FLORIDA – Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 counties ahead of Tropical Storm Milton on Saturday.
RELATED: Tropical Storm Milton forms in the Gulf; expected to move toward Florida
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Here is the full list of counties: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia counties.
As of Saturday, 11 p.m., according to the National Hurricane Center, the center of Tropical Storm Milton was located near latitude 22.9 North, longitude 95.1 West. Milton is moving toward the north-northeast near 5 mph (7 km/h). An eastward to east-northeastward motion is forecast during the next couple of days, followed by a faster northeastward motion.
On the forecast track, Milton is forecast to move across the Gulf of Mexico and approach the west coast of the Florida Peninsula by midweek.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next few days. Milton is forecast to become a hurricane Sunday night, and it could become a major hurricane while it moves across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).