TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Milton is producing stronger tornadoes than a hurricane normally would, according to Max Defender 8 Chief Meteorologist Jeff Berardelli.
“This system is producing tornadoes that I can see on radar are strong tornadoes,” Berardelli said. “So instead of EF-0s and EF-1s, we should be prepared for the possibility of EF-2s in our viewing area, which we rarely get.”
“We get a lot of tornadoes in hurricanes here, and I’ve never seen circulations as strong as this,” he said.
The reason Milton is producing these tornadoes is due to the storm interacting with the jet stream, Berardelli said.
“It has the added spin and added energy of the jet stream, which is causing these thunderstorms to spin more, which is causing these tornadoes to be stronger,” he said.
These tornado warnings should be taken seriously, Berardelli said, and if there’s one issued, people in that area should get to an interior room like a bathroom or closet.
“The tornadoes we usually get in a hurricane, you wouldn’t even know they were there because you already have the hurricane wind,” he said. “These are going to be stronger.”
Milton remains a Category 4 storm as it barrels toward the Florida Gulf Coast.