Milton could thrust 15 feet of surge across parts of Florida’s coast between Fort Myers Beach and Crystal River before crossing the state and bringing up to 5 feet of surge to parts of the east coast.

Flooding amid storm surges and heavy rains is a key concern when any hurricane strikes, but Florida is now particularly vulnerable. Protective sand dunes washed away by Hurricane Helene mean that there are fewer defenses than before, while the ground is already saturated in some areas.