Hurricane Milton Is Now a Category 5 Storm; Hurricane Watch Issued For Orange County
As Hurricane Milton prepares to bear down on Florida, the storm continues to rapidly strengthen.
Earlier this morning, the National Hurricane Center officially upgraded Milton to a Category 4 hurricane as the storm continues to gather strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
Now, according to the organization’s 10:00 AM report, Milton is expected to become a Category 5 storm as its path continues toward Florida.
Photo: National Hurricane Center
UPDATE: As of 10:55 CDT, the National Hurricane Center officially designated Milton a category 5 hurricane.
10:55 CDT Monday Update: Milton rapidly intensifies into a category 5 hurricane. Data from a @53rdWRS hurricane hunter aircraft indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to 160 mph (250 km/h) with higher gusts. Follow the latest at https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/mOxuvGdtu5
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 7, 2024
The forecast currently calls for Milton to unleash winds greater than 157 mph. The storm’s current trajectory predicts that it will reach the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday before moving across Central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
A Hurricane Watch Has Been Issued For Orange County
As part of the latest update, Orange County, Florida, is now under a Hurricane Watch.
Photo: Weather.com
This means that hurricane-force winds are possible somewhere in the area within the next 48 hours.
Disney Continues to Prepare
Milton is expected to impact Walt Disney World on Thursday. Disney, however, has not yet announced the resort’s closure.
Photo: Greg Angel also Spectrum News 13
The latest update continues to read:
“Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the path of the projected storm as we continue to prioritize the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”
With that being said, Disney has taken several precautions. Yesterday, Disney World announced it was pausing hotel reservations for Wednesday, October 9, and Thursday, October 10. Additionally, Park pass reservations have been blocked for Wednesday.
Finally, Disney World has announced that it is waiving change and cancelation fees for guests with check-in dates from Sunday, October 6, through Saturday, October 12.
As always, be sure to check back with MickeyBlog. We will continue to update you on all the news coming out of Walt Disney World as Hurricane Milton approaches.
Monday is the 7th.