Denis Phillips Talks About Hurricane Milton’s Arrival

ABC Action News Chief Meteorologist Denis Phillips joined us this morning on Q105 to give his thoughts as we prepare for Hurricane Milton's arrival tonight in Tampa Bay. Conditions will worsen as the day goes on today. Here were some of Denis' key thoughts and observations on Hurricane Milton's plans for Tampa Bay. If you missed the conversation with Denis, here is the the replay. [audio mp3="https://myq105.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/79/2024/10/DenisEdit.mp3"][/audio] The unknown is how those "wobbles" will bring the track north or south. Last night, models pushed the storm's landfall to the south. Readings this morning, however, moved the path back to the north a bit. Winds are down to 155MPH... Denis said it's crazy to even say "winds are DOWN to 155" or a storm is "weakening to a Cat 3 or 4." Denis thinks the weakening will continue until landfall, but there will still be major effects felt all over Tampa Bay. Hurricane Milton's Track As for the track, Denis says watch for the wobbles. Spaghetti models won't show that. His best guess is northern or central Manatee County will be where Hurricane Milton will make landfall if there are no wobbles. But wobbles usually happen to the right. That would mean the heaviest surge would be from Sarasota down to Fort Myers. But it's a wait and see now. Watch for updates in the Q105 Storm Center all day today. Surge Estimates Denis gave some great insight on how the surge levels are posted. The big variable is where the eye of the storm makes landfall. But when you see those surge warnings, know that they try to give you the worst case scenario. For those in the Tampa area, for now the news is good in terms of surge. But if the storm moves north, that could change. That's why those surge level warnings seem so dire. They want people to be prepared for the worst. Inland Areas While our coastal residents were the ones who felt the impact of Helene, inland residents from Polk County to Orlando and beyond will feel hurricane force winds. When the storm exits the state of Florida tomorrow, it's still expected to be a Category 1 strength hurricane.