As Hurricane Milton nears Florida, Canadians urged to avoid non-essential travel – National [Video]

The Florida peninsula may not be a stranger to extreme weather, but Tampa Bay has managed to avoid getting hit directly by a hurricane since 1921.

That could change on Wednesday with Hurricane Milton, spurring the Canadian government to issue a travel advisory for the entire peninsula, including Tampa Bay, and urging Canadians to “avoid non-essential travel” around the region.

The advisory for the west coast of the Florida peninsula spanned from Chokoloskee to the mouth of the Suwanee River, including Tampa Bay, Lake Okeechobee and the Dry Tortugas. The warning for the east coast was for the St. Lucie/Indian River County Line northward to the mouth of the St. Marys River.

“Hurricane Milton is expected to sweep across various locations on Florida’s west and east coasts between October 8 and 9, 2024,” Canada’s advisory read.

It added that the storm is likely to bring excessive rainfall and violent winds, which could …