Mold Remediation in Riverview, FL

The National Weather Service issued dozens of tornado warnings Wednesday morning and afternoon as Milton churned toward FL's west coast.

Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff

|Updated Wed, Oct 9, 2024 at 2:54 pm ET

FLORIDA — Skies swirled over parts of Florida on Wednesday, spawning dangerous funnel clouds and dozens of tornado warnings ahead of Hurricane Milton's predicted landfall early Thursday.

Hurricane Milton was upgraded to a Category 5 storm on Tuesday evening before it weakened slightly overnight. As of Wednesday, the storm remained a Category 4 with 130 mph sustained winds as it barreled across the Gulf toward Florida's west coast.

Milton is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane in the greater Tampa Bay area around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Ahead of Milton's projected landfall, at least four dozen tornado warnings were issued for counties across parts of central and southern Florida, according to the National Weather Service. Charlotte, DeSoto, Highlands, Lee, Polk and Hardee counties were among those under tornado warnings Wednesday.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Two large tornadoes moved across Interstate 75 in the Florida Everglades around 10 a.m. Wednesday, moving north between the towns of Miles City and Andytown, according to Accuweather.

The first warning was upgraded to a "particularly dangerous tornado warning" as it moved north towards Lake Okeechobee around 10:15 a.m., Accuweather reported.

At 12:51 p.m., a confirmed "large and extremely dangerous tornado" formed 12 miles north of Fort Myers, the National Weather Service said.

“This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!” the NWS wrote.

Social media posts showed a large tornado appear to strike the town of Matlacha, west of Cape Coral. Later, damage was seen in the area.

Another tornado was confirmed near the town of Weston, near Clewiston and in Lakeport, the Weather Channel and NWS officials reported.

It's unclear if anyone was injured.

Tornadoes were likely to form Wednesday and Wednesday night across parts of central and southern Florida as Milton nears the state's Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said in an afternoon update.

The National Weather Service issued several tornado watches Wednesday morning from Tampa to Palm Bay and areas south. Watches are issued when widespread tornado activity is possible. The watches were in effect through 9 p.m. Wednesday.

As Milton moves into Florida, the risk will spread north, with the greatest risk being from Tampa and Orlando southward to the Florida Keys and up to Port St. Lucie, according to Accuweather.

Why is Milton producing so many tornadoes? According to a CNN report, the storm's outer rainbands are mixing with a front draped over Florida, giving the atmosphere an extra boost of energy.

Temperatures are also expected to warm through the afternoon before Milton’s heaviest rain and thick cloud cover arrives, which will likely fuel severe thunderstorms.

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As Hurricane Milton works its way toward Florida, here's what people in Hillsborough County need to know.

Hillsborough County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for Evacuation Zones A and B, and for all mobile homes and manufactured housing throughout the County starting at 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7.

All Hillsborough County offices and facilities will close Tuesday, Oct. 8, Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, for regular operations to allow staff to focus on the emergency response to Hurricane Milton. Solid waste services will continue.

All Hillsborough County parks, preserves, recreation centers, and boat ramps will close Monday, Oct. 7, to allow staff to focus on the emergency response to Hurricane Milton.

The Aquarium will be closed to the public from Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 10.

The Straz Center will be closed Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Thursday, Oct. 10.

ZooTampa will be closed to guests from Tuesday, October 8 through Thursday, October 10.

General population, pet friendly shelters:

General population, no pet shelter:

Special needs, pet friendly shelters:

Officials say special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or who have cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter.

Residents bringing pets to one of the pet-friendly shelters need to bring a sturdy carrier for each pet that allows room for the pet to stand up and move around, as well as a collar with a leash and supplies for each pet to last seven days.

Three new shelters will open at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the following locations:

All sandbagging locations in Hillsborough County are now closed and will remain closed through the storm.

Hillsborough County Schools announced that all schools will be closed through Friday, Oct. 11, to allow the county to convert schools into shelters for those needing to evacuate.

Saint Leo University's Tampa Education Center locations will be closed and classes canceled Monday, October 7, through Thursday, October 10. All Saint Leo employees are to report to work on Monday, and prepare their workspace for the storm.

All University of South Florida classes are canceled and all campuses will be closed through at least Thursday, Oct. 10.

Hillsborough County launched a temporary debris drop-off site at its Resource Recovery Facility located at 350 N. Falkenburg Rd., Tampa, FL 33619. Starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, residents and contractors can drop off yard waste, construction and demolition debris, furniture, and other household items at no charge. All appliances must be emptied of their contents. The site will remain open until further notice.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Early voting is underway in the Tampa Bay area ahead of the November 5 General Election.

Here is where you can vote early and find more information about voting:

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County has 27 early voting locations open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 21 to November 3.

You can find more information about early voting on the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website.

Pinellas County

Pinellas County has seven early voting locations open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 21 to November 3.

For more information about early voting, visit the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections website.

Pasco County

Pasco County has 13 early voting locations open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 21 to November 2.

For more information about early voting, visit the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections website.

Manatee County

Manatee County has eight early voting locations open 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from October 21 to November 2.

For more information about early voting, visit the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website.

Sarasota County

Sarasota County has 10 early voting locations open 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from October 21 to November 3.

For more information about early voting, visit the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections website.

Polk County

Polk County has 10 early voting locations open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from October 21 to November 3.

For more information about early voting, visit the Polk County Supervisor of Elections website.

Hernando County

Hernando County has five early voting locations open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 21 to November 2.

For more information about early voting, visit the Hernando County Supervisor of Elections website.

Highlands County

Highlands County has three early voting locations open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from October 21 to November 3.

For more information about early voting, visit the Highlands County Supervisor of Elections website.

Citrus and Hardee County’s Supervisor of Elections websites were experiencing technical issues at the time of this report. We will update this article once we receive more information.

What to bring to the voting site

Voters are asked to bring one or two forms of current identification that include their signature and photo. They must have the cards with them – pictures of ID cannot be accepted. If they forget their ID, they may vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by the Canvassing Board for eligibility.

Acceptable photo ID for voting:

Federal agency pledges centers will open in Pinellas and Pasco as residents seek help with emergency accommodation and damage to homes.

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When floodwaters from Old Tampa Bay reached past her knees, Disney Oceana Delgado called 911 in a panic.

The responder told her she and her two young daughters should immediately evacuate their first-floor apartment near Rocky Point in Tampa. But her car was already partially submerged.

Not knowing where else to go, Delgado gathered what dry bedding she had and led her daughters up the external stairwell to second-floor apartments. The family slept as best they could on the concrete steps.

“I woke at 5 a.m.,” said her daughter, Lorena Delgado, 10. “We don’t sleep so much.”

Delago returned Friday morning to sodden beds, clothing and some ruined kitchen appliances. The apartment is unlivable for now, and she and her daughters are staying at her brother’s home.

On Tuesday morning, a relative drove Delago and her daughters to a disaster recovery center opened Monday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Riverview. For the second consecutive day, a dozen other families, many with similar hardship stories, headed to the center waiting for their turn to speak with FEMA experts about applying for emergency assistance.

A disaster recovery center opened Pinellas on Wednesday at the Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive. More than 100 people lined up for assistance Wednesday, said FEMA spokesperson Jack Pagano.

FEMA is working to open other centers in Pinellas and Pasco counties, which bore the brunt of storm surge damage. That could include mobile disaster recovery centers in areas directly impacted by Helene, Pagano said.

The federal agency is providing assistance with the cost of temporary accommodation for those whose homes are unlivable in addition to longer-term assistance for home repair or replacement. There is help for those who do not have insurance or who are underinsured.

For those in immediate need, the center can connect them with aid agencies including the American Red Cross, which is operating a shelter at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church on Platt Street in Tampa.

As of midday Tuesday, the nonprofit was sheltering about 2,400 survivors at 75 shelters between Florida and North Carolina, an area Red Cross Division Disaster Executive Denise Everhart described on a media call as Hurricane Helene’s “500-mile path of destruction.”

Related: Damage from Hurricane Helene? Here’s how to apply for FEMA aid.

Amy Jennings was one of the first to turn up at the center Monday.

Floodwater that surged from a canal that is a tributary of the Little Manatee River took over their Ruskin home.

The water kept coming. Items she had put up high to protect, such as framed family photographs and photo albums, floated around the living room. With the front door blocked by sandbags, she and her husband had to escape through sliding doors and then push through the screen of their porch.

They waded through water for 30 minutes before a pickup truck driver gave them a ride to dry land, she said.

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It wasn’t just their home and possessions that were ruined. Her husband’s truck and many of the tools he uses as a carpenter are unsalvageable, she said.

Their situation reached a crisis point Friday when their landlady told them she doesn’t have flood insurance and or the means to repair the home. After about four years of renting the home, the couple was told they should remove their belongings and get their truck towed.

Sitting in the waiting area, Jennings was briefly overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness. Her children are grown and out of the state. The couple have been staying with friends but know they can’t lean on that kindness for too long.

“Everything is gone,” Jennings said. “Everything we worked for. I’ve never been in this situation before.”

FEMA officials stressed that registering for assistance is critical to starting the process of receiving assistance. That can be done at the center or online at www.disasterassistance.gov. Helene’s path has led to major disaster declarations being made in 17 Florida counties as well as 25 in North Carolina, 13 in South Carolina and 11 in Georgia.

More than 150,000 households had registered for assistance, with the agency already paying out millions, officials said Tuesday. Those numbers are expected to soar in the coming weeks and months. Pagano said Wednesday that in Florida alone FEMA has received about 71,000 applications for assistance and already paid out $3.1 million

Everyone seeking assistance at the Riverview center had their own Helene story.

Dietra Singleton has been without power in her East Tampa home since a tree fell and severed the power line between the outside maintenance box and her house. Tampa Electric told the hair salon owner that it’s her responsibility to repair it, she said. She needs help with that cost.

Rhonda Brightbill drove to Riverview from Osceola County near Orlando because her husband’s truck, which was parked close to his work on Causeway Boulevard in Tampa, was flooded up to the center console. He needs a vehicle for his Interstate 4 commute, she said.

Randy Hann, 73, said floodwater destroyed clothes, bedding, power tools and other possessions. The bottom 2 feet of drywall in his home along the Alafia River had to be replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year. This time, the water was twice as high, he said.

A survivor of a bone marrow transplant operation 17 years ago, he said he’s learned to stay positive.

“I’m blessed,” he said. “I just want something to get started again. I’ve had to buy so many supplies.”

Times staff writer Juan-Carlos Chavez contributed to this report.

NEED HELP?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened disaster recovery centers at a Hillsborough Community College campus in Riverview and the Largo Public Library in Pinellas County. The centers are open to individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits seeking assistance or needing help in completing applications after being impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Debby. FEMA representatives are onsite to assist.

Where: 6437 Watson Rd., Riverview, 33578, and 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, 33771.

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 6.