Incredible NASA video taken from above the eye of monster Hurricane Milton shows the massive storm approaching Florida.
The images, taken by an astronaut, illustrate the enormous size of the hurricane as it moves toward the US coast, threatening a once-in-a-century direct hit on Tampa and St. Petersburg in Florida.
One social media user said Hurricane Milton from above looked like the fictional storm system that plunged the world into chaos in the movie The Day After Tomorrow.
In Florida, terrified residents rush to safety after local officials issued a stern warning overnight warning residents to “flight or die” before the monster storm generates furious winds and sends walls of water inland tomorrow .
The images, filmed by an astronaut, illustrate the enormous size of the hurricane as it moves towards the coast of the United States, threatening a direct impact, once in a century, in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida.
One social media user said Hurricane Milton from above looked like the fictional storm system that plunged the world into chaos in the movie The Day After Tomorrow.
NASA images show the eye of Hurricane Milton and its swirls
Hurricane Milton, currently a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with 155 mph winds, continues to pound the Gulf of Mexico heading toward Florida, as shown on the GOES-East satellite at 10:09 GMT on October 8, 2024.
Drivers are stuck in gridlocked traffic this morning as the state’s major highways are clogged with miles-long lines of cars trying to flee the line of danger.
Traffic is congested both north and south as locals seek refuge out of state and in Miami.
The window is also nearly closed for people to escape the region by plane, as airports in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando have already begun suspending flights.
Residents who have accepted that they will not be able to flee and are preparing to take shelter have begun panic-buying supplies, emptying store shelves of bottled water, toilet paper and other household necessities.
Those still desperate to escape and follow evacuation orders say it may be too “dangerous” to hit the roads because local gas stations have run out of fuel.
However, Governor Ron DeSantis assured residents this morning that there is enough fuel to escape the storm.
Milton was so strong overnight that experts called for it to be given unprecedented Category 6 status; However, the hurricane was downgraded to Category 4 early this morning.
Forecasters warn that Milton is expected to “grow in size” and remain “an extremely dangerous hurricane” when it makes landfall tomorrow.
Milton expanded this morning as it moved over the Gulf of Mexico toward Tampa, potentially making it “one of the most destructive hurricanes ever recorded” in west-central Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Images taken from the International Space Station show the enormous size of Hurricane Milton
Traffic is at a standstill in the Ft Myers/Naples/Cape Coral area of Florida fleeing I-75 toward Miami this morning. Authorities say similar scenes can be found on I-4 toward Orlando and on NB I-75 outside of Tampa.
Nearly the entire west coast of Florida is under a hurricane warning this morning as Milton and its 155 mph winds approach the state.
Milton is slowly moving toward Florida, absorbing energy from the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico
The hurricane’s 155 mph winds are becoming broader from the center of the storm, greatly increasing its ability to cause widespread destruction.
Milton’s gales extended about 80 miles from the eye of the storm through Monday, increasing to just over 100 miles by Wednesday morning.
“Milton remains a relatively compact hurricane, but the wind field is expected to continue to grow in size as it approaches Florida,” the National Hurricane Center said.
“In fact, the official forecast shows that hurricane and tropical storm force winds will approximately double in size when it makes landfall.”
The center of the storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area, which has not been hit directly by a major hurricane in more than a century.
Mayor Jane Castor yesterday issued a stern warning to residents: If they don’t evacuate, “they’re going to die.”
Locals have taken to social media to detail their fears as they struggle to evacuate communities located in Milton’s expected direct path.
Sharing drone footage of congested traffic along I-75 between Morris Bridge and Bruce B Downs on Monday, one X user said: “This is why a lot of people get left behind, at some point the traffic is so bad that you can’t get out of it.” Florida, or no gasoline. So you’re stuck on the outskirts of Gainesville.
But DeSantis tried to calm fears this morning, saying during a press conference: “There is no fuel shortage.” Fuel continues to arrive in the state of Florida.’