'Life-threatening': Former Ottawa resident braces for Hurricane Milton in Florida
As one of the most powerful hurricanes threatens to make landfall in Tampa Bay, residents brace for the impact.
Former Ottawa resident Angelina Armstrong, who lives in Lithia, Florida, told CTV Morning Live Wednesday they've been preparing for the worst from Hurricane Milton for a week.
"We took all of the advice that our governor have told us to do," she said, from her home 20 miles from Tampa.
"We knew we needed water, we knew we needed to stock up on fuel -- that was something we were a little behind last year. This year, we're on top of the game."
She adds that she's also cleared any objects from her backyard that could fly during the hurricane.
"The home itself should be able to withstand the high winds," she added.
While some zones are more prone to flooding depending on the proximity to the coast, her home should be safe given its location, she says. Armstrong says her zone is not under an evacuation order. However, her main concern is the wind and power outage.
It was humid and rainy Wednesday morning, Armstrong said as she was describing the weather where she is.
As buildings were being boarded up in Clearwater, Jenny McKaig Speed got out after hearing from a local meteorologist to prepare for the worst.
"And when I said to a friend of mine, 'please bring the girls life jackets over here.' I was like, 'okay, I'm preparing for the worst,'" she said.
McKaig Speed previously lived in Kingston. Her family is now safe in Georgia after finally finding fuel.
"We were stopped on the highway and every gas station. As we did progress, there was just no gas," she said.
"By some miracle there was a gas station with literally one pump."
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm forecast and will bring extreme flooding, high winds and heavy rain to the central west coast of Florida Wednesday.
It is described by some climatologists as the most powerful hurricanes to hit Tampa Bay in a hundred years, describing it as "dangerous, scary and life-threatening," according to Environment Canada's senior climatologist, David Phillips.
Milton had been Category 5 Monday, which is the top end of the scale, he said.
Phillips says the hurricane is supposed to move in the northeast direction towards the central coast of Florida Wednesday. He adds it’s likely to make a landfall Thursday morning, which calls for storm warnings, before becoming a hurricane by the afternoon. Residents in its path have been told to evacuate the area or risk facing deadly conditions.
"As it moves inland, it will become more of a hurricane during the day," he said. "It could be a hurricane right across the peninsula of Florida. But that is the Gulf of Mexico side, right to the Atlantic side."
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
He adds that the storm surge is "concerning," noting to the possibility of flash flooding and tornadoes. He says the anticipated rainfall totals are from 125 to 450 millimetres.
While people didn't necessarily heed the warnings that were made ten days ago when Hurricane Helene hit the same area, they are right now, Phillips said.
Hurricane Milton comes ten days after the same area was hit by Hurricane Helene.
With files from CTV National's Luca Caruso-Moro and CTV Ottawa's Katie Griffin
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live election results: Trump retakes the White House, defeats Harris by winning key swing states
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, clearing the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
Trump wins the White House in a political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters
Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.
'Canada will be absolutely fine': Justin Trudeau, his ministers and Pierre Poilievre congratulate Donald Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet congratulated Donald Trump Wednesday morning on his second United States presidential election win, amid questions about how the federal government intends to navigate a second term.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Donald Trump has a long enemies list, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is on it
In his column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says Donald Trump's icy relationship with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could aggravate what already promises to be a very difficult situation for Canada, socially, economically and environmentally.
Kamala Harris made a historic dash for the White House. Here's why she fell short.
It was a moment that encapsulated one of the biggest challenges facing U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign – which, in the end, proved insurmountable. A country crying out for change got a candidate who, at a crucial moment as more voters were tuning in, decided to soft-pedal the change she knew she represented.
Woman's killing by male partner in Nova Scotia all too familiar: researcher
As police investigate the killing of a 71-year-old woman in Nova Scotia by her male partner, the head of an Ontario research group on violence against women says the situation is all too familiar.
Harris to concede defeat to Trump in evening speech, sources tell Reuters
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver a speech conceding defeat in the presidential election to Donald Trump at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) on Wednesday, two sources told Reuters.
Liam Payne body moved from British cemetery in Buenos Aires on way to airport: cemetery source
The body of pop star Liam Payne, who died in Buenos Aires last month, has been taken from the city's British cemetery on route to the airport, a senior cemetery source said on Wednesday, signalling the former One Direction singer's likely repatriation.
Car dealership employees accused of selling stolen cars: Toronto police
Two suspects accused of selling stolen cars while employed at a legitimate car dealership in Toronto are now facing a combined 176 charges, police say.