Officials urged people to plan their evacuation routes carefully, with several major bridges in the Tampa Bay area closing Wednesday as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida’s west coast.
Milton is a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory.
As of 4 pm CDT on Wednesday, the storm was 300 miles southwest of Tampa. Milton is expected to remain an “extremely dangerous” hurricane when it makes landfall on Florida’s west coast near Tampa late Wednesday or early Thursday, according to the hurricane center. It comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene slammed into western Florida before crossing several southeastern states, killing more than 200 people.
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The authorities have issued mandatory evacuation orders in 14 Florida counties, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents that they will “die” if they fail to act on evacuation orders.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Florida Highway Patrol and local police departments in Tampa and Clearwater are coordinating bridge closures in the Tampa Bay area ahead of Milton’s arrival.
“Residents should take possible bridge closures into account when planning evacuation routes and timing,” the department said. he said in one post on Facebook. “Keep in mind, there may come a time when it is no longer safe or possible to evacuate with these bridges.”
The Sunshine Skyway
The bridge will close when sustained wind speeds exceed 45 mph. The FDOT said it anticipates a full closure of the Sunshine Skyway by Wednesday afternoon.
The Howard Franklin and Gandy bridges
The Howard Frankland and Gandy bridges, which are monitored by the Florida Highway Patrol, will close when water invades the approaches.
The FDOT said its crews are working to close the bridges when the Florida Highway Patrol deems it necessary, which is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon.
Courtney Campbell Causeway
The Courtney Campbell Causeway, which is monitored by the Tampa and Clearwater police departments, will close when water approaches the approaches and makes travel unsafe. FDOT says it anticipates it will still be needed by Wednesday afternoon.
The FDOT warned that people should not cross the bridges once they are closed, even if there are no officers or physical barriers blocking them.
“When bridges close before a storm makes landfall, law enforcement and traffic resources may be present to guide motorists, however, there will be a time when it is no longer safe for personnel (FDOT Crews , Troopers, and Officers) or any physical barriers that close the bridges to be in place,” the FDOT post said.
“The public is not allowed to cross the bridges once they are closed and should not cross the bridges, even if there are no physical or official barriers.”
The bridges will reopen after Milton makes landfall and safety inspections are conducted, the department said.
