Hurricane Milton: Traffic into Metro Atlanta up sharply as Florida evacuees make their way north

Traffic along I-75 up 280% as people evacuate Florida Channel 2’s Michael Seiden was in Henry County on Tuesday afternoon where he found heavy traffic in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75, many of the cars with Florida plates. (WSBTV.com News Staff)

October 09, 2024 at 7:11 am EDT

As of Tuesday evening, Hurricane Milton was again a Category 5 with top winds at 160 miles an hour.

Its track has shifted slightly overnight meaning Tampa may be spared a direct hit.

Landfall is expected before Thursday morning. Tampa’s mayor has issued stern warnings for those who stay saying if you stay, “you’re likely in your coffin.”

The Georgia Department of Transportation says U.S. northbound interstates have seen much more traffic than normal. That’s because millions of Florida residents are being urged to evacuate.

GDOT says volumes on I-75 northbound in South Georgia have reached as high as 342 percent above normal. Northbound I-95 near Savannah has seen similar jumps.

Flight delays and cancellations are popping up across the country because of the storm.