WINK NEWS List of shelters in SWFL ahead of Milton As Hurricane Milton approaches, shelters are opening across Southwest Florida to provide safety and refuge for residents.
NAPLES Mandatory curfews begins across Southwest Florida Mandatory driving curfews are being implemented starting Wednesday afternoon ahead of Hurricane Milton in Southwest Florida.
Know when it’s time to shelter in place for Hurricane Milton As Hurricane Milton gets closer to Southwest Florida, first responders are doing their final sweeps of evacuation zones.
Tornado confirmed in Southwest Florida; Hurricane Milton maintains collision course with Florida’s Gulf Coast A confirmed tornado was caught on camera touching down in southern Florida on Wednesday just north of Alligator Alley in Collier County.
Radio stations available for Hurricane Milton updates Hurricane Milton is expected to devastate Florida as a Category 4 storm, and with that in mind, power outages are expected.
AT&T, Verizon among wireless companies waiving usage fees for Milton As Hurricane Milton moves closer to Southwest Florida, some wireless companies are announcing relief for Florida customers. So far, AT&T and Verizon have announced they are waiving some fees. WINK News will keep this article up to date as wireless companies announce their plans. AT&T AT&T has announced it will be waiving overage charges to […]
Lee County to provide updates on Hurricane Milton Lee County officials are set to provide updates regarding Hurricane Milton ahead of landfall.
How to get emergency help through satellite on your Google Pixel phone If you’re in an emergency situation without Wi-Fi or cellular service, you can try to connect with emergency services through satellite using your Google Pixel smartphone.
How to send emergency satellite messages on iPhone During Hurricane Milton, staying connected is top of mind, as internet and cellular coverage could be affected by the storm.
Hurricane Milton: Category 4 strength, heavy impacts expected in SWFL The Weather Authority is continuing to track Hurricane Milton, which continues to be a major hurricane even as it was downgraded slightly.
Gov. DeSantis provides Hurricane Milton updates ahead of landfall Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Tallahassee regarding Hurricane Milton.
Electric vehicle charging stations available ahead of Hurricane Milton The Florida Department of Transportation has activated several electric vehicles ahead of Hurricane Milton for those evacuating.
Managing your anxiety during Milton; expert weighs in We are anxious about Hurricane Milton. It’s perfectly normal, even expected, but there are things you can do to help ground yourself and lower the stress to a manageable level.
Tracking Milton: Worst-case scenario inundation and storm surge The Weather Authority is tracking Hurricane Milton and the hypothetical worst-case scenario when it comes to storm surge.
Cape Coral prepares for Hurricane Milton The City of Cape Coral held another press conference Tuesday to give an update on Hurricane Milton. The city is urging people in zones A and B to evacuate now.
WINK NEWS List of shelters in SWFL ahead of Milton As Hurricane Milton approaches, shelters are opening across Southwest Florida to provide safety and refuge for residents.
NAPLES Mandatory curfews begins across Southwest Florida Mandatory driving curfews are being implemented starting Wednesday afternoon ahead of Hurricane Milton in Southwest Florida.
Know when it’s time to shelter in place for Hurricane Milton As Hurricane Milton gets closer to Southwest Florida, first responders are doing their final sweeps of evacuation zones.
Tornado confirmed in Southwest Florida; Hurricane Milton maintains collision course with Florida’s Gulf Coast A confirmed tornado was caught on camera touching down in southern Florida on Wednesday just north of Alligator Alley in Collier County.
Radio stations available for Hurricane Milton updates Hurricane Milton is expected to devastate Florida as a Category 4 storm, and with that in mind, power outages are expected.
AT&T, Verizon among wireless companies waiving usage fees for Milton As Hurricane Milton moves closer to Southwest Florida, some wireless companies are announcing relief for Florida customers. So far, AT&T and Verizon have announced they are waiving some fees. WINK News will keep this article up to date as wireless companies announce their plans. AT&T AT&T has announced it will be waiving overage charges to […]
Lee County to provide updates on Hurricane Milton Lee County officials are set to provide updates regarding Hurricane Milton ahead of landfall.
How to get emergency help through satellite on your Google Pixel phone If you’re in an emergency situation without Wi-Fi or cellular service, you can try to connect with emergency services through satellite using your Google Pixel smartphone.
How to send emergency satellite messages on iPhone During Hurricane Milton, staying connected is top of mind, as internet and cellular coverage could be affected by the storm.
Hurricane Milton: Category 4 strength, heavy impacts expected in SWFL The Weather Authority is continuing to track Hurricane Milton, which continues to be a major hurricane even as it was downgraded slightly.
Gov. DeSantis provides Hurricane Milton updates ahead of landfall Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Tallahassee regarding Hurricane Milton.
Electric vehicle charging stations available ahead of Hurricane Milton The Florida Department of Transportation has activated several electric vehicles ahead of Hurricane Milton for those evacuating.
Managing your anxiety during Milton; expert weighs in We are anxious about Hurricane Milton. It’s perfectly normal, even expected, but there are things you can do to help ground yourself and lower the stress to a manageable level.
Tracking Milton: Worst-case scenario inundation and storm surge The Weather Authority is tracking Hurricane Milton and the hypothetical worst-case scenario when it comes to storm surge.
Cape Coral prepares for Hurricane Milton The City of Cape Coral held another press conference Tuesday to give an update on Hurricane Milton. The city is urging people in zones A and B to evacuate now.
Hurricane Milton track. CREDIT: WINK News The Weather Authority is continuing to track Hurricane Milton, which, as of 2 p.m., is maintaining Category 4 strength. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 2 p.m. advisory Milton’s sustained winds are at 130 mph, which is just strong enough to make it a Category 4 hurricane. The Category 4 hurricane is moving north-northeastward at approximately 16 mph. The 2 p.m. update continues to indicate that Milton is forecast to weaken to a Category 3 hurricane just before landfall on Florida’s west coast. The Storm Surge forecast on the west coast of Florida indicates that parts of Charlotte County could see up to 15 feet of storm surge. The storm surge forecast also shows parts of Lee County could see up to 12 feet of storm surge. Milton’s exact landfall location remains unclear. However, the cone of uncertainty from the National Hurricane Center shows an expected landfall as far south as parts of Charlotte County and as far north as near Tampa. Milton is expected to make landfall in the very early hours of Thursday morning. Please prepare, as we will see greater impacts than we saw with Helene. Watches and Warnings A storm surge warning has been issued from the Volusia/Brevard County Line northward to the mouth of the St. Mary’s River, including the St. Johns River. A hurricane warning has been issued for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay. A warning has also been issued for Florida’s east coast from the St. Lucie/Martin County Line northwardto Ponte Vedra Beach. A hurricane watch has been issued for the Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach and Lake Okeechobee. Breaking it Down Hurricane Hunters found that Milton was strengthening in the Gulf Monday morning. Max wind speed has increased and pressures are dropping. Conditions in the short term, including lower shear, will allow for gradual or even rapid intensification as it heads across the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. The official forecast calls for a Major Hurricane, with intensity models currently showing Category 3-5 at peak. Hurricane Milton 1 PM advisory. CREDIT: WINK News As Milton approaches the west coast of Florida, it will be entering an area with more wind shear, and minor weakening will be possible up through landfall. The Weather Authority Meteorologist Zach Maloch said, “The storm is now moving east, northeast of the Yucatan Penisula. This now Category 4 hurricane, Milton, remains an extremely dangerous storm. Wind shear is expected to weaken the storm slightly before it reaches landfall as a Category 3 storm.” NEW MODELS: This is a combination of the early and late models to show the highest current probability for landfall. This blends the newest models, but also keeps the model fields that the NHC is putting more weight in at the present time. Landfall exists from Tampa…to… pic.twitter.com/fVvyHFV5P5 — Matt Devitt (@MattDevittWX) October 9, 2024 Storm Surge Threat Life-threatening storm surges will hit Southwest Florida on Wednesday, and the surges will be greater than those we saw with Helene. The Storm Surge forecast on the west coast of Florida indicates that parts of Charlotte County could see up to 15 feet of storm surge. The Storm Surge forecast also shows parts of Lee County could see up to 12 feet of storm surge. If you are told to evacuate, please do so! You do not have to go far, so move farther inland to a shelter or a friend’s home. Storm Size This storm will not be as big as Helene, which had a tropical storm-force wind field over 450 miles long. Current projections for Milton’s tropical storm-force wind field will be around 325 miles long or wide. It is still a formidable storm. Remember that the maximum wind speed is only contained in a small part of the storm and not throughout the entire storm. For those who see those max winds, however, it will be very damaging. Storm motion The forward motion at landfall will be close to 14-15 mph, not as slow as Hurricane Ian but not as fast as Hurricane Helene. The storm will make landfall on Wednesday. You have Monday and Tuesday to either evacuate if you are told to do so or prepare your homes for impactful weather on Wednesday. Review your hurricane plan and put that plan into action. Here’s a link to the WINK News Hurricane Guide for helpful information as Milton approaches SWFL: winknews.com/hurricane-guide-2024.