Miami officials urge residents to "stay home and stay inside" ahead of Milton's landfall
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Photo: National Hurricane Center
Local officials are urging Miami residents to stay off the roads today as the county braces for heavy rain and winds between 39 and 57 mph brought on by Hurricane Milton.
- Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe and Palm Beach counties are under a tropical storm warning through tomorrow.
Why it matters: Milton is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast late tonight or early tomorrow morning. It will largely miss Miami, but residents here will still feel the impact.
- "There's no reason anyone should be out on the streets [Wednesday]," Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez said during a news conference with Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
- "Stay home and stay inside," he said, reminding residents that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is unable to provide services when winds hit 50 mph or more.
State of play: In Miami, all non-essential county offices will be closed today, Levine Cava said.
- The port won't receive any inbound vessels and the U.S. Coast Guard locked-down all drawbridges for boats.
- Levine Cava advised residents to put up their hurricane shutters, though local meteorologists have said shutters are only needed when hurricane-force winds are forecast. ("It's better to over-prepare," she told the Miami Herald)
By the numbers: As of Tuesday morning, the county's parks department had delivered more than 70,000 sand bags to residents.
- More than 100 dogs were placed in temporary foster homes ahead of Hurricane Milton after the county's shelter asked for volunteers to keep animals safe during the storm.
- Mobile home residents under a voluntary evacuation can shelter at the pet-friendly E. Darwin Fuchs Pavilion at 10901 Coral Way.
The big picture: Hurricane Milton intensified explosively in recent days, peaking as a Category 5 storm with 180 mph sustained winds, but it is expected to make landfall as a large and intense Category 3.
- The NHC noted that forecasters expect its wind field to nearly double in size prior to landfall.
Between the lines: This will increase the storm surge magnitude, and potentially broaden the area affected by surge-related damage.
- It will also broaden the region potentially affected by long-lasting power outages, and ensure that areas as far away as Jacksonville and Miami experience its strong winds.