Hurricane Milton will be closing in on Florida’s west coast late Wednesday into early Thursday with impacts to Palm Beach County beginning Wednesday night .
As of Tuesday morning, all of South Florida, including Palm Beach County, was put under a tropical storm warning.
A tropical storm warning is issued when tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 36 hours. Tropical storms’ winds are between 39 and 73 mph. It can be unsafe to drive a vehicle in tropical storm-force winds.
Palm Beach County is not in Milton’s forecast track cone, which shows where the center of the storm may go, but impacts can occur far outside the cone.
As of early Tuesday, Hurricane Milton was a 145-mph Category 4 storm about 545 miles east-southeast of Tampa moving east-northeast at 12 mph. It is being steered by an area of low pressure over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to get picked up by another trough dropping into the Gulf that will fling it toward the Sunshine State.
➤ Weather alerts via text: Sign up to get updates about current storms and weather events by location
Will Palm Beach County see flooding from Hurricane Milton?
A flood watch is also in effect for Palm Beach County through Thursday with an estimated 2 to 4 inches of rain possible on top of nearly 4 inches of rain that fell in West Palm Beach over the weekend that was not associated with Milton. The rainfall brought by Milton will likely begin late Tuesday and into Wednesday.
What kind of damages can we expect from Hurricane Milton?
According to the National Weather Service in Miami, coastal Palm Beach County and areas near Lake Okeechobee could see impacts from Milton that include:
More: Hurricane Milton could send damaging wind to Palm Beach County. Here’s what to do.
-
Damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds and unanchored mobile homes with winds to tropical storm-force beginning Wednesday.
-
Many large tree limbs could be broken off with a few trees snapped or uprooted. Some fences and roadway signs will be blown over.
-
Scattered to numerous power and communications outages.
The probability of sustained tropical storm-force winds in West Palm Beach through Thursday night is 60%, with potentially higher chances in the more northern reaches of Palm Beach County.
The probability of sustained hurricane-force winds in West Palm Beach is 5% with potentially higher chances in the more northern reaches of the county.
When will the winds start in Palm Beach County?
The earliest reasonable arrival of tropical storm-force winds in Palm Beach County is Wednesday morning.
But the most likely time for the arrival of tropical storm-force winds is Wednesday night in southeast Florida and Palm Beach County.
Will Palm Beach County see storm surge from Hurricane Milton?
No. The storm is approaching Florida’s coast from the west (the Gulf of Mexico) so, while storm surge can happen miles inland of landfall, it won’t reach Florida’s east coast.
Should Palm Beach County residents evacuate?
Palm Beach County issues evacuation orders, which are based by zone. No evacuation orders have been issued and none are expected. But it’s always good to know whether you are in an evacuation zone and what zone you are in. You also should know what shelters are nearby. For that information, go here.
To hone in on a specific area of the county to see what evacuation zone you are in, go here. https://bit.ly/4bqdFJ3
What to do during a tropical storm warning in Palm Beach County
Don’t drive through flood waters: It can be difficult to tell how deep water is over a roadway, and cars stall in South Florida during regular king tides or sunny day flooding. Also, it’s easier to drive accidentally into a canal when the roadways are covered in water.
Stay off the roads: Most emergency vehicles are pulled from the roads when winds reach tropical storm-force speeds. That means there may be no rescue vehicles available if a storm is underway. In past storms, schools will pull buses off the road if the winds are sustained at 35 mph or higher.
Check your supplies: Think of this as a dry-run for a hurricane. Electricity may go out, so make sure supplies are topped off, including batteries for flashlights and your NOAA emergency weather radio. Crews will not go out to fix electrical lines until the winds are lower than tropical storm-force.
Charge batteries: Now is the time to plug in any rechargeable batteries for electronics, phones and tools that may be needed to clean up debris or make repairs after the storm.
Clear debris: Clear landscape and yard debris from street drains to keep roads from flooding.
Bring in light outdoor furniture: Tropical storm-force winds can cause damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds and unanchored mobile homes. Unsecured lightweight objects may be blown around, which can cause damage to homes or other outdoor items.
Freeze water: Fox Weather hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross recommends filling Ziploc bags three-quarters full with water and putting them in the freezer. This will keep food cold longer if the electricity goes out and you will have drinking water when it melts.
Think about parking: Park your car in a spot away from trees if you fear one may be knocked down by strong winds. Also, consider whether your street or neighborhood floods easily and find a place to park outside the potential flood areas.
Get gas and cash: Just in case the area is without power for a long time, you may want to fill up your gas tank and get some cash. This is probably unlikely with a tropical storm, but if a large area of the state is affected, it may take longer to get electricity restored.
Fill your bathtub with water: Line your bathtub with a plastic sheet and fill it with water that can be used as drinking water or, in case the water is cut off, can be used to flush the toilet, wash dishes, etc.
Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to [email protected]. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane Milton triggered tropical storm warning in Palm Beach County
