Florida braces for Hurricane Milton on the heels of Helene

Florida prepared on Sunday (October 6, 2024) for its largest evacuation since 2017 as Hurricane Milton intensified in the Gulf of Mexico on its path toward the U.S. State's western coast, coming on the heels of the devastating Hurricane Helene.

Milton, which strengthened from a tropical storm to hurricane on Sunday, was projected to make landfall on Wednesday (October 9, 2024) morning, most likely hitting near the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The new hurricane has the potential to affect areas already hit hard by Helene, which made landfall further north on the coast on Sept. 26.