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How far will Hurricane Milton travel in Florida? We explain by using California cities

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How far will Hurricane Milton travel in Florida? We explain by using California cities

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Hurricane Milton is rushing toward Florida’s west coast, where it’s expected to make landfall Wednesday evening and batter the state with heavy rainfall, fierce winds, and storm surge.

The hurricane is forecasted to make landfall “near or just south of the Tampa Bay region,” USA TODAY reported, and will cross Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean. However, impacts of the hurricane will be felt hundreds of miles away from the storm’s center, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Related: Can California have hurricanes? As Florida braces for Hurricane Milton, here’s what to know

The Desert Sun used Google Maps to find the distance between various cities in Florida in the forecasted path of Hurricane Milton, such as Tampa and Orlando. Figures used for this article are based on the shortest route, in miles, provided by Google Maps on Wednesday.

We’re then comparing that to the distances between cities in California to help readers better conceptualize how far the storm will travel.

How far is Tampa to Orlando?

Traveling from Tampa to Orlando is about an 84-mile drive using the fastest route. That’s more like traveling from Los Angeles to Oceanside, depending on the route taken — or a storm spanning a San Diego County city up to the populous Southern California city (although Hurricane Milton’s path goes beyond Orlando).

How far is Jacksonville to Miami?

Both Jacksonville and Miami are not in the direct path of Hurricane Milton. However, the hurricane will impact both cities, exemplifying Milton’s broad and devastating reach. In Jacksonville, winds, flooding rains, and possible life-threatening storm surges await, the Florida Times-Union reported. Far south, a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Miami, with potential wind gusts of 39 to 57 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

It’s a 346-mile drive between the two cities. That’s comparable to traveling from San Jose to Los Angeles.

More: Hurricane Milton tracker: See projected path of ‘extremely life-threatening’ storm

How many miles is Florida, from coast to coast?

Hurricane Milton is expected to retain its hurricane status as it makes landfall on Florida’s west coast and cuts across the state to the Atlantic Ocean, USA TODAY reported. Take Bradenton, north of Sarasota. From there to the eastern coastal city, Melbourne, it’s a 165-mile drive. That’s comparable to a drive from Napa in Northern California and down the coast to Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

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