Florida faces new storm threat as region reels from Helene

Florida is bracing for another potentially dangerous and costly hurricane less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated a wide swath of the U.S. Southeast.

Tropical Storm Milton, with winds of 40 miles per hour, is forecast to build into at least a Category 3 hurricane with winds of 185 kph (115 mph) when it makes landfall in western Florida on Oct. 9, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Many areas across the state, including Tampa and Orlando, may get as much as 8 inches of rain. Some places might see as much as 12 inches, leading to a risk of flash flooding and rivers overflowing their banks.

“There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning late Tuesday or Wednesday,” said Dan Brown, a branch chief at the U.S. center. “Areas of heavy rainfall will impact portions of Florida Sunday and Monday well ahead of Milton.”