Hurricane Milton landfall imminent south of Tampa Bay

[National Weather Service]

Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall within the next few hours as a Category 3 hurricane, likely just south of Tampa Bay, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The hurricane is currently located about 60 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, and about 170 miles south-southwest of Ocala. Maximum sustained wind speeds are 120 mph, and the storm is moving northeast at 17 mph, as of 5 p.m.

Milton will maintain hurricane strength as it moves northeastward across the Florida Peninsula late tonight through Thursday morning, creating dangerous conditions across northeast Florida and the southeast Georgia coast, according to NHC.

Isolated tornadoes are possible within the outer rainbands from late this evening through Thursday morning over portions of northeast Florida, including Marion, Putnam, Flagler, and St. Johns counties.

In Marion County, 269 customers are currently out of power, as of 5:45 p.m., according to Find Energy.