricane Center announced at 1 a.m. Monday, Oct. 7, Hurricane Milton was moving “erratically” in the Gulf of Mexico and is likely to become a major hurricane later today.
➤ Spaghetti models for Hurricane Milton
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A major hurricane is one with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph, making it a Category 3 — or higher — hurricane with the potential to bring devastating damage and numerous power outages.
Of particular concern with Milton is storm surge, which historically causes more deaths than winds.
Hurricane Milton: See latest spaghetti models
Special note about spaghetti models: Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Hurricane Milton’s projected path, strength
51 Florida counties under state of emergency
Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded the number of counties under a state of emergency, saying, “Milton will be at or near a catastrophic major hurricane upon landfall along the Florida West Coast, accompanied by life-threatening storm surge and severe wind gusts for the Florida Gulf Coast.
“A major hurricane is the most likely outcome,” DeSantis said. “This is not a good track for the state of Florida.”
Of Florida’s 67 counties, 51 are now under a state of emergency, including those still recovering from last month’s Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Counties under a state of emergency are: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties.
Are schools closed in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton?
As of Monday morning, the Florida Department of Education has listed schools are closed in the following counties:
Monday, Oct. 7:
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024
Florida colleges closed for Hurricane Milton
Monday, Oct. 7
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Florida SouthWestern State College
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St. Petersburg College
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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Tuesday, Oct. 8
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Florida SouthWestern State College
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Hillsborough Community College
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Pasco-Hernando State College
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Polk State College
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South Florida State College
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St. Petersburg College
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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
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Valencia College
Wednesday, Oct. 9
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Florida SouthWestern State College
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Hillsborough Community College
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Pasco-Hernando State College
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Polk State College
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South Florida State College
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St. Petersburg College
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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
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Valencia College
Thursday, Oct. 10
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Hillsborough Community College
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St. Petersburg College
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Polk State College
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South Florida State College
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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
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Valencia College
Friday, Oct. 11
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Hillsborough Community College
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South Florida State College
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State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Florida universities closed for Hurricane Milton
Monday, Oct. 7
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Florida A&M University (Jacksonville, Brooksville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami-Davie Satellite Campuses)
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Florida Gulf Coast University
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Florida State University (Ringling Campus)
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New College of Florida
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University of South Florida
Tuesday, Oct. 8
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Florida A&M University (Jacksonville, Brooksville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami-Davie Satellite Campuses)
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Florida Gulf Coast University
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Florida State University (Ringling Campus)
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New College of Florida
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University of Central Florida
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University of South Florida
Wednesday, Oct. 9
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Florida A&M University (Jacksonville, Brooksville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami-Davie Satellite Campuses)
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Florida Gulf Coast University
-
Florida State University (Ringling Campus)
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New College of Florida
-
University of Central Florida
-
University of South Florida
Thursday, Oct. 10
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Florida A&M University (Jacksonville, Brooksville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami-Davie Satellite Campuses)
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Florida State University (Ringling Campus)
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New College of Florida
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University of Central Florida
Friday, Oct. 11
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New College of Florida
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Is there school today? List Florida schools closed for Hurricane Milton
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