Over 178K Filipinos in Florida urged to prepare for Hurricane Milton

NEW YORK — The Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC has issued a warning to Filipinos residing in Florida, particularly in Tampa, where powerful Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday morning (US time).

According to the Philippine Embassy, the safety of Filipino nationals is their top priority, and they are closely monitoring the situation of Filipinos in the area through the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Florida.

The Embassy advises Filipinos living in areas expected to be affected by Hurricane Milton to prepare, monitor updates, and comply with protocols set by authorities.

A mandatory evacuation is now in effect for areas that will be hit by Hurricane Milton, which is recorded as the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida.

As reported by the National Hurricane Center, Milton has wind speeds exceeding 181 miles per hour (or 291 kilometers per hour) and is expected to cause a storm surge of up to 12 feet along the West Coast of Florida.

In Hurricane Advisory Number 11, released at 4 p.m. on Monday (US time) by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, it was stated that Hurricane Milton is expected to grow in size while approaching Florida.

"Milton is expected to grow in size and remain an extremely dangerous hurricane when it approaches the west coast of Florida on Wednesday," the center said. 

It added that "[a] large area of destructive storm surge will occur along parts of the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. 

"This is an extremely life-threatening situation, and residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so."

According to the Philippine Embassy, more than 178,000 Filipino nationals are residing in Florida, and they are advised to call the consular emergency hotline numbers 202-368-2767 or 202-769-8049 if they need assistance. —KBK, GMA Integrated News