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Florida is bracing for the landfall of the monster Hurricane Milton, as officials have pleaded with residents to follow evacuation orders and get out.

Given the potential destruction of Hurricane Milton, President Joe Biden postponed an upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for, and the response to, the storm – in addition to the ongoing response to Hurricane Helene.

“This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century, and God-willing it won’t be, but it’s looking like that right now,” Mr Biden said.

He added: “I just don’t think I can be out of the country at this time.”

Hurricane Milton: What we know so far

Florida governor Ron De Santis said: “Now is the time to execute your plan … but that time is running out.”

He added the entire Florida peninsula was under “some type of watch of warning” after declaring a state of emergency for areas affected.

Evacuation orders are in place for over one million people in Florida’s west-coast counties.

Mr De Santis added the state would activate 8,000 National Guard members and have truckloads of supplies and equipment ready in response.

A message is seen outside of an apartment in the Davis Islands community of Tampa, Florida. Pic: AP
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A message is seen outside of an apartment in the Davis Islands community of Tampa, Florida. Pic: AP

Residents are in a race against time to clear up debris from Hurricane Helene, which officials warned could be turned into projectiles by Hurricane Milton. Pic: AP
Image:
Residents are in a race against time to clear up debris from Hurricane Helene, which officials warned could be turned into projectiles by Hurricane Milton. Pic: AP

Pic: Goes-East/Noaa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Catastrophic Hurricane Milton Creeps Toward Florida, Gulf of Mexico, United States - 08 Oct 2024
Dawn view of Hurricane Milton, currently a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 mph, continues to churn across the Gulf of Mexico heading for Florida, shown on the GOES-East satellite at 10:09 GMT, October 8, 2024 North of The Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

8 Oct 2024
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Hurricane Milton heading toward Florida. Pic: Goes-East/Noaa/Planet Pix via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Workers board up a grocery store to protect it from Hurricane Milton, in Progreso, Mexico. Pic: AP
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Workers board up a grocery store to protect it from Hurricane Milton, in Progreso, Mexico. Pic: AP

Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News: “You have to evacuate, it [Hurricane Milton] is not survivable.”

Such is the power of Hurricane Milton that, despite weakening slightly, it could land a once-in-a-century hit on Tampa and St Petersburg, engulfing the populous regions with possibly deadly storm surges.

“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa mayor Jane Castor told a Monday news conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”

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Weatherman tearful over ‘horrific’ hurricane

In an interview with CNN on Monday, Ms Castor was even more blunt.

She told the US outlet: “I can say without any dramatisation whatsoever: if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”

Pasco County is located on Florida’s west coast. Its director of emergency management Andrew Fossa echoed the warnings from other officials.

He said: “I hate to say it like this – Pasco County’s going to get a black eye from this one.

“We haven’t seen a storm like this in a lifetime. We’re running out of time.”

Amid the warnings from state officials, federal authorities are readying their response to the hurricane.

White House spokesperson Emilie Simons said the Biden administration has established two staging bases stocked with 20 million meals and 40 million litres of water and has nearly 900 staff members in the region.

A boarded-up store remains open for now ahead of Hurricane Milton. Pic: AP
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A boarded-up store remains open for now ahead of Hurricane Milton. Pic: AP

A couple sits on the beach as Hurricane Milton advances past Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on its way to Florida.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
A couple sits on the beach as Hurricane Milton advances past Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on its way to Florida.
Pic: Reuters

Roads clogged in face of 12ft storm surges

Hurricane Milton is expected to come close to Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula en route to striking Florida’s densely populated coast late on Wednesday or early Thursday.

Once there, forecasters warned that Hurricane Milton could bring eight to 12ft (2.4-3.6m) storm surges, leading to further possible evacuation orders being issued along the Gulf coast.

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The projected route of Hurricane Milton

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A stream of vehicles headed north on Interstate 75, the main road on the west side of the peninsula, as residents followed evacuation orders.

Meanwhile, traffic clogged up the southbound lanes of the road for miles as others headed for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.

Air travel fared no better as by Tuesday afternoon, almost 700 flights had been cancelled due to Hurricane Milton, with that figure expected to rise as more than 1,500 flights scheduled for Wednesday were also cancelled, according to flight tracking data provider FlightAware.

President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton. Pic: Reuters
Image:
President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton. Pic: Reuters

Florida’s Department of Corrections said it had evacuated 4,636 inmates ahead of Hurricane Milton as the National Hurricane Center warned that if people didn’t evacuate on Tuesday “there will likely not be enough time to wait to leave on Wednesday.”

200mph gusts

The storm took experts by surprise in how quickly it intensified.

In less than two days, Hurricane Milton went from just forming a tropical storm with winds of 40mph to a chart-busting Category 5 hurricane – before getting even stronger with gusts said to be over 200mph.

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To make matters worse, the huge storm comes less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene claimed over 200 lives, and left debris littered across the state – which Ms Castor said she fears Hurricane Milton could use “as a weapon” and turn into projectiles.

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Veteran hurricane scientists have called the US storm season so far one of the weirdest of their lives as it staggered through a recent quiet period before exploding into action with five hurricanes popping up between 26 September and 6 October.

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Donald Trump can seek dismissal of hush money case as sentencing postponed

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Donald Trump can seek dismissal of hush money case as sentencing postponed

A judge has postponed sentencing in Donald Trump’s hush money case and granted permission for his lawyers to seek a dismissal.

It comes after the Manhattan district attorney said he wouldn’t oppose a motion to delay the sentencing.

In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit election fraud.

It was the first time a US president had been convicted of or charged with a criminal offence.

Trump had tried to cover up “hush money” payments to a porn star in the days before the 2016 election.

When Stormy Daniels claims of a sexual liaison threatened to upend his presidential campaign, Trump directed his lawyer to pay $130,000 (£102,000) to keep her quiet.

The payment buried the story and he later won the presidency.

Trump denied the charges and said the case was politically motivated. He also denied the sexual encounter took place.

New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan today delayed the sentencing, which had been due to take place on Tuesday.

Stormy Daniels. Pic: AP
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The New York case revolved around payments to Stormy Daniels. Pic: AP

The office of district attorney Alvin Bragg had asked the judge to postpone all proceedings until Trump finishes his four-year presidency, which starts on 20 January.

Trump’s lawyers say the case should be dismissed because it will create “unconstitutional impediments” to his ability to govern.

Responding to Friday’s decision, a Trump campaign spokesman said: “The American People have issued a mandate to return him to office and dispose of all remnants of the Witch Hunt cases.”

The judge set a 2 December deadline for Trump’s lawyers to file their motion, while prosecutors have until 9 December to respond.

He did not set a new date for sentencing or indicate when he would rule on any motion to throw out the case.

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Even before Trump’s win in this month’s election, experts said a jail term was unlikely and a fine or probation more probable.

But his resounding victory over Kamala Harris made the prospect of time behind bars or probation even less likely.

Trump, 78, was also charged last year in three other cases.

One involved him keeping classified documents after he left office and the other two centre on alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.

A Florida judge dismissed the documents case in July, the Georgia election case is in limbo, and the Justice Department is expected to wind down the federal election case as it has a policy of not prosecuting a sitting president.

Trump last week nominated his lawyers in the hush money case, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, for senior roles in the Justice department.

When he re-enters the White House, Trump will also have the power to shut down the Georgia and New York cases.

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Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump’s false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

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Pam Bondi: Key proponent of Trump's false 2020 election claims set to head justice department after Gaetz withdrawal

Donald Trump has pledged for years to surround himself with ultra-loyalists who can mould his government to his vision without barriers. 

That’s precisely why he picked Matt Gaetz. Now he’s out, Pam Bondi is in and she’s equally loyal.

Gaetz was uniquely unpopular on Capitol Hill but ultra-MAGA and ultra-loyal to the president-elect.

He was chosen by the president-elect to do his bidding inside the Justice Department as attorney general.

Critics called his pick “a red alert moment for democracy” and the man a “gonzo agent of chaos” – language that would surely only affirm Trump’s decision in his own proudly disruptive mind.

FILE...Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., appears before the House Rules Committee at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
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Matt Gaetz has withdrawn despite Trump putting him forward for attorney general. Pic: AP

If it wasn’t for the fact that the president-elect is himself a convicted felon, and a man found liable in a civil court of his own sexual offences, the prospect of Gaetz, with all his baggage, making it through the nomination process would have seemed remote.

But Donald Trump’s return to the White House suggested anything is possible.

And so, beyond his loyalty, Gaetz was Trump’s test for his foot soldiers on Capitol Hill. How loyal were they? Would they wave through anyone he appointed?

It turns out that Gaetz, and the storm around his private life, was too much for a proportion of them.

At least five Senate Republicans were flatly against Matt Gaetz’s confirmation. We understand that they communicated to other senators and those close to Trump that they were unlikely to be swayed.

They included the Republican old guard like Senator Mitch McConnell.

Beyond the hard “no” senators, there were between 20 and 30 other Republicans who were very uncomfortable about having to vote for Gaetz on the Senate floor.

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Trump pick Matt Gaetz withdraws

The key question is whether Gaetz was Trump’s intentional wild card crazy choice that he knew, deep down, would probably never fly.

Was Gaetz the candidate he had accepted would be vetoed by senators – who would then feel compelled to wave the rest of his nominees through?

Will Pete Hegseth’s alleged sexual impropriety concern them as they consider the suitability of the former Fox News host and army major to run the Department of Defence?

What about Tulsi Gabbard, the candidate Russian state TV calls ‘our girl’, and the appropriateness of her running America’s intelligence agencies?

These are all appointments that the politicians on Capitol Hill must consider and confirm in the weeks ahead.

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We don’t yet know who Trump will choose to direct the FBI.

There are some names being floated which will make the establishment of Washington shudder but then that’s precisely why Trump was elected. He is the disrupter. He said so at every rally, on repeat.

He was quick to pivot to another name to replace Gaetz.

Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida. Professionally she is in a different league to Gaetz. She’s been a tough prosecutor, with a no-nonsense reputation.

She is also among the most loyal of loyalists. Her attachment to Trump stretches way back.

Pam Bondi speaks during a Trump rally in November 2024. Pic: Reuters
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Pam Bondi speaks during a Trump rally in November 2024. Pic: Reuters

I first came across her in Philadelphia in November 2020 when she was among Trump surrogates claiming the election back then had been stolen from them by Joe Biden and the Democrats.

She was a key proponent of the false claims the election had been rigged and Trump was the rightful winner.

The court cases concluding that was all nonsense didn’t seem to convince her.

Now she is poised to head up the Department of Justice as the country’s top law enforcement official.

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Donald Trump on day one: Pace of change ‘like nothing you’ve seen in history’, warns campaign official

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Donald Trump can seek dismissal of hush money case as sentencing postponed

Within hours of taking office, president-elect Donald Trump plans to begin rolling out policies including large-scale deportations, according to his transition team.

Sky News partner network NBC News has spoken with more than half a dozen people familiar with the executive orders that his team plans to enact.

One campaign official said changes are expected at a pace that is “like nothing you’ve seen in history”, to signal a dramatic break from President Joe Biden’s administration.

Mr Trump is preparing on day one to overturn specific policies put in place by Mr Biden. Among the measures, reported by sources close to the transition team, are:

• The speedy and large-scale deportations of illegal immigrants

• Ending travel reimbursement for military members seeking abortion care

• Restricting transgender service members’ access to gender-affirming care

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But much of the first day is likely to focus on stopping illegal immigration – the centrepiece of Trump’s candidacy. He is expected to sign up to five executive orders aimed at dealing with that issue alone after he is sworn in on 20 January.

“There will without question be a lot of movement quickly, likely day one, on the immigration front,” a top Trump ally said.

“There will be a push to make a huge early show and assert himself to show his campaign promises were not hollow.”

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Donald Trump ally Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next US attorney general.

But Mr Trump’s campaign pledges also could be difficult to implement.

Deporting people on the scale he wants will be a logistical challenge that could take years. Questions also remain about promised tax cuts.

Meanwhile, his pledge to end the war between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours would be near impossible.

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Even so, advisers based at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort or at nearby offices in West Palm Beach, Florida, are reportedly strategising about ending the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Following his decisive victory on 5 November, the president-elect has moved swiftly to build a cabinet and senior White House team.

As of Thursday, he had selected more than 30 people for senior positions in his administration, compared with just three at a similar point in his 2016 transition.

Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser in Mr Trump’s campaign, told NBC News: “The thing to realise is Trump is no dummy.

“He knows he’s got two to three years at most to get anything done. And then he becomes a lame duck and we start talking about [the presidential election in] 2028.”

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