Just when Central Florida thought it would be an easy hurricane season, the weather reminded them that these things cannot be predicted. After narrowly missing Hurricane Helene, Central Florida is now preparing for Tropical Storm Milton to turn into a Category three storm in the Gulf of Mexico and take aim directly at the Interstate 4 corridor.

A nighttime scene featuring a castle with spires illuminated by purple and blue lights under a dramatic sky, reminiscent of a Disney fairy tale. Bright, jagged lightning streaks across the cloudy sky, echoing the intensity of Hurricane Milton's fury.
Credit: CNN, X

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already issued a state of emergency for the area, as heavy rain, flooding, and damaging winds are expected in Central Florida. However, what is making matters worse is the severe weather expected in the area before Hurricane Milton makes landfall, which could make the flooding and storm surge even worse.

Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort are already in a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Milton, and both have urged guests to leave the area if they can.

The local airports and airlines are preparing for significant shutdowns and delays due to the pending hurricane. Several major United States airlines have already issued travel warnings for the airports in Central Florida. They are urging passengers with tickets for later this week to plan on changing their flights.

United Airlines was the first primary carrier to issue a travel alert, alerting passengers from Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers, and Key West to expect significant schedule disruptions. United Airlines also waived all change fees and fare differences for customers who had to reschedule their flights due to Hurricane Milton.

Milton is expected to pose a significant risk to Central Florida and, by midweek, develop into a major hurricane.

Accuweather senior meteorologist Bob Smerbeck said:

This is a rapidly developing situation. The depth of warm water is pretty deep, so there’s a lot of octane waiting for Milton as it comes across the southern Gulf of Mexico. 

Milton is expected to make landfall in Central Florida on Wednesday afternoon. Some models show it hitting directly in Tampa and crossing Route Four to Orlando, while others show it a bit further south.

While United Airlines was the first to issue its warning, expect more to follow. As of Sunday, all Central Florida airports are operating at total capacity despite the rain forecast for the area.

We will continue to update this developing situation.

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