‘Here we go again’: Milton expected to become a major hurricane as Floridians are still reeling from Helene

By Dalia Faheid and Allison Chinchar, CNN

(CNN) — Communities in Florida are being urged to prepare for a potential Category 3 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico just days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in the state — killing at least 20 people in Florida, leaving thousands without power and paving a trail of wreckage.

While the state is still clearing debris from Helene — which made landfall September 26 on Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 and created a 500-mile path of destruction with catastrophic flooding and damaging winds — it’s now contending with Tropical Storm Milton.

The storm strengthened overnight and is boasting winds of 60 mph, according to an update Sunday morning from the National Hurricane Center. At that time, the storm was about 860 miles from Tampa in the Gulf of Mexico. It is forecast to intensify into a hurricane by Sunday night — and a major hurricane by Tuesday.

“Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next few days. Milton is forecast to become a hurricane later today, and it could become a major hurricane while it moves across the central and eastern Gulf of Mexico,” according to the update.

Landfall for Milton is expected to occur Wednesday somewhere between Cedar Key and Naples, which includes the entire Tampa Bay area.

The storm is projected to make landfall at up to Category 3 strength with 120 mph winds. Hurricane and storm surge watches will likely be issued for parts of the western Florida coast on Sunday — with dangerous storm surge expected for some areas just slammed by Helene.

“Regardless of the details, there is increasing confidence that a powerful hurricane with life-threatening hazards will be affecting portions of the Florida west coast” in the middle of this week, the hurricane center said, adding that rainfall will impact parts of Florida Sunday and Monday.

Miami, Orlando and Tampa are each forecast to receive four to eight inches of rain through Thursday. That would be the equivalent of an entire month’s worth of rain for Miami, two months’ worth of rain for Orlando and three months’ worth of rain for Tampa. Locations within the state’s interior could see more than 10 inches of rain total.

Milton formed in the western Gulf on Saturday morning, just hours after it became a tropical depression, the National Hurricane Center said in a special alert. The 13th named storm is running weeks ahead of schedule as it doesn’t usually occur until October 25.

With very low vertical wind shear and incredibly warm sea-surface temperatures, Milton will be able to gain steady to rapid strength over the next few days.

In preparation for the storm, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 35 counties Saturday, according to a release from his office. The storm could prolong recovery efforts from Helene and impact Florida Gulf Coast communities still recuperating from Helene, the release said.

“As many continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, I have directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Transportation to coordinate all available personnel and resources to supplement local communities as they expedite debris removal in impacted areas,” DeSantis said in a social media post Saturday. “We will continue staging state assets to prepare for efficient search and rescue, power restoration, and roadway clearing.”

Officials prepare for more rain after being soaked by Helene

It’s only been a little over a week since Helene slammed the state, but officials across Florida are already asking residents to prepare for another potentially life-threatening storm as many are still in recovery mode.

“Here we go again,” said the police department in Naples, Florida, adding heavy rainfall and flooding concerns will increase starting Sunday through the middle of next week. Authorities urged residents not to drive on streets with water over them.

Once again, Florida’s emergency officials find themselves announcing sandbag distribution sites. Multiple sandbag locations will be open in counties preparing for potential storm impacts, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said in a Facebook post Saturday.

The town of Fort Myers Beach warned residents “to stay vigilant and prepared,” and said residents could pick up sandbags at the town hall.

“Those that live in the areas prone to flooding, please be aware that the Town’s stormwater system will not alleviate water breaching the seawalls from the back bay,” the town said in a Facebook post.

In the city of Sanibel, which received more than 50 inches of rainfall prior to the storm surge flooding caused by Helene, residents and business owners have been urged to begin preparing for impacts from the storm “as soon as possible.”

“Residents and business owners should anticipate Tropical Storm or Hurricane Milton will likely bring flooding to Sanibel,” the city said in a news release Saturday. “Residents and business owners who are in low-lying areas of Sanibel, or who may not feel safe in their structure during a storm, should consider finding alternative accommodations in advance of the storm’s arrival.”

Since Helene hit the city, crews have worked throughout the island to clear storm drains and debris and manage weirs to increase storage capacity of storm water, the city said.

Sanibel officials encouraged residents to clear debris from drainage areas near their homes or businesses before any heavy rainfall.

Another area in the potential path of Milton is Pinellas County, which reported more than 28,000 properties had been damaged or destroyed by Helene. Officials said it’s too early to tell how Milton will impact the county, but residents could prepare by picking up sandbags at county sites starting Sunday.

As part of an effort to clear debris caused by Helene, the governor ordered “Disaster Debris Management Sites and landfills in all counties impacted by Hurricane Helene to remain open and allow twenty-four hour debris drop off,” the Saturday news release from his office said. That’s part of the state’s effort to ensure as much debris from Helene is cleaned up and disposed of ahead of the impending storm, the release said.

Florida residents recovering ‘one day at a time’

In hard-hit Pinellas County, where thousands of homes have been wrecked or obliterated by Helene, displaced residents who are picking up the pieces may soon have to endure another storm.

“Some of us cry, some of us hug each other, and then we just put our big girl panties on and keep going,” St. Petersburg resident Debbie Bright told CNN affiliate WFTS. Her home has been destroyed and everything she owns is now in a 5-by-10-foot storage unit, she said.

Bright said she was in complete shock when she saw the devastation in her neighborhood.

“I have four grandchildren and this is the only place they’ve ever known and they come in. And they are crying because this was nanny and papi’s house,” Bright said.

Bright stayed in Palm Harbor during the storm, but the storm surge came through her backdoor and pulled much of her furniture into the bay, she said.

“We are on day number seven here and when I got here this morning, I sat in a chair and we cried, and then we are ok and then we cry again,” Bright told WFTS.

The only thing keeping her community going is having supportive neighbors, Bright said. All she can hope for at this point is that her community recovers quickly.

“It’s kind of one hour at a time, one day at a time,” Bright said.

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CNN’s Elisa Raffa contributed to this report.