Many want to know when Hurricane Milton will hit Florida as the storm grows into a potential Category 5 hurricane. Similar to Hurricane Helene, evacuation orders have been made for multiple counties across Florida, especially those along the Gulf coast. Fortunately, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Tampa Bay, which might receive a direct hit by the hurricane, has released what time it predicts the system to make landfall in each threatened Florida county in a debrief made on Monday morning, October 7.
When Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida, by county
[Update, 10/8 at 1:30 PM ET – The National Hurricane Center projects that the most likely time Hurricane Milton will make landfall is between 7 PM Wednesday and 7 AM Thursday. AccuWeather predicts that this will be 2AM Thursday with Milton being a Category 3.]
[Original] Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida as early as 1 AM ET on Wednesday with the most likely arrival time being between 8 AM ET to 4 PM depending on the county.
According to the NWS, this is when the hurricane is predicted to make landfall in each county. Please note that these times will likely change over the next few days, but they will at least provide a general window of when it will hit.
- Lee County (86% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 1 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 8 AM, Wednesday
- Charlotte County (88% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 1 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 8 AM, Wednesday
- Sarasota County (88% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 2 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 10 AM, Wednesday
- DeSoto County (69% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 7 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 2 PM, Wednesday
- Hardee County (69% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 7 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 2 PM, Wednesday
- Highlands County (61% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 8 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 4 PM, Wednesday
- Manatee County (80% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 2 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 10 AM, Wednesday
- Pinellas County (81% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 2 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 10 AM, Wednesday
- Pasco County (81% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 4 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 12 PM, Wednesday
- Hillsborough County (68% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 7 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 2 PM, Wednesday
- Polk County (88% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 8 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 3 PM, Wednesday
- Sumter County (59% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 8 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 4 PM, Wednesday
- Hernando County (71% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 4 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 12 PM, Wednesday
- Citrus County (59% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 6 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 1 PM, Wednesday
- Levy County (59% Chance)
- Earliest arrival time – 6 AM, Wednesday
- Most likely arrival time – 2 PM, Wednesday
A forecast from CNN on Monday morning says Hurricane Milton has “a slower arrival time,” meaning that it could hit Florida later than expected from late Wednesday to early Thursday. While this would allow residents to be better prepared for the storm, this will give the hurricane more time to gather strength over the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
