Hurricane Milton close to making landfall as Category 3 storm along Florida's Gulf Coast, NHC says

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ORLANDO, Fl - UPDATE: Hurricane Milton made landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast near Siesta Key around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The storm's center was about 115 miles southwest of Orlando. We are no longer updating this story. For the latest on Hurricane Milton, visit our new storm tracker page with live updates here.

Original story below:

Hurricane Milton was close to making landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast near Tampa and St. Petersburg as a Category 3 storm, the National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m. advisory.

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extended 255 miles.

As of 8 p.m., Hurricane Milton was 20 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, Florida, and 130 miles southwest of Orlando with sustained winds of 120 mph. The storm continued its movement northeast at 15 mph. The minimum central pressure was 954 mb.

"Milton is expected to remain a hurricane while it moves across central Florida through Thursday. The system is forecast to weaken over the western Atlantic and become extratropical by Thursday night," the NHC said in its advisory.

Tornado watch for nearly all of Central Florida

Nearly every county in Central Florida (except Flagler) is under a tornado watch until 9 p.m.

A watch means there is the potential for tornadoes. A tornado warning means a tornado has been confirmed by radar or a trained spotter. You should seek shelter immediately.

Video: Florida traffic camera captured tornado as Hurricane Milton impacts state

FOX 35 meteorologist Brooks Garner said the threat for tornadoes will increase Wednesday afternoon as the outer bands from Milton pass through.

South Florida has reportedly seen multiple tornadoes as Hurricane Milton begins to impact the state.

The NHC said earlier that multiple tornado warnings were in effect across the Florida Peninsula.

FOX 35 Storm Team Meterologists Noah Bergren and T.J. Springer were completely shocked when there were 12 active Tornado Warnings at one time, Video below.

Hurricane Milton: Shocking amount of Tornado Warnings

FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologists stunned by the amount of Tornado Warnings happening at one time across the state as Hurricane Milton continues towards the state.

When will Hurricane Milton make landfall over Florida?

According to the FOX 35 Storm Team, we are anticipating Hurricane Milton to make landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast late Wednesday evening. However, that could change as the storm continues to make its way across the Gulf of Mexico.

Regardless, it is important not to focus on the center of the track or where landfall is. Weather impacts will be felt across Central Florida outside the center of the storm – storm surge, heavy rainfall, flooding, damaging winds, and tornadoes.

"This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions," the NHC said.

Hurricane Watch or Warning

Several counties in Central Florida are under a tropical storm warning or a hurricane warning as Hurricane Milton inches closer to Florida.

Storm Surge

While much of the western coast of Florida is under a storm surge warning, areas on the Atlantic coast are also under a storm surge watch or warning.

As Hurricane Milton crosses the Peninsula, it will spin counterclockwise and the winds have the potential to send water back towards Florida's Atlantic coast.

What is the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale?

Hurricanes are given a category – rated based on their sustained wind speeds – using Category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4, or 5 storm. The Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale only takes into account wind speeds. It does not account for storm surges, flooding, torrential rain, etc.

Category 1: 74-95 mph sustained winds (very dangerous winds will produce some damage)
Category 2: 96-110 mph sustained winds (extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage)
Category 3: 111-129 mph sustained winds (devastating damage will occur)
Category 4: 120 to 156 mph sustained winds (catastrophic damage will occur)
Category 5: 157 mph sustained winds (Catastrophic damage will occur)'

Tropical storm and hurricane prep

According to Ready. Gov, here are some of the essentials to include in your emergency kit:

Food and water to last several days (one gallon per person per day; non-perishable foods to last for several days)
NOAA Weather Radio (battery-powered or crank)
Flashlight, additional batteries
First aid kit, critical medications to last several days
Cellphone, chargers, and fully-charged battery packs
Cash
Important documents (insurance, medical cards; copies of birth certificates, social security cards; pet vaccination, ownership records)
Important phone numbers (family, emergency contacts, emergency county contacts)
Weather-resistant clothing (jackets, hats, umbrellas, boots, etc.)

What is my Florida evacuation zone? Here's how to find it.

If you live in a low-lying area that's prone to flooding, in a mobile home, or an unsafe structure, those areas may be ordered to evacuate during a hurricane, either part of a voluntary evacuation or a mandatory evacuation.

Here is how to find out if you live in an evacuation zone, and what your zone is:

Visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone/ and click the "Know Your Zone" link.
Type in your address and see if it is located within a colored evacuation zone (these are flood zones)
Zone A is typically the most vulnerable, though there are 21 different zone designations among various counties in Florida