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Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 5 storm before it is set to strike the U.S. just over a week after Helene devastated the Southeast. Here is how Milton compares to Helene and its only rival, Hurricane Katrina.
Milton is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday evening in Florida, which is still reeling from the devastation brought by Helene. At least 227 people have been killed across six states after Helene came ashore on September 26.
This death toll, published in the Associated Press' most recent update, makes Helene the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. mainland in the past half-century, surpassed only by Hurricane Katrina, which claimed at least 1,833 lives in 2005.
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Milton was set to become a "major hurricane" later on Monday, meaning it would be a Category 3 storm or higher, with winds of 111-129 miles per hour on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, but its "remarkable rapid intensification is continuing," the National Hurricane Center said in the recent update.
Hurricane Milton could end up being "a historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians," according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. Evacuations have been ordered by Florida's emergency management division.
When Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, in the state's Big Bend region, it was a Category 4 hurricane.
Comparatively, Katrina made landfall as a Category 1 storm in Florida on August 25, 2005, and quickly intensified to Category 5 by August 28, as it moved over the Gulf of Mexico. It then weakened to a Category 3 hurricane by the time it made landfall in southeast Louisiana on August 29.
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Both Helene and Katrina brought with them winds of up to 140 miles per hour, with Katrina's top wind speed reaching 175 miles per hour.
The two hurricanes also brought storm surges and torrential rain. Helene flooded Asheville in North Carolina, with a total of 13.98 inches of rainfall between September 25 to 27, and Katrina left 80 percent of New Orleans underwater by August 31, 2005.
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Milton is expected to raise water levels four to six feet above ground level along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, the National Weather Service said, bringing large and destructive waves to coastal regions. It is also set to produce rainfall of five to 10 inches across portions of the Florida Peninsula and the Keys.
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Helene's peak storm surge is estimated to have reached more than 15 feet above ground in the Florida Big Bend region, according to global forecasting site Weather Underground (WU)'s post-storm modeling.
Katrina's highest storm surge was recorded at 11.5 feet, while Philpot, in Florida, saw the storm's maximum rainfall of 7.80 inches.
For Milton, The National Hurricane Center said: "Damaging hurricane-force winds are expected across portions of the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. A life-threatening storm surge with damaging waves is also likely along portions of
the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
"There is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula beginning Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Storm Surge and Hurricane Watches are now in effect for portions of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula and residents in that area should follow any advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so."
On Saturday night, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 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.
Update 10/07/24 12:41 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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