Tampa Bay races to clean up debris from Helene before Hurricane Milton arrives
Nearly 9,000 cubic yards of debris has been cleared from Pinellas County barrier islands from Helene before Milton is expected to make landfall later this week. A Herculean effort is underway in Florida to clear debris before Milton brings potentially 15 feet of storm surge to some areas during high tide.
Still recovering from Helene, Tampa Bay area prepares for Hurricane Milton
FOX Weather Storm Specialist Mike Seidel is in Madeira Beach, Florida where crews are quickly trying to clean up debris from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton arrives. Milton is forecast to bring 8 to 12 feet of storm surge and hurricane-force winds to the Tampa Bay area.
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. – Piles of furniture and debris line the streets of the barrier islands near Tampa, where less than two weeks ago, feet of storm surge from Hurricane Helene created a giant mess. Now, dump trucks are racing away carrying loads of debris from the beaches to make way for Hurricane Milton barreling toward Southwest Florida's coast with a potentially deadly storm surge.
The upcoming arrival of a second major hurricane hitting Florida's Gulf Coast has strained state and local resources trying to help people recover from Helene, who now have a hard deadline to clear away tons of debris before Milton creates more.
Hurricane Milton reached Category 5 strength on Monday with 160 mph winds in the Gulf of Mexico. As a major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane, it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday somewhere along Florida's central Gulf Coast.
IS MILTON'S STORM SURGE FORECAST FOR TAMPA BAY WORSE THAN HELENE'S?
The current storm surge forecast for Tampa Bay is between 10 and 15 feet if the peak surge coincides with high tide. This is notably higher than during Helene, when Tampa Bay saw 7-8 feet of storm surge. Wind gusts could reach up to 100 mph.
Water and sewage will be turned off in St. Pete Beach beginning Tuesday ahead of the storm.
"Residents in mandatory evacuation zones should evacuate. In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, residents may lose power, water, or sewer services, and these resources may not be available until days after landfall," the city said. "First responders may not be able to get to you until after the storm passes if you do not evacuate."
Forecast storm surge height. (FOX Weather)
Coastal storm surge, hurricane winds and flooding from rainfall will create more debris and move around the piles already lining the roads in areas recovering from Helene.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said nearly 9,000 cubic yards of debris has been removed from the barrier islands of Pinellas County, and the work will continue until the weather deteriorates.
The governor told FOX Weather it's a 24/7 debris removal mission.
"Local officials and their vendors must continue clearing debris from Hurricane Helene, before Hurricane Milton makes landfall. The state of Florida has marshaled unprecedented resources to help with debris removal," DeSantis said. "The Division of Emergency Management, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, and the Florida Highway Patrol have been activated and deployed to aid in this mission."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joins FOX Weather to talk preps ahead of Milton
Gov. Ron DeSantis joined FOX Weather's Ian Oliver to discuss how Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton's landfall less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene rattled Florida's Big Bend.
DeSantis said truckloads of food, water and Starlink internet kits have been dispatched to Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area ahead of Milton, along with 1.5 million gallons of fuel reserves ready if needed.
FEMA has deployed additional resources to Florida ahead of the storm, even as a major cleanup effort is underway across multiple states in the Southeast, including North Carolina, from Helene's deadly flooding.