When you hear a name connected with a major Atlantic storm, it comes from a list originated and recycled every six years by the World Meteorological Organization.
You can view the current lists here.
A name is retired and replaced when a storm with that name causes extreme property damage and loss of life.
Milton is the 13th name on the list for 2024 and is an example of that occasional name replacement.
Jump six years back to 2018, when this year’s list was last used, and Hurricane Michael became the first Category 5 hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since Andrew in 1992.
With sustained winds as high as 160 mph, Michael’s destructive capacity was enormous.
Across Central America and into the United States, the storm took the lives of 74 people and caused $25.5 billion in damage.
As a result, the name “Michael” was permanently retired and replaced with “Milton” in 2019 for use during the 2024 hurricane season.
URGENT:
Deliver Emergency Relief to Communities Impacted by Hurricane Milton
Your donation today will deliver food, water, hygiene kits, and more to people in desperate need. Convoy of Hope is on the ground in Florida with pre-positioned team members and relief supplies.
As this year’s season has stretched to include 13 named storms, what defined Tropical Storm Milton as opposed to Hurricane Milton? Wind speed.
All named storms from this list are a form of tropical cyclone — a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation.
Tropical Depression Fourteen
Early in a cyclone’s development, as a tropical depression, wind speeds are less than 39 mph. Tropical depressions are not given names but are numbered and tracked in case they grow into tropical storms or hurricanes. Tropical Depression Fourteen was named Tropical Storm Milton on October 5.
Tropical Storm Milton
With a sustained wind speed of 39 mph, Tropical Storm Milton made its debut on October 5. Its winds continued to develop on October 6, eventually reaching hurricane status.
Hurricane Milton
With winds of 74 mph, Hurricane Milton entered the record books. But the storm continued to progress, with Category 2, Category 3, and Category 4, and even Category 5 winds measured on October 7.
If you live in an area where such a storm system is expected, take all necessary precautions, keep up to date on reports of the storm’s path, and don’t underestimate the potential impact to your community.
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Topics Include:
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When Was Hurricane Milton?
Hurrican Milton was announced on October 6, 2024, and rapidly reached Category 5 status by October 7.
Where Did Hurricane Milton Hit?
Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9 in Florida, a region still suffering the effects of Hurricane Helene. The initial impact zone was near Siesta Key on Florida’s central west coast. Milton crossed Florida and headed into the Atlantic on October 10 and 11.
What Category Was Hurricane Milton?
Hurricane Milton has already been recorded at each of the five categories given to such storms.
- • A Category 1 hurricane has sustained wind speeds of at least 74 mph 10 meters above the ground surface when averaged over a 1-minute period.
- • A Category 1 designation holds up through 95 mph.
- • By the time you reach Category 5, those wind speeds are equal or greater than 157 mph. There’s no top limit.
This evaluation system is called the Saffir-Simpson scale, and you can read more about it here.
Milton was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 120 mph when it reached Florida. The storm system spawned more than 100 tornadoes across the state, adding to the devastation even as the hurricane itself shifted to a Category 1.
What Time Did Hurricane Milton Make Landfall?
Hurricane Milton made landfall around 8:30 p.m. on October 9. If you follow reports of a hurricane’s predicted path, and you live in that region, you should always take steps to ensure your safety as far in advance of predicted landfall as possible.
More importantly, there is no correlation between the landfall of a historic hurricane and when a current storm system might reach land.
No data from the past would have helped you prepare as Milton became a significant storm in 2024.
It’s wise to stay up to date on weather forecasts and be aware of a specific storm’s estimated landfall if a current storm is predicted to reach your region. Thanks to satellite and radar imagery, those predictions can be very accurate, giving you plenty of time to prepare.
Don’t make the mistake of waiting until the last minute to reach a safe area.
How Many People Died in Hurricane Milton?
At least 10 people were reported lost to Milton as it crossed Florida, but the addition of Milton to this year’s list is also a reminder of the 74 people who lost their lives in 2018 to Hurricane Michael.
What Was the Path of Hurricane Milton?
Milton spawned off the east coast of Mexico and moved across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida in a fairly direct path. Once on land, Milton crossed the state and headed into the Atlantic.
Convoy of Hope & Hurricanes
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization serving the poor and hungry in dozens of program countries around the world.
Because natural disasters have such a deep and negative impact on communities, Convoy views disaster response as integral to its larger mission.
Food, water, and other key resources quickly become scarce following hurricanes and other disasters.
For 26 of those years, Convoy has been serving communities impacted by storms, beginning in 1998 with a response to flooding in Del Rio, Texas, that followed that year’s Tropical Storm Charley.
Hurricanes continue to be an annual priority for the organization.
Convoy of Hope Disaster Services responds to natural disasters around the world — earthquakes, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and drought — offering help and hope to people facing some of the most challenging circumstances in their lives.
The nonprofit, faith-based organization pursues a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreach, and disaster response.