Hurricane Milton Shows Slight Shift South

At the moment, it's a little bit of good news for our listeners in the Tampa area. The weather team at ABC Action News says the observations from the hurricane hunters and the readings from the National Hurricane Center Sunday have moved Hurricane Milton's track a bit more south of Tampa Bay... for now.

Denis Phillips warns us though that we are not "out of the woods" yet. He says the GFS model still shows Hurricane Milton on a more northerly path. Denis also reminds us that hurricanes can change track 6 hours before landfall. Given that we're still 3 days away from Milton's visit, Denis says "That's a long time out to try and pinpoint landfall within 20 or 30 miles."

With the 5pm update from the National Hurricane Center, models still show disagreement. Some keep the storm south of Tampa Bay. But a few still have it north of us. Denis Phillips says Milton is now stronger with winds of 85 mph and will continue to get stronger tonight. It'll approach the west coast of Florida Wednesday as a major hurricane.

As Floridians, we know how this story goes. There's still plenty of time for Hurricane Milton to move north again too. But for now, if the track with landfall going south of Tampa Bay holds steady, our listening area in wouldn't see the worst of the wind, rain and surge than if we were south of the hurricane's landfall.

ABC Action News meteorologist Greg Dee says that hurricane hunter aircraft earlier today found that Milton's center is south of where they originally thought. What they also noticed is that Milton seems to be heading east/southeast instead of just east. Since we're still 3 days away from landfall, that moves Milton's eventual track quite a bit. This track if it stays on this course would really spare Tampa Bay from the worst of Milton's wrath.

Greg says spaghetti models have followed suit and are also adjusting to the south. While this is positive news for us in Tampa Bay, it's now more reason for our friends in Naples and Fort Myers to prepare.

But as it was said already, these storm tracks are never set in stone this far out. Greg and Denis Phillips have both said they are looking to Tuesday as that point where we'll really have a good idea of how strong Hurricane Milton will be... and where exactly it's heading.

Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco County Schools will all be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Lightning even called off their last preseason game scheduled for tomorrow night. That game was a rescheduled game that was pushed back because of Hurricane Helene.

Here is our list of 5 hurricane prep items you might have forgotten about.

Hurricane season is upon us, and each year seems to be worse than the last. Experts say owning a storm kit is essential because you might need to survive on your own in an emergency.  Anybody can remember to stock up on the essentials (bottled water, food and batteries) but do you have these useful items in your home incase of a big storm?

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has also listed hurricane safety tips and resources so you and your family can be prepared.

I know this sounds bias, but it is essential to stay up-to-date with storm tracking. Live and local stations should be your main source of information in the case that you lose power, (and yes, we will be broadcasting for you.)

Okay, this one may seem obvious, until you run out. It’s always a safe bet to confirm that you have extra toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, and if you wear glasses or contacts, make sure you have a backup pair and contact lens solution. Oh and don't forget about prescriptions!

You don’t want to ruin important documents like social security, state issued ID and birth certificates, prescription medication, copies of insurance documents, to name a few. Bonus if you can convert other important documents to an USB flash drive!

If you plan on sticking out the storm at home, it might be a good idea to insure you have some basic home tools and a first aid kit in case there is any damage. A basic tool kit which includes a hammer, nails and screws, a saw, wrench, tarp, and screwdriver is recommended. These tools will also come in handy if you need to manually turn off utilities, like gas or water pipes.

Being so attached to our phones, internet, and video games it may be easy to forget how to keep ourselves entertained while there’s no power. To alleviate boredom and anxiety make sure you have a couple solutions to keep your family relaxed and distracted like: coloring and reading books, board games, toys, and puzzles are all great ways to pass time and let loose!