The warnings are unmistakable: President Biden, Florida Governor De Santis and numerous authorities have been warning for days of the deadly danger posed by Hurricane Milton and of destruction on a historic scale.
Storm surge, heavy rain and tornadoes
The eye of the storm will cross the coast near Sarasota, south of the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, on Thursday at noon. The strongest winds of a hurricane occur at the circular rim of the eye, the so-called "eyewall". Experience has shown that the strongest destruction occurs in its path.
A storm surge is also expected, which could cause the sea level in the Eye area to rise by more than four metres. Persistent heavy rain will cause further severe flooding. Almost the entire state will be affected by the hurricane. The formation of tornadoes is also expected.
Dozens of marinas and thousands of individual moorings on private waterfront properties are located in the greater Tampa area alone. Accordingly, the Boat U.S. interest and owners' association has urgently called for the thorough securing of boats by their owners and Videos with the most important measures provided.
Worth knowing about storms in the harbour
Boats are specially secured
Anchorages, moorings and floating docks are threatened in various ways. Those who can have already brought their boat to safety from Hurricane Milton with the trailer or moved it to a safer place on the water. Estuaries and watercourses such as the Manatee River offer comparatively sheltered areas. At the jetties of the marinas, the lines are laid double-crossed and protected from chafing.
Safety measures also include ensuring that batteries are sufficiently charged to keep the bilge pumps on board in operation for long periods of time. And to avoid false alarms, EPIRBs and life-saving equipment must be taken off board and stored safely on land. Anchormen are also advised to take out at least ten times the water depth of harnesses and to remove anything that could provide an additional surface for the wind to attack, such as tarpaulins and sails - even if they are recovered and well secured.
Hurricane heading for Florida's west coast
The tropical cyclone is currently (2 p.m. CEST) still over the Gulf of Mexico, whose extremely warm water is charging it with energy - enough for the most powerful category 5 with wind speeds of up to 225 km/h (120 knots). Although Milton is expected to weaken slightly again before it makes landfall at night, it will continue to expand its area.
The major harbours along the west coast of Florida have already been closed by the US Coast Guard as a result. Ships and boats are only allowed to travel with explicit permission from the harbour authority until the "Zulu" warning status is lifted again. This should be the case on Friday - after Milton has crossed the state once and moved out into the Atlantic. The severity of the devastation will then also be recognisable - on land and at sea.
