Hurricane Milton brews in the Gulf of Mexico. What can Gainesville expect?

On the heels of Hurricane Helene, a battered state braces for impending damage. 

Hurricane Milton intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Sunday, with sustained winds of 85 mph; gusts greater than 58 mph can break tree limbs and tear off roof shingles. 

Milton is on track to slam Florida’s west coast Wednesday, and Tampa Bay is squarely in the path of forthcoming destruction. If it hits Tampa Bay, it will be the first major hurricane to make landfall there in about a century. 

Alachua County is among the 51 Florida counties under a state of emergency. Storm surges in coastal communities may be deadly.

In a UF news release Sunday, the university pledged to monitor Milton closely and advised students, faculty and staff to prepare for the storm. It did not yet indicate potential campus closures. The community can access real-time updates on UF’s Alert Emergency Notification System. 

Other schools across the state are shuttering operations ahead of Milton. 

The University of South Florida plans to cancel in-person classes on Monday and all campus activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. The University of Central Florida suspended all classes Tuesday through Thursday. 

Alachua County Public Schools remain open this week until further notice.

Heavy rain — between 3 and 5 inches — will shower Gainesville over the next five days, increasing the likelihood of flash flooding.

The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration warned in a tweet Saturday that Milton — at that time, still considered a tropical storm — is “expected to bring major impacts to Florida this upcoming week.” 

Its most recent X post advised the public not to focus on the forecast details, stipulating that experts remain uncertain about its potential intensity, as conditions in the Gulf are volatile.

Contact Natalie Kaufman at nkaufman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @Nat_Kauf.

---