TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Milton is set to make landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast as a “dangerous major hurricane,” the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.

Located about 190 miles southwest of Tampa, Milton is expected to continue to the northeast and pick up speed throughout the early part of Wednesday, according to the 11 a.m. update.

In the 11 a.m. track update, Milton’s cone narrowed in over the south Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas.

Milton is a Category 4 hurricane and is currently moving toward the northeast at 17 mph with winds of 145 mph, the NHC said.

Watches and Warnings

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for…

  • West coast of Florida from Flamingo northward to the Suwannee
    River, including Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay
  • East coast of Florida from Port Canaveral northward to the mouth
    of the St. Mary’s River, including the St. Johns River.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for…

  • Florida west coast from Bonita Beach northward to the mouth of the
    Suwannee River, including Tampa Bay
  • Florida east coast from the Indian River/St. Lucie County Line
    northward to Ponte Vedra Beach

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for…

  • North of Altamaha Sound, Georgia to Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for…

  • Dry Tortugas
  • Lake Okeechobee
  • Florida west coast from Chokoloskee to south of Bonita Beach
  • Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the mouth of the
    St. Mary’s River

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…

  • Rio Lagartos to Cancun
  • All of the Florida Keys, including Dry Tortugas and Florida Bay
  • Lake Okeechobee
  • Florida west coast from Flamingo to south of Bonita Beach
  • Florida west coast from north of the mouth of the Suwanee River to
    Indian Pass
  • Florida east coast south of the Indian River/St. Lucie County
    Line to Flamingo
  • Florida east coast north of Ponte Vedra Beach to the Savannah River

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for…

  • North of the Savannah River to South Santee River, South Carolina

Some areas that are normally dry near the coast could be flooded due to rising waters moving inland.

  • Anna Maria Island, FL to Boca Grande, FL: 10-15 feet
  • Anclote River, FL to Anna Maria Island, FL: 8-12 feet
  • Tampa Bay: 8-12 feet
  • Englewood, FL to Bonita Beach, FL: 6-10 feet
  • Charlotte Harbor: 6-10 feet
  • Yankeetown, FL to Anclote River: 5-10 feet
  • Bonita Beach, FL to Chokoloskee, FL: 4-10 feet
  • Suwannee River, FL to Yankeetown, FL: 3-5 feet

Watch Tracking the Tropics on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. CT.
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