By: Richard L. Smith
My friends and family in Newark will Wednesday at a cool 57 degrees at 4:30 a.m. under partly cloudy skies, and it is expected to stay that way until around 11:30 a.m.
As residents in North Jersey prepare for their day, Floridians are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 5 storm on a potentially catastrophic collision course with the state.
The National Hurricane Center reports that Hurricane Milton's well-defined eye is currently about 300 miles off the Florida coast, carrying maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.
The storm is expected to bring life-threatening conditions, with a projected storm surge of up to 15-20 feet, and has been described as the "storm of the century."
Twenty-eight counties across Florida are under a hurricane warning, prompting mass evacuations. Roads are congested, and airports are beginning to close as residents flee from the storm's path.
Back in Newark, The National Weather Service said today's forecast calls for a chance of light sprinkles between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., with mostly sunny skies and a high near 67 degrees.
Tonight will be mostly clear, with temperatures dipping to around 47 degrees.
As New Jerseyans go about their day, many are thinking of Florida, hoping for the safety of those in the storm's path.