As Milton approaches Gulf Coast, experts warn of ‘wet and windy’ week for South Florida
Hurricane Milton — projected to become a major storm — is barreling toward Florida’s Gulf Coast. So what impacts may South Florida see?
The hurricane’s trajectory, which currently encompasses parts of Broward, may shift more north or farther south over the next few days. Milton is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane over the hot waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
READ MORE: Florida Gulf Coast preps for massive evacuations as Milton hits hurricane strength
South Florida will soon witness its first impacts from Milton: A low preceding the storm will bring heavy rain and flash flooding to the area on Monday.
Here’s what to know as Milton inches closer to the Gulf Coast.
How will Milton impact South Florida?
The National Weather Service is continuing to monitor Milton’s progress to better home in on the impact Miami-Dade and Broward may see, said Robert Garcia, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Miami.
“Storms are more than just a skinny black line, so we’ll just have to keep an eye on it,” Garcia said.
Even with the current trajectory, South Florida will likely experience heavy rains — and possible flooding — through Thursday, he said. So far, the region has potential for strong winds, isolated tornadoes, high tides and rip currents.
For people in the Florida Keys, “it looks like it’s going to be a pretty wet and windy week..., especially starting [Monday] morning,” Garcia said.
Garcia also urged area residents to follow NWS Key West’s forecast as marine conditions may deteriorate over next couple of days, and the region could see storm surge.
This report may be updated as more information becomes available
This story was originally published October 7, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
