Tampa’s port is bracing for Hurricane Milton as the projected Category 5 storm rapidly strengthens as it barrels toward the state.
Port Tampa Bay said Sunday afternoon that it was monitoring the Category 4 storm and working with local and state partners. The port has initiated its weather advisory group to monitor impacts to the port and its waterways.
Milton is expected to bring heavy rains to Florida from Monday through Wednesday night. Forecasters predict 5 to 10 inches of rain will be dumped on portions of the Florida
Peninsula and the Keys, with some areas seeing 15 inches. The rain is forecast to cause considerable flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
The hurricane center called Milton’s intensification “remarkable” and projects the storm will develop into a Category 5 later Monday. Some weakening is expected before it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast, but it will still make landfall as a life-threatening hurricane.
Landfall could be anywhere from Cedar Key to Fort Myers, the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay said.
Meteorologists are forecasting up to 12 feet of storm surge into Tampa Bay — the highest ever — if the storm’s center hits near the city.
President Joe Biden on Monday approved an emergency declaration for Florida, which will allow assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday said the port could see gale-force winds within 48 hours. Operations were continuing as normal on Monday.
“Port Tampa Bay is doing all it can to prepare for Hurricane Milton, and to ensure safety of life, protection of the environment, and maritime commerce resiliency,” the port said in a statement.
The port expects cruises to be impacted.
Tampa International Airport will suspend operations at 9 a.m. Tuesday ahead of the storm. The Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive and Plant City airports will also close.
Port Panama City, Seaport Manatee, Port St. Pete, the Jacksonville Port Authority and Port Canaveral were expecting gale-force winds but remained open Monday.
Milton is expected to have a significant impact on the aerospace, life sciences, general manufacturing, oil and gas, and freight industries, supply chain data monitoring company Resilinc reported.
Mandatory evacuation orders were already in effect Monday for Charlotte and Hillsborough counties.
The Tampa Bay weather service urged residents to spend the next two days completing their hurricane preparations.
