Today is the last day for people to prepare as Hurricane Milton approaches Volusia-Flagler with the possibility of heavy rain, flooding and hurricane-force winds.
Parts of Volusia County will be under an evacuation order starting at 8 a.m., though residents can depart earlier, and shelters open at 9 a.m. A countywide curfew will be in effect at 8 p.m.
As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Milton was still “a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane” with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is forecast to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida tonight as a major hurricane. It was about 300 miles southwest of Tampa as of 5 a.m., moving northeast at 14 mph.
Check here for live updates from Volusia-Flagler on Wednesday.
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Flooding, heavy rain, strong winds expected in Volusia-Flagler
7:09 a.m. As of Wednesday morning, Volusia County was under a hurricane warning and coastal areas were under a storm surge warning.
County officials expect to start seeing the worst impacts of the storm on Wednesday night. Up to 15 inches of rain is possible in some areas along with Category 1 winds and gusts up to Category 2 strength.
A Category 2 hurricane exhibits winds between 96 and 110 mph. Such winds can cause considerable damage, including roof and siding damage, uprooted trees, and road closures.
The county expects to see widespread flooding, and areas that flooded in Hurricane Ian should be ready to flood again.
Tornados are possible.
People with storm-related questions in Volusia County can call the Volusia County Citizens Information Center at 866-345-0345.
All of Flagler County is under a hurricane warning, and coastal Flagler County is under a storm surge warning as of about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
A flood watch is in effect for all of Flagler County through Thursday afternoon. Around 5-10 inches of rain or higher is possible.
“Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible,” according to the National Weather Service.
Inland Flagler is expected to see winds of 15-25 mph with gusts of 40 mph, but there is a possibility for winds of 58-73 mph. Storm surge of 2-4 feet above ground or more is possible in inland Flagler in surge-prone areas.
Coastal Flagler could see storm surge flooding of 3-5 feet surge surge-prone areas. Coastal Flagler could see winds of 35-45 mph with gusts of 65 mph, but there is a potential for winds of 58-73 mph
Tornadoes are possible.
― Sheldon Gardner
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: LIVE: Hurricane Milton likely to bring flooding to Volusia County
