All right, everybody, welcome in.
We're tackling Hurricane Milton today.
And let's just say this one's got our attention.
Yeah, no kidding.
This thing went from zero to 60, like instantly.
You see that kind of intensification?
It makes you pay attention.
It's honestly pretty rare.
Right, like a figure skater, you know,
arms out and suddenly they pull them in
and whoosh, they're a blur.
That's Milton.
And even though it's supposed to weaken a bit,
it's still huge.
And that track aiming right for Florida's West Coast.
Camp of Bait, pretty much dead center.
Yeah.
So look, we're not here to hype it up.
Just give you the straight facts from the experts,
help you understand what's really going on.
Exactly, no hype, just the info you need
to make good decisions.
And if there's one thing about hurricanes,
everyone needs to get, I mean, really get,
it's storm surge.
I'm sure without a doubt, it's the silent killer.
More fatalities in Florida hurricanes
come from storm surge than anything else, historically.
See, that's the thing, you live here awhile,
ride out a couple storms, you start thinking,
I've seen it all, but this source material,
it's kind of scary.
Yeah, those storm surge predictions,
they're nothing to mess around with.
Not even a little bit, like I get it,
weathered a few storms, but 15 feet of water.
That's not just a storm surge, that's, think about it,
1921, Pinellas County, underwater,
1848, downtown Tampa, 15 feet under.
15 feet, that's not even flooding, that's poof, gone.
Like the entire first floor of Raymond James Stadium,
just wiped out.
And that's what we're talking about here, potentially.
This isn't some theoretical, what if,
the National Hurricane Center,
they're saying up to 15 feet around Tampa Bay,
down to Inglewood.
I mean, wow.
And remember, it's not gonna be 15 feet everywhere,
but if it hits at high tide, some spots.
You're not surviving that.
No way.
Even down by Fort Myers,
they're saying up to 10 feet above normal.
This is serious stuff.
And this is why those evacuation orders
are so important, you know?
They're not trying to make your life difficult,
they're trying to save your life.
This source material, it could not be clearer.
If they tell you to evacuate, you don't mess around,
you get out.
You're not smarter than a hurricane,
don't try to out-guess it.
Exactly.
And Tampa Bay in particular,
you've got this whole other thing to worry about.
Double surge, what is that exactly?
Okay, so imagine this.
The hurricane's winds are pushing all this water
into the bay from one direction, right?
Then, as the storm moves inland,
the back end swings around and bam!
It slams you with another surge from the opposite direction.
So you get hit twice.
Like a one-two punch.
But instead of fists, it's a wall of seawater.
It's a worst case scenario, sure,
but it could happen, people need to be ready.
Absolutely.
This is not the time to be complacent.
We need to take this seriously.
Absolutely.
And here's the thing,
this isn't just about folks on the coast, you know?
Milton's a big boy,
it's gonna make its presence known far inland,
especially with these winds.
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head there.
And that's where Milton throws a bit of a curve ball, see?
We're looking at stronger winds
on the north side of the storm, which is unusual.
Right, usually it's the other way around, isn't it?
Yeah.
It's going on with this one.
That pesky jet streams up to its old tricks again.
But here's the thing, it's not just steering Milton,
it's like it's messing with the whole structure of the storm,
you know, really pumping up those thunderstorms
on the north side.
So people further inland,
who might think they're in the clear,
especially if they're thinking about,
like typical hurricanes, they're in for surprise,
serious wind damage, even far from the coast.
This storm is just full of surprises.
And speaking of, on top of everything else,
we've got this flash flood risk too,
and guess what?
The jet streams involve there as well.
Oh, absolutely, the National Weather Service,
they've got most of north and central Florida
at a level three out of four risk for flash flooding,
which is significant,
but it gets even wilder along the I-4 corridor,
level four out of four, that's as high as it goes.
And we're talking about rapid flying,
the kind that can cause serious damage,
even put lives at risk.
So yeah, even if you're miles from the coast,
pay attention, this is not the time to relax.
We're talking about a crazy amount of rain
in a very short time on top of everything else.
So let's get down to the nitty gritty,
what's the timeline here?
What are we looking at over the next 24 hours?
Things are gonna start ramping up pretty quickly.
Tonight, we're talking winds picking up in the Keys
in Southwest Florida.
Then Wednesday, throughout the day,
those winds are gonna be spreading up the coast,
pushing inland as well.
And that peak storm surge,
when is that supposed to hit?
Late Wednesday night, into early Thursday morning,
that's when it's gonna get real.
That's when Milton's supposed to make landfall,
and that's when we're likely to see
the worst of the storm surge.
But here's the thing,
even as Milton moves off on Thursday,
that surge threat, it's not over, it shifts.
You'll see impacts from central Florida
all the way up to the South Carolina coast.
So even if you dodge the initial hit,
stay alert, because coastal flooding
is still a very real possibility.
We're down to the wire here, folks.
Tuesday, the clock is ticking,
especially if you're on Florida's West Coast.
This is it, last day really, to get your ducks in a row.
Make sure you're ready for whatever Milton throws at us.
And look, we've thrown a lot of information at you,
but if you only remember one thing
from this whole deep dive, it's this, evacuation order.
Don't even think about it, just go.
They really hammered that home in the source material,
you know, like they did not mince words.
Ignoring an evacuation order,
it's like playing chicken with a hurricane.
Not a good idea, not for you,
not for anyone you care about.
Those orders are there for a reason.
It's about keeping people safe, period.
Exactly.
And speaking of smart moves,
this little nugget from the source material,
I thought it was brilliant.
Tell someone out of town what your plan is.
Friend, family, someone you know is safe and sound.
That way, if worse comes to worse, communication goes down.
There's someone who knows what's up.
Right, they can be your point person.
So important, communication is key in these situations.
Oh, and while we're at it, power outages.
Be prepared.
We're not talking about a quick blip here.
Think long haul, be ready.
Self sufficiency is the name of the game.
You know, there was this one line that really stuck with me.
Nobody can rescue you if you find out too late
that you made a mistake.
Oof.
Yeah, that's about as real as it gets.
We're giving you the information.
You've got the time to act.
Make the choices that'll let you sleep at night,
knowing you did everything you could to keep yourself
and your loved ones safe.
That's what matters.
That's what it's all about.