What category does Milton belong to now? Latest Hurricane Updates – NBC Chicago

Severe Hurricane Milton hit Florida's west coast as a Category 5 storm early Wednesday, but was downgraded to Category 4 just before 7 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said.

Around 6:30 a.m., Roman noted that the hurricane was undergoing an “eyewall replacement cycle,” meaning it was expected to briefly weaken. Even at a Category 4, Roman said the storm is expected to be “devastating and catastrophic” as it spreads into West Florida and across the state.

A Category 4 hurricane has wind speeds between 130 and 156 miles per hour. In a Category 5 they exceed 157 mph, according to the NHC.

In both cases, “catastrophic damage” is to be expected.

“Milton has the potential to be one of the most devastating hurricanes ever for West Central Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said in a forecast discussion Tuesday.

The hurricane was expected to make landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning on Florida's west coast near or south of Tampa, but forecasters said, “It's important to remember that even after 24 hours, It is not possible to determine an exact point of landing.”

What is the highest category for a hurricane?

The hurricane categories are based on the so-called Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

The rating categorizes hurricanes on a scale of 1 to 5 based on sustained wind speed, according to the National Weather Service.

“This scale estimates potential property damage,” the NWS reports. “Category 3 and above hurricanes are considered major hurricanes due to their potential for significant loss of life and damage. However, Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous and require preventive measures.”

Wind speeds are calculated using a one-minute average.

This is how they break down:

Category one hurricane Wind speeds of 74-95 mph. Very dangerous winds can cause some damage

Category two hurricane Wind speeds of 96-110 mph. Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage

Category three hurricane Winds 111-129 mph. There will be devastating damage

Category four hurricane Winds 130-156 mph. Catastrophic damage will occur

Category five hurricane Wind speeds of 157 miles per hour or more. Catastrophic damage will occur

According to the scale, in a category five storm, “a high percentage of frame houses will be destroyed, with complete roof failure and wall collapse.”

“Fallen trees and utility poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,” the description reads.

Is there a category 6?

Earlier this year, some experts suggested adding a Category 6 to the rankings for storms with winds of more than 192 miles per hour, although such a category has not yet been officially created.

Several experts told The Associated Press that they do not believe this category is necessary. They said it could even send a false signal to the public because it is based on wind speed, when water is by far the deadliest cause of death in hurricanes.

Where is the hurricane now?

Early Wednesday, the hurricane hit the Gulf of Mexico, north of Cuba and southwest of Florida, with winds of 160 miles per hour. A live tracker for Hurricane Milton can be found below.

What part of Florida will Milton reach?

The powerful storm could directly hit Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota once in a century, inundating the populous region with massive storm surges and turning debris from the Helene devastation 12 days ago into projectiles.

Hurricane Helene made landfall about 150 miles from Tampa in the Florida Panhandle, still causing drowning deaths in the Tampa area as waves were about 5 to 8 feet above normal tide levels.

Forecasters warned of a possible storm surge of 8 to 12 feet in Tampa Bay. That's the highest level ever predicted for the location and nearly double the levels reached two weeks ago during Helene, said Maria Torres, spokeswoman for the hurricane center.

The storm could also cause widespread flooding. Five to 10 inches of rain was forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, with up to 15 inches in some places.

According to NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman, the hurricane could be downgraded to Category 4 once it makes landfall, but it was still expected to be a “catastrophic” storm.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the storm was expected to strike near Sarasota, south of Tampa.

“Maybe landing in this area, the Florida barrier islands,” Roman said.

The hurricane was expected to move through the state and into the eastern part by Thursday with winds of about 80 miles per hour.

“But by then the damage will be done,” Roman said.

The first alerts informing residents of Pinellas, Manatee, Pasco, Charlotte, Citrus and Hillsborough counties in Florida of a hurricane and storm surge warning were sent via email starting at approximately 5:10 p.m. EDT (4:10 p.m. EDT), Text message and phone call out pm CT), according to messages obtained by The Associated Press. These include popular destinations such as Naples, Marco Island, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda and more.

Hurricane Milton pushes the limits of what Earth's atmosphere can produce

The hurricane warning said Milton's impacts could be “devastating to catastrophic.”

The warnings warned that stable buildings could experience complete roof and wall failures and that damage could leave some areas “uninhabitable for weeks or months.”

According to the Florida Department of Emergency Management, the following counties are under “mandatory” evacuation orders as of 11 a.m. Tuesday:

• Charlotte County
• Citrus County
• Collier County
• Hernando County
• Hillsborough County
• Lee County
• Levy County
• Manatee County
• Pasco County
• Pinellas County
• Sarasota County
• St. John's County
• Volusia County

View the latest list Here.

What time does Milton get to Florida?

Here's a timeline of what could happen in the coming days.

Wednesday

The first impacts of the storm in Florida will be felt Wednesday morning, with some rainbows possibly reaching the coast. More importantly, tropical storm-force winds are expected to arrive on the coast starting at midday, whipping up high waves on area beaches as the hurricane approaches.

Additionally, the threat of tornadoes is in the forecast for portions of the Florida Peninsula, with that threat increasing as the storm approaches, according to the National Weather Service.

These winds could occur up to 30 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical storm force winds extending significantly further, up to 140 miles from the center of the hurricane.

When the storm makes landfall, it is expected to bring devastating storm surges, depending on where the tides are at the time of its arrival. National Hurricane Center forecasters are warning of storm surges of up to 10 to 15 feet in an area between the Anclote River and Englewood, including heavily populated areas around Tampa Bay and Clearwater Beach.

With the storm surge will also occur large and dangerous waves, creating even more dangerous conditions near the water.

Tropical storm-force winds are expected to reach Florida's east coast late this evening, according to official forecasts.

According to Roman, meteorologists are predicting landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, around 1 a.m

Thursday

Heavy rains are expected to continue through the morning hours and well into the afternoon, causing potentially “catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding” in many parts of West Central Florida.

By the time the storm subsides, rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches and locally up to 18 inches are possible, particularly in a stretch of land between Tampa and Orlando, according to the National Weather Service.

Tropical storm conditions could also develop along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina on Thursday, with gusty winds and a storm surge of about 2 to 4 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.

According to forecast models, Milton is expected to move further away from Florida shores into the evening hours, with greater impact in the Bahamas.

As the storm moves through, flash flooding is still possible in parts of Florida.

What causes a hurricane?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, hurricanes often begin as tropical waves that combine with warm ocean water. They can also be fueled by thunderstorms. The weather system is moving westward as warm ocean air rises into it, creating a low pressure area underneath, NOAA said. Air rises and cools, forming clouds and thunderstorms.

Hurricanes have maximum sustained winds – the highest average wind speed in a minute at a given time – of 74 mph (120 km/h) or more. When a tropical cyclone has maximum sustained wind speeds between 39 and 73 miles per hour (63 km/h to 120 km/h), it is called a tropical storm. If the maximum sustained wind speed is less than 63 km/h, it is called a tropical depression.

Hurricanes typically occur during hurricane season, which occurs in the Atlantic basin from June 1 to November 30 each year.