The latest weather brief concerning Hurricane Milton and the Florida Keys of Monroe County is below.
- Hurricane Milton will move eastward to northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of Florida by Wednesday. Milton has intensified rapidly into a category 5 hurricane.
- A Tropical Storm Warning is now in effect for all of the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to Key West.
- A Coastal Flood Warning is now in effect for all of the Florida Keys.
- A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for the Dry Tortugas.
- Potential impacts to the Florida Keys from Hurricane Milton include:
- Storm Surge flooding, with saltwater flooding of 1 to 3 feet above ground level in low elevation areas on the Gulf and Bayside from Wednesday morning through Thursday. Atlantic-facing shorelines will be susceptible to crashing waves and overwash, leading to saltwater flooding in the adjacent neighborhoods.
- High potential (about 1 in 2) for sustained tropical storm-force winds. Tropical storm-force winds could arrive as early as late Tuesday evening, but will most likely arrive Wednesday morning. Tropical storm-force winds could linger into Thursday morning.
- Thundery squalls with localized wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph Tuesday evening through Thursday morning. Additionally, there is a low potential for a few tornadoes.
- Flooding rainfall is likely with additional amounts through Thursday morning in the 4 to 7 inch range. A significant portion of this rainfall will occur tonight, in advance of Milton’s closest approach. Flooding of low-elevation streets and poor drainage areas is likely.
- Residents and visitors in the Florida Keys should closely monitor the progress of Hurricane Milton. Protective actions to secure loose outdoor objects from strong wind gusts and protect against saltwater flooding should be completed by sunset Tuesday.
The next update is scheduled for 12:00 AM Tuesday.
Briefings are also posted to https://www.weather.gov/media/key/DSS/dssbrief_land.pdf