Orlando and Orange County, including the campus of the University of Florida in Gainsville, are in the forecast path for Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall on the central Gulf coast of Florida within the next 36 hours, then move east over Central Florida, according to the Tuesday morning forecast.
The exact track and intensity of Milton remains in flux. As of Tuesday morning, the storm had weakened from a Category 5 to Category 4 hurricane. The landfall is forecast to be just south of Tampa Bay, but the cone of uncertainty stretches from the Gulf Hammock Wildlife park south to Captiva Island. Forecasters warned residents along nearly the entire Gulf coast to have their hurricane survival plans in motion and to prepare for the worst. A direct or near-direct hit on Tampa Bay could bring nearly unsurvivable storm surge of over 1 foot.
After landfall, the forecast shows Milton tracking parallel to Interstate 4, passing just south of Orlando, and exiting the east coast near Cape Canaveral. Regardless of where the storm hits directly, much of the central portion of Florida is at risk of flash flooding, destructive wind and possible tornadoes.
Here’s the latest forecast track: