There is “still a lot of uncertainty” of where Hurricane Milton’s eye will make landfall, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who held another press conference Tuesday afternoon, warning that this is “not just an event about the west coast of Florida,” as it will impact the east coast as well.
The storm has slowed over the last 36 hours, the governor said, explaining that they are anticipating landfall late Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning “in the wee hours.”
“There is still a lot of uncertainty about where exactly the eye of the storm is going to hit. I think the most recent models have it somewhere in Manatee County, just south of Tampa Bay,” he said, as recent models show the storm possibly nudging a bit south.
DeSantis said there will be impacts “far beyond wherever the eye of the storm is.”
“You can make landfall anywhere from Citrus County down into southwest Florida. We’ll know more over the next 12 to 18 hours, but just cones, all this stuff you see, the impacts will be broader than that, particularly with respect to storm surge on the west coast of Florida,” he said.
“We will get a landfall major disaster declaration approved once the storm hits, and that will be things like debris removal and individual assistance. We still have 51 counties that are under a state of emergency. There’s pretty much warnings or watches on almost the entire Florida peninsula,” the governor continued, noting that much attention is on the potentially catastrophic storm surge on the west coast of Florida. However, he said Hurricane Milton is expected to cross the peninsula and exit on the east coast “likely still as a hurricane,” which he said will bring “significant impacts” across the state.
“So, this is not just an event about the west coast of Florida,” DeSantis said. “That will be where the initial impact is probably the most significant. But the impacts will not be limited there.”
WATCH:
