Florida radio stations going 'wall to wall' for Milton

Radio stations along the west coast of Florida are delivering up-to-the-minute emergency, the latest tech and evacuation information to listeners as Hurricane Milton approaches. The hurricane, expected to arrive by Wednesday, is still 700 miles from land but has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm.

Unfortunately, Tampa radio stations are preparing for the worst. If the storm track continues in its current path, the location of landfall could cause storm surges of 8-to-12-foot storm surge into Tampa Bay and other locations in the area.

iHeartMedia Tampa stations are providing the latest information, including evacuations, closures, and shelters. The same scenario is being played out on-air across Cox Media Group and Beasley Media Group stations in the market. Radio station websites are providing the latest tracking information, forecasts, and life-saving tips.

Florida stations will be keeping residents informed about the storm less than two weeks after doing the same as Hurricane Helene passed through the state on its way to dump torrential rains and cause billions of dollars in damage in North and South Carolina. Almost two dozen radio stations in those states were knocked off the air due to the storm.

But ground zero for Milton is Florida, where iHeartMedia North Florida Area President Paul Rogers told Inside Radio in advance of Helene, “I’m blessed to have a very experienced local team that’s done this a time or two, including leading us through Hurricane Michael six years ago. My Chief Engineer Charlie Wooten was awarded the SBE Engineer of the Year award for his work before, during, and after that storm.”

Beasley Media Group stations in Ft. Myers/Naples and Tampa, FL are actively preparing for Hurricane Milton.

Company stations are providing hourly storm updates and will increase the reports to twice an hour as the storm approaches. Wall-to-wall coverage will begin 24 hours before landfall. The Beasley clusters are partnering with local TV stations to enhance storm coverage.