FEMA has message to Floridians that Hurricane Milton is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says her message to Floridians is "Hurricane Milton is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm."

Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Milton was centered about 230 miles (365 kilometers) southwest of Tampa on Wednesday morning, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just 2 mph (3 kph) shy of Category 5 status, the hurricane center reported.

It was moving northeast at 16 mph (26 kph) and was expected to continue moving in that direction with an increase in its forward speed through Wednesday night.

Criswell says she will be traveling back to Florida later Wednesday so she can be side by side with the governor and his team to ensure seamless support for the state.

"I will remain there for the coming days to assess the impacts and prioritize the federal resources that will be moving into the area," said Criswell.

Milton targets communities still reeling two weeks after Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida along its devastating march that left at least 230 dead across the South.
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