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The WPTV First Alert Weather team and WPTV News team are spread across South Florida and the Treasure Coast monitoring the impacts of Hurricane Milton as it approaches the state.

ON TRACK OF THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide

11 a.m

The National Hurricane Center said “tornadic supercells” from Hurricane Milton were fired across South Florida on Wednesday morning.

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According to the NHC’s 11 a.m. bulletin, a “catastrophic” Milton has weakened further to a Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph. It increased in speed and is now moving east-northeast at a speed of 27 km/h.

It is now forecast to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm overnight Thursday, the NHC said.

10:40 am

The dangerous cell that caused at least one tornado in Broward County has moved north into inland Palm Beach County, including Belle Glade, as well as Clewiston in Hendry County.

10:06 am

WPTV was live as a tornado swept across Alligator Alley, a few miles west of US 27 in north-central Broward County.

Tornado lands off Alligator Alley in Broward County

“Continued dangerous TORNADO on the ground,” the National Weather Service wrote on X.

9:50 am

The National Weather Service said an “apparent tornado” touched down near the Miccosukee Service Plaza on Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) near the Broward-Collier County line.

Florida Department of Transportation

Due to this storm line, a tornado warning is in effect for Broward County and parts of southwest Palm Beach County.

9:10 am

Martin County residents filled sandbags at Halpatiokee Regional Park, located at 8303 Southwest Lost River Road south of Stuart.

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There are two gas stations in the park, both open until 12 p.m. on Wednesday. This is only available to Martin County residents and you must provide ID.

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9 a.m

Cloudy and calm conditions in downtown West Palm Beach, but things could change quickly.

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A tornado warning is in effect for Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties until 9 p.m. Wednesday.

7:55 am

According to the National Hurricane Center’s statement as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Milton has weakened slightly and has become a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

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Landfall remains forecast for around 2 a.m. Thursday in the Sarasota area, south of Tampa.

7:21 am

The calm before the storm. Thank you to WPTV News viewer Larry Misiewicz for capturing this beautiful sunrise off North Hutchinson Island.

Larry Misiewicz

7:15 am

As the sun rose, WPTV Chopper 5 captured an aerial view of flooding in Indian River Estates, south of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County.

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This was the same area that WPTV News journalist Brooke Chau reported from earlier this morning.

Chopper 5 discovered flooding in the driveways of several homes. This water is not related to Hurricane Milton, but is still a remnant of the heavy rain earlier in the week.

6:47 am

Very little activity at Palm Beach International Airport and virtually no travelers at the TSA checkpoints.

Palm Beach International Airport will suspend operations Wednesday at 9 p.m

The airport said it would suspend operations at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and “reopen when it is safe to do so.”

Major airports in Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Sarasota and Fort Myers either suspended operations Tuesday or plan to do so Wednesday morning.

5:55am

Dozens of crews from Florida’s power and lighting utilities are stationed at the South Florida Fairgrounds near West Palm Beach to respond to storm-related outages.

FPL staging teams at the Palm Beach County Fairgrounds

An FPL spokeswoman said more than 14,000 linemen from 37 states were in Florida to help restore power.

“These crews here, we saw them being dropped off on buses,” reported Tyler Hatfield, a reporter for WPTV News. “They will be working 24 hours a day in the rain and wind to help restore power.”

5:35am

Florida Power and Light is using the Palm Beach Kennel Club parking lot near West Palm Beach as a staging area and will deploy resources from there to other parts of the state beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

FPL sets up crews at the Palm Beach Kennel Club

FPL uses the Kennel Club as a staging area for any major storm with equipment such as bulldozers, trailers, lights and generators.

Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said utility workers from about 40 states had traveled to Florida to help with hurricane-related outages.

5:14 am

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast near Sarasota, south of Tampa, around 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. bulletin.

Forecast for Hurricane Milton, 5 a.m. October 9, 2024

St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties are under a hurricane warning, while Martin County is under a hurricane watch. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Palm Beach County.

4:20am

With only a few hours left until Hurricane Milton hits Florida, here’s an important reminder to be careful and play it safe if you’re planning on putting up hurricane shutters at the last minute on Wednesday.

West Palm Beach police said a 69-year-old man was taken to the hospital Tuesday after he fell from a ladder while putting up shutters.

Man falls from ladder while installing hurricane shutters in West Palm Beach

According to police, the man was installing shutters on the second floor of a home in the 5100 block of Northwest 51st Way when he lost his footing and fell, injuring his head and leg.

He was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center.

3:52 am

Power supplies along docks in Riviera Beach are covered with tape and plastic sheeting to protect them from Hurricane Milton conditions.

In addition, ferries that normally dock here have been relocated.

Docks covered in tape and plastic wrap in Riviera Beach

3:31am

Areas near the Saint Sebastian River in Indian River County are already experiencing severe flooding ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton. A hurricane warning is in effect for Indian River County.

Flooding in areas near the San Sebastian River

WPTV News reporter Kate Hussey measured 16 inches of water near the Saint Sebastian River, where a playground is no longer accessible.

3:11 am

The Village of Wellington is taking steps to protect the Patriot Memorial on Forest Hill Boulevard, dedicated to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Large etched glass plaques bearing the names of the nearly 3,000 people who died will be boarded up Wednesday as village officials worry about strong winds from Hurricane Milton.

Parts of the Wellington Patriot Memorial are boarded up

In addition to securing the glass, construction crews spent Tuesday lowering culverts and clearing roads in anticipation of wind gusts in Milton.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Palm Beach County.

2:33am

WPTV News journalist Brooke Chau found several inches of flooding in Indian River Estates, south of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County.

Flooding in Indian River Estates in St. Lucie County

At Savannah Street and Buchanan Drive, water from recent heavy rains — unrelated to Hurricane Milton — seeped into front yards.

“This is not a pond. This is not a lake. This is a residential area,” Chau said. “These roads are completely overwhelmed by the rain we had earlier this week. That’s not even the impact of Hurricane Milton.”

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St. Lucie County is under a hurricane warning due to the threat from Milton.

2:10am

WPTV News reporter Michael Hoffman was in Jensen Beach, where a parking lot along the shoreline was flooded with several inches of water by storms earlier this week.

Flooding in Jensen Beach as Hurricane Milton reaches Florida

“When we drove here, a lot of neighborhoods had their driveways and streets under water,” Hoffman said. “And the storm hasn’t even really hit here yet.”

Martin County is under a hurricane watch and has opened four emergency shelters ahead of the storm’s impacts.