Foreign affairs min. urges Canadians to leave Florida ahead of hurricane

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canadians in Florida should leave and people planning to travel there should postpone as the state braces for the impact of Hurricane Milton.

The storm was downgraded this morning to a Category 4 but is expected to bring deadly storm surge, rain and winds.

READ MORE:

• Sask. women ready to ride out Hurricane Milton in Orlando
• Five Sask. communities recorded wind gusts of 100 km/h or higher Saturday
• ‘Lot of calls to get through:’ Clean-up underway in Regina after windstorm

It’s expected to make landfall later today in the Tampa Bay area, which is home to more than 3.3 million people, and then move east affecting other populated areas including Sarasota, Orlando and Daytona Beach.

Millions of people have been ordered to evacuate.

Florida is a popular destination for Canadian snowbirds, particularly in the winter, though Joly says her office doesn’t know exactly how many Canadians are now in the area.

She said her office has been in contact with American officials and that any Canadians who are registered with the embassy will have received an email telling them to leave.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2024.

— With files from The Associated Press.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press